--- title: "That “Research” About How Smartphones Are Causing Deformed Human Bodies Is SEO Spam, You Idiots" description: "You know that \"study\" going around saying humans are going to evolve to have hunchbacks and claws because of the way we use our smartphones? Yeah, it was absolutely paid for by a clickbait content farm.  " date: "2022-11-03" modified: "2022-11-03" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/smartphones-deformed-human-spam" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Studies" tags: - "clickbait" - "evolution" - "human body" - "smartphones" --- # That “Research” About How Smartphones Are Causing Deformed Human Bodies Is SEO Spam, You Idiots ![That "study" claiming that smartphones are going to turn humans into hunchbacks with claws by 2100 was paid for by a clickbait site, folks.]() *\Image: TollFreeForwarding.com\* You know that "research" going around saying humans are going to evolve to have hunchbacks and claws because of the way we use our smartphones? Though our posture could certainly use some work, you'll be glad to know that it's just lazy spam intended to juice search engine results. Let's back up. Today the *Daily Mail* published a [viral story]() about "how humans may look in the year 3000." Among its predictions: hunched backs, clawed hands, a second eyelid, a thicker skull and a smaller brain. Sure, that's fascinating! The only problem? The *Mail*'s only source is a [post ]()[published a year ago]() by the renowned scientists at... uh... TollFreeForwarding.com, a site that sells, as its name suggests, virtual phone numbers. If the idea that phone salespeople are purporting to be making predictions about human evolution didn't tip you off, this "research" doesn't seem very scientific at all. Instead, it more closely resembles what it actually is — a blog post written by some poor grunt, intended to get backlinks from sites like the *Mail* that'll juice TollFreeForwarding's position in search engine results. To get those delicious backlinks, the top minds at TollFreeForwarding leveraged renders of a "future human" by a 3D model artist. The result of these efforts is "Mindy," a creepy-looking hunchback in black skinny jeans (which is how you can tell [she's from a different era]()). https://twitter.com/MailOnline/status/1588214390955773952 "To fully realize the impact everyday tech has on us, we sourced scientific research and expert opinion on the subject," the TollFreeForwarding post reads, "before working with a 3D designer to create a future human whose body has physically changed due to consistent use of smartphones, laptops, and other tech." Its sources, though, are dubious. Its authority on spinal development, for instance, is a "health and wellness expert" at a site that sells massage lotion. His highest academic achievement? A business degree. We could go on and on about TollFreeForwarding's dismal sourcing — some of which looks suspiciously like even *more* SEO spam for entirely different clients — but you get the idea. It's probably not surprising that the this gambit for clicks took off among [dingbats on Twitter](). What is somewhat disappointing is that it [ended up on *StudyFinds*](), a generally reliable blog about academic research. This time, though, for inscrutable reasons it treated this egregious SEO spam as a legitimate scientific study. The site's readers, though, were quick to call it out, leading to a comically enormous editor's note appended to the story. "Our content is intended to stir debate and conversation, and we always encourage our readers to discuss why or why not they agree with the findings," it reads in part. "If you heavily disagree with a report — please debunk to your delight in the comments below." You heard them! Get debunking, people. **More conspiracy theories:** *[If You Think Joe Rogan Is Credible, This Bizarre Clip of Him Yelling at a Scientist Will Probably Change Your Mind]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()