Smartphones and tablet computers have been blamed for disrupting family life, preventing sleep and causing bad posture - but now such gadgets have also been accused of causing premature ageing.
Dermatologists say that constant neck bending to look at screens is leading to sagging skin, drooping jowls and a distinct crease above the clavicle, a condition they have dubbed "tech-neck".
Christopher Rowland Payne, a consultant dermatologist at the London Clinic, said: "The problem of wrinkles and sagging of the jowls and neck used to begin in late middle age but, in the past 10 years, because of 'tech-neck', it has become a problem for a generation of younger women."
The tech-neck crease is found most often in people aged 18 to 39 who have an average of three digital devices and peer at their screens up to 150 times a day.
A constant downward gaze also contributes to further lines and creases around the chin and neck area, according to skin experts.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 