1. the Study Doesn’t Actually Measure Cellphone Usage

This Is the Most Basic Flaw. the Study Does Not Measure the Cellphone Usage of Its 1,200 Patients.

2. the Findings Mean Nothing for the General Population

Shahar and Sayers Write That the Study “Demonstrated the Prevalence of [Eop] to Be 33% of the Total Population” and That “Our Findings Raise a Concern About the Future Musculoskeletal Health of the Young Adult Population. ”

3. the Study Isn’t Studying Horns

Let’s Settle This Horn Business. the Study Did Not Look at Horns. a Bone Spur Is Not a Horn, as Hawks Detailed in a Medium Post on Thursday.

4. If These Bone Spurs Are Happening, Where Are the X-Rays?

Hawks, a Paleoanthropologist Who Specializes in Bone Evolution, Said the Study Did Not Provide the X-Rays Needed to Confirm That the Researchers Were Even Measuring Bone Spurs.

5. the Study Claims Males Have More of These Bone Spurs, but Doesn’t Back It Up

The Study Claims These Bone Spurs on the Back of the Skull Predominately Occurred in Males. It Even Goes as Far as to Quantify the Difference, Stating That “Sex Was the Primary Predictor with Males Being 5.48 Times More Likely to Have [Eop] Than Females. ”

6. the Study Also Fails to Make a Clear Connection to Millennials

Both Goldsmith and Nuzzo Said the Study Did Not Include Data Behind Its Statistical Models, Which Are Necessary to Confirm the Connection Between Millennials and the Eops.

How Did This Happen and Why Does It Matter?

The Second Part of This Equation Is How Studies Like These Are Covered by the Media.

Smartphones Aren’t Making Millennials Grow Horns. Here’s How to Spot a Bad Study

By Robert Thorne

• Oct 8, 2026 • 16 min read

Smartphones Aren’t Making Millennials Grow Horns. Here’s How to Spot a Bad Study

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

It’s the Kind of Story That Could Sound True, but Seems Off.

Robert Thorne

Automotive & Future Transportation Editor

Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.

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