Laptop can toast your skin

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/prolonged-use-of-laptops-on-your-lap-can-leave-skin-mottled-and-discoloured-study-says/story-e6frg8y6-1225933925060

(Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Brian_Dunning_on_laptop.jpg)

I believe this article can easily capture the attention of readers due to the popularity of lap-top computers in this digital era of mobile technology. It certainly has a 'wow' factor at the first glance as the idea of getting skin burn from the use of lap-top is unusual, and thus interesting. The writer developed the story around the news hook - a recent Swiss research which revealed medical cases of "toasted skin syndrome" that can be attributed to prolonged use of lap-tops. This gives the article the news value of timeliness. The writer then mentioned some other real medical cases and made use of interview quotes from experts in dermatology to boost the credibility and sense of authority of the story.

The writer also brought up research findings few years ago which suggested that the use of lap-top computers may lead to infertility in men. Although the findings are dated, I think the message works well in this story as it is also linked with health hazards of the heat of lap-tops.

This article was written in the style of hard news, which mainly serves the purpose of directly presenting facts and new information to its readers. Blogger Daphne Green discussed the same research findings in her blog but I find it more helpful than the one in the Australian because she has suggested ways to avoid lap-top skin burns (source 1). From my point of view, it better suits the needs of readers if the writer positions the story as a service feature article about safely tips for using lap-top computers. The use of illustrations or videos will be more eye-catching and easier for readers who use mobile devices, e.g. mobile phones, iPads, blackberries etc, as those are people who are likely to use lap-top computers as well. To make the article more practical and interesting for a wider group of audience, the writer can also introduce fashionable lap-top heat protectors.


Source:

1) Blog entry by Daphne Green, http://www.suite101.com/content/laptop-skin-burn-a293967