Screen protectors are like our phone’s version of preventive medication, something used to ensure a longer lifespan for our beloved screens. But turns out even a small crack on your screen protector can do a lot more damage than meets the eye. At least that’s what a Malaysian man found out the hard way when he continued to use a cracked screen protector to play games on his phone and ended up developing an infection.According to newspaper Harian Metro, 23-year-old Azuan Iqbal Abdullah Sani was using a cracked screen protector for four months before he noticed a weird swelling on his thumb along with tiny black spots. Although there was no visible wound, the doctor diagnosed him with a bacterial infection and put him on a course of antibiotics. But the pain worsened and eventually, he ended up in a private hospital. He reportedly underwent surgery to remove the glass shards that had subtly embedded themselves into his skin, as well as to take out the infected flesh. Luckily, he managed to save his thumb from being amputated. "It was shocking to know that my finger would have to be amputated if I had delayed treatment," Azuan told Harian Metro."It is my fault that this happened since it is easy to replace the screen protector. I hope that others will immediately replace their cracked screen protectors so that they don't become like me," he continued.The World Health Organization has already declared too much gaming as a disorder. But let this be a reminder for you to replace that shattered screen before we can add another deadly disease to the list of side-effects of too much screen time.Follow Shamani Joshi on Instagram.
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