THE average person’s thumb travels the equivalent of two marathons (83.2 kilometers) a year scrolling through sites like Twitter and Instagram, new research shows.

U.K. marketing agency Ilk has made the calculations, based on estimates that we spend 49 minutes per day scrolling through social media sites.

The Leeds-based firm has created an interactive online simulator for mobile called Thumb Run, in the style of a retro 1980s arcade game, to help visualize the total.

Thumb Run features a thumb dressed in running gear as it makes its way through a digital race course, backed by an 8-bit version of the motivational instrumental from Chariots of Fire.

“It’s no secret that many of us spend a lot of time on our phones,” said Rob Jones, senior PR and social media director at Ilk.

“But the sheer distance covered by our thumbs doing so over a typical year is staggering. We wanted to illustrate just how big a role social media plays during our lives, whether that be as a source of entertainment, to access important information, or to stay connected with family and friends,”said Jones.

Excessive smartphone use can cause “scroller thumb” or “texting thumb,” where the digit begin to cramp, become inflamed or get stuck in a bent position.

This abnormal, repetitive thumb bone movement could be causing pain and even eventual arthritis.

(SD-Agencies)