- A furniture company shared photos of what remote workers might look like in 2100.
- The photos feature a model dubbed "Anna," who's hunchbacked and terribly wrinkled.
Several photos published by a UK-based furniture company have caused an uproar among remote workers online, who say that they're just "propaganda" to get people back into the office.
Furniture At Work, which sells office furniture, created a 3D render of what it believes remote workers might look like in 2100. In photos re-published by the Daily Mail on Friday, the render, dubbed "Anna," shows a woman with a hunchback, severely wrinkled face, and claw-like hands. The webpage detailing information about the render has since been removed.
The woman in the render is also shown with bloodshot eyes and swollen limbs.
"Anna displays many physical effects because of consistent use of technology, screen exposure and poor posture, as well as highlighting potential mental health issues," the company said about the render, according to a report by The Independent.
According to Furniture At Work, the render was generated with "scientific research" and "healthcare experts," per The Independent's report. The company did not specify exactly what its methodology was in generating the render.
—Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) June 16, 2023
But people online were skeptical of the render, with some users debunking the belief that working from home is unhealthy.
"Those working remotely don't have to stay tied to the same desk for 8 hours straight. They can go exercise, sleep, stretch and all the things you can't do in an office," one Twitter user wrote.
"At home, now I workout more. Make healthier meals instead of take out etc. So what you are telling me is that working on a computer ANYWHERE will do this, doesn't matter if it is in my house," another user commented.
One user said that people who may not be remote workers already resembled the render: "This is a pic of an average American in 2023."
Several users criticized the furniture company, with some saying that it's a ploy to sell more office furniture.
"This is not the first time Furniture At Work has had success with this approach either. Just a couple of months ago they got coverage about equally baseless prognostications about the office of the future," one user wrote, referring to another set of renders published by Furniture At Work in March. In these renders, the company showed what it believes workplaces will look like by 2050, complete with holographic receptionists and onsite babysitters.
The long-term effects that remote work may have on people's bodies are still being studied. But a 2021 study by researchers from several universities in Japan found evidence that working remotely can reduce physical and psychological stress.
Furniture At Work did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.