A Massachusetts man with one of the world’s largest thumbs has shown off how he uses everyday items like his phone.
Jacob Pina, 25, has gone viral in the past few years for his five-inch digit, which has helped him launch a successful YouTube channel and gain millions of online followers.
But while it has given him internet fame, it has made daily tasks that bit harder — including texting and using his cellphone.
At about five inches fully stretched, his right thumb is just slightly shorter than the six-inch iPhone 16. His left, he has said, is nearly the same length.
He demonstrated this in a recent TikTok video, where he stretched out his thumb to scroll through social media on his phone.
The clip, which has nearly 100,000 views, left viewers shocked and confused, with many questioning if it was edited or if the extreme stretch is painful.
One commented: ‘This makes me physically uncomfortable.’
Around one in 10 Americans have highly flexible or stretchy joints, also known as hypermobile joints – but doctors have no explanation for Mr Pina’s case.
Mr Pina has gone viral on TikTok for his thumb, showing off clips comparing it to other objects. The above photos show him trying to use his cell phone with the thumb stretched out
Jacob Pina (pictured here), 25, claims he can stretch his right thumb to nearly five inches long, almost double the length of an average person’s
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Though hypermobility has been linked to genetic disorders, he said he doesn’t have any underlying health issues to explain his thumb.
He previously told DailyMail.com: ‘It’s been a positive experience having a long thumb. It’s never stopped me doing anything, and sharing it on TikTok has gained me so many followers who are thumb enthusiasts around the world.’
It’s unclear if he holds any records for the world’s largest thumb.
Mr Pina didn’t realize he had the bizarre talent until he was a freshman in high school. He kept it to himself until a friend encouraged him to make a TikTok account in 2019 to show it off.
Since then, he’s amassed 2.8million followers and has posted several videos comparing his thumb to other people and objects like water bottles and video game controllers.
He said that while both of his thumbs can stretch abnormally long, his right thumb is slightly longer. Since his right hand is dominant, that also naturally ends up being the one he shows off more often on social media.
He previously told DailyMail.com: ‘I can’t believe the number of likes I’ve got.’
Hypermobile joints have been linked to several genetic and autoimmune conditions.
One of the most well known is Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (HEDS), a genetic condition that affects the body’s connective tissues, which gives structure to organs and helps bones stay intact.
Found in anywhere from one in 5,000 to one in 20,000 Americans, including celebrities like Billie Eilish and Lena Dunham, HEDS leads to overly flexible and often painful joints, stretchy skin, and frequent dislocations.
Marfan syndrome, a similar connective tissue disorder according in one in 5,000 Americans, also leads to extremely flexible joints.
Mr Pina has not confirmed if stretching his thumbs is painful, but he has noted a few advantages, including never losing a thumb war.
He said: ‘And I’m pretty good with Xbox. I’m really good at Rainbow Six Siege. I was like top ten in the world for probably 10 seasons straight.’
Several commenters on his recent video expressed their doubts and concerns about Mr Pina’s thumb.
One said: ‘Is it some sort of condition that causes this or is it edited?’
Another commented: ‘You don’t understand how confused i am.’
‘bro this is a sword,’ one viewer said.
