“I finally realized that people are prisoners of their phones…. that’s why they are called cell phones.”
Cell phones have become a part of our life in this modern age. They play a huge role in our day-to-day life, be it to remain connected to family, friends, or workplace while traveling or from a remote area. Cell phones emit a form of energy known as radiofrequency (RF) waves and the same is considered harmful for the human being. This pandemic has increased the time spent on cell phones due to work from home and so has increased the health hazards associated with it.
Advantages of cell phones
- In business, it provides higher efficiency and productivity.
- Better quality and flexibility of service.
- Better access to modern apps and services.
- Makes payment wirelessly.
- Improves networking capabilities.
The effect of cellular phones
Cell phones have become very popular recently. They got first introduced in the United States in the 1990s and after that, there was no looking back.
Cell phones carry both pros and cons. The advantages may be huge but the disadvantages walk hand in hand. Cell phones emit a very low level of non-ionizing radiation during usage. Though there is no consistent evidence that this non-ionizing radiation causes cancer risk in humans.
The factors responsible for the amount of radiation a person gets exposed
- Time duration a person uses the cell phone.
- The proximity of the nearest cell phone tower.
- Amount of cell phone traffic at a time in a particular area.
- Model of the cell phone being used.
The link between cell phones and tumors
As cell phones are held close to the head during the call it is supposed that the radiation might cause tumors such as :
- Malignant (carcinogenic) brain tumors
- Non-cancerous tumors of the brain (meningiomas)
- Acoustic neuromas or nervous system cancer
- Salivary gland tumors
Justification through studies
Researches have been done to determine whether the exposure towards radiation through cell phone causes cancer.
- The research was done in the laboratory
- The research was done on groups of people
Not enough data is available to justify the fact that the use of cell phones causes cancer.
Ongoing controversy on cell phone
As many factors are responsible regarding radiation exposure hence one is unable to reach a definitive conclusion. The studies had their limitations to end the ongoing controversy whether cell phones cause cancer.
Safety measures to reduce the exposure of RF waves
- It is better to use cell phones in speaker mode or on video mode feature or cordless headphones. The benefit of it is that the antenna moves away from the head and decreases the amount of exposure of RF waves.
- Instead of talking try texting more to reduce the exposure.
- Limit the time of cell phone use.
- Select a model with a low SAR value
Note :
The studies may not have established a strong link between the use of cell phones and cancer but scientists believe that by following some safety measures the exposure to the radiofrequency can be reduced.
The necessity of cell phones has increased and for children, it is a long-term use as they start using cell phones from a very early age. It is important to reduce exposure to electromagnetic fields to avoid health hazards in the future.
The availability of unlimited games, apps, and social media has drastically increased the average time spent on cell phones and the responsibility lies on us to lead a quality and healthy life.
