Bear in Mind Risks of Cell Phone Use
By Christian McKenzie
Contributing Writer
Recent studies have shown there is a serious risk involved in the frequent use of cellular phones. Have you ever heard your phone cut out, fizz, and cross airways with another electronic device? Or even throw off computers, stereos, or other phones just while it was ringing? These are all the beginning repercussions of buying a device with a 3.6% radio frequency radiation rate (RF)-on Sprint or Nokia phones. Those on a budget are open to 3.7-3.8% radiation rates (Ericsson). Is a 3.6% radiation rate a big deal? A radiation rate of 3.6% equals 900 MHz and 2.456 Hz power levels. Considering that cell phone radiation rates rise every year after more research is done, and more concern arises, 3.6% might not be the full figure. So it is probable that the present rates the American public has been privy to are a great understatement of the true risk factors. For example, why does your phone cut out when all bars indicate a strong signal? Did someone walk through the signal and get a dose of radiation him- or herself?
What is the obsession behind the mass prevalence of cell phones owned by middle-schoolers, college students, and other nonprofessionals who don't seem to have a dire need for the flashy devices? Are they status symbols? Does owning one make you more confident? Did you get it because everyone else had one? It appears to be a costly, risky, unnecessary convenience in the lives of these pre-adolescents and young adults. The real question is, is this popular icon worth its risk? Are you developing a premature chimosis from it? In 1995, Henry Lai of the University of Washington in Seattle found that radio frequency radiation is carcinogenic. This means that a "break in brain cell DNA" can occur. Then, in February 2000, the Food and Drug Administration noted: "There is currently insufficient scientific basis for concluding either that wireless communication technologies are safe or that they pose a [health] risk to millions of users." The research was said to be "flawed," so no conclusions could be drawn from it. Also in 2000, the FDA and Cellular Telephone Industry Association (CTIA) put $1 million into research to find the risks of cell phone usage. Why do you think that is? The product is already on the market, but I guess they just wanted to double-check.
I believe that cell phones are a fad for the rising generation. We know there are risks and we know the research does not tell us much. But many have the mentality that "if everyone else has one, why shouldn't I?" Take a quick glance at the past fads of popular culture: rampant sex of hippie free-thinkers in the '69s, cigarettes as a status symbol of elegance and class in the '70s, and rampant sex of the happy, postmodern '80s. What were the repercussions? A prevalence of STDs so strong that they are rising more quickly than they can be named; a baby boom generation where many are plagued with lung cancer and/or emphysema, asthma, and other diseases that affect breathing and threaten life each additional day a person thrives. Might our generation be the next to be the greatest contributors to cancer caused by radiation and other bodily mutations? Next time you think about buying or even using a cell phone, just remember to keep your health in mind.
Cell phone researchers advise cutting back on use as often as possible. Do not use your cell phone when it has a weak signal; it increases its broadcast power to compensate. So then you are using a potentially carcinogenic device, directing signals through your ear canal, which is a direct link to your brain without barriers or protection. (Sources: www.spectrum.ieee.org, www.aacr.org, and www.fda.gov)
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