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 Are Mobile Phones Essential or Dangerous? Uploaded by JerryMack on Feb 22, 2005

Mobile phones; an essential for modern living or a life-threatening accessory? 

This is the question the country is asking. Mobile phones are considered by many as an essential part of modern day life, from the businessperson who uses the mobile phone as a vital link with the office, to the

teenager who has the phone for recreational use. By using mobile phones are we damaging our long-term health just to stay in contact or worse simply just for a good image?

Mobile or cellular phones have changed dramatically over the past two or three years. The newgeneration of WAP phones now allow the user to connect to the Internet, send e-mail and even listen tothe radio. The e-mail feature, a tremendous advancement in technology, allows businesspeople tocontact their office at anytime day or night. Not only can e-mail be used throughout Britain but alsomessages can be sent globally. Sending e-mail is not nearly as expensive as the conventional methodsof contact, therefore has the potential to reduce costs considerably for the company. The e-mail can besent anytime, not just within office hours, and time differences between countries are no longer aconsideration.

Many mobile phone users claim one of the main advantages of ownership is the ability to contact friendsor family in the event of an emergency. Most women who travel alone feel more secure knowing that inan emergency or breakdown they can summon help without leaving the safety of their car therefore, themobile reduces the chances of being run over or worse raped. By having your mobile phones with youcould it be a silent killer?

The reduction in costs associated with owning and using a mobile phone, largely due to the introductionof the new pay and go tariff, means that many more people are now able to afford a mobile phone. Themain disadvantage of this is that the networks can become overloaded and make it extremely difficult toconnect to the network. The consequences of this could be disastrous, mobile phone owners are lead tobelieve that they can contact help in the event of an emergency when, in effect the crowed network maymake this impossible.

Many parents are increasingly buying mobile phones to stay in contact with their children. In doing so arethey endangering their own health and more importantly the health of their children? Many studies havebeen commissioned to assess the health risks associated with ownership and use of a mobile phone.Mobile phone emits a type of electromagnetic radiation called radio-frequency radiation (RFR). The

possible health risks of RFR can be characterised in two ways: thermal and non-thermal. Thermal effectsoccur when enough RFR, at certain frequencies, is absorbed to be converted to heat, increasing tissuetemperature. However non-thermal effects and their health risks are something of an unknown quantity.Though disputed, it's suggested they can occur at lower levels of exposure and involve changes to bodycells, possibly leading to anything from memory loss and headaches to tumours and even Alzheimer's.So far reports and investigations have been inconclusive. The long awaited study by Sir William Stewartinto mobile phone safety concluded,

" The balance of evidence does not suggest mobile phones technologies put the health of the generalpopulation at risk."

He did however recommend children should only use mobile phones for essential calls. In September 1999 an all-party of MP's agreed there was no firm evidence that mobile phones pose a threat to health.So it has been left to parents to decide whether or not the advantages of being able to "stay in touch" withtheir children out-ways any potential health risks.

Many scientists consider the mobile phone transmitters to be the greatest danger to public health. Theplanning laws at present allows transmitters to be erected anywhere in the country as long as they areunder the height of fifteen metres. Until the evidence is conclusive as to whether mobile phones andtransmitters are endangering public's health the government should enforce more strictly the regulations,which control the location of mobile phone transmitters. One way in which this could be done is to ban or severely restrict the erecting of these transmitters in built up or residential areas. The public have achoice whether or not to subject themselves to the potential risks of using a mobile phone yet thisfreedom is taken away when a transmitting mast is erected outside a school or close to their own home.With the experts unsure at present whether transmitting masts pose a health risk, especially to childrenunder the age of fifteen, the ease at which telephone companies can site and erect these masts is, at

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best, irresponsible. There are insistences of mobile phone transmitters being erected outside Primaryschools. Transport and environment minister Sarah Boyack promised MSP's in August 2000 that asummit would be held with all mobile phone companies to discuss the positioning of the transmitters but,to date no such meeting has taken place. Ms Boyack then added, " If we introduced planning barrierswhich were too high this could work against the interests of the Scottish economy." Are the governmentendangering the health of the British public just to accommodate the extremely large and powerfulmultinational phone companies? According to George Carlo, the mobile phone industry has pulled the

rug over findings that query the safety of the world's 2000 million handsets. What gives Dr. Carlos claimsweight is that this research was commissioned and payed for by the industry. The research costs werefifteen million pounds.

Another danger associated with the use of mobile phones is that of drivers using them while on the move.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a new report on wireless technology invehicles. "An Investigation of the Safety Implications of Wireless Communications in vehicles." The reportwas largely inconclusive and plays it safe on the issue of whether mobile phone use increases theincidence of highway accidents. Recently scientific evidence has suggested that the radiation from thehandsets can cause a temporary memory loss, although there is only a one in five million chance of thisoccurring. With the risk being so slight many will choose to dismiss this but what if this memory losscauses a driver of a car or another vehicle to crash and injure a family member or friend?

Even if mobile phones are found to be dangerous will they stopped being used? For many years it has

been widely acknowledged that smoking causes cancer, still many people continue to ignore Governmenthealth warnings and continue to smoke and many more people choose to start smoking each week. Withthe mobile phone becoming ever more affordable will the people who use it stop because it is found toshorten their life expectancy or will the same happen as happened with cigarette warnings? Many peopledefiantly will stop using their mobile phones. Others, particularly those who depend on their mobile phoneto communicate with friends or businesspeople, will not stop? One of the ways that the Government haveattempted to discourage people from smoking is to ban all cigarette advertising. This strategy could beapplied to mobile phones in a way that prohibits mobile phone companies from targeting the younger generation. The Government could also insist that mobile phone manufacturers include health-warningleaflets with each phone sold.

Substantial research supports the conclusion that the radio signals emitted by mobile communicationequipment present no health risk. Periodic review by numerous government agencies, internationalhealth organizations and scientific bodies support the observation that the radio signals from mobilephones and other portable communications devices pose no health risk. The scientific consensus drawn

from the weight of evidence accumulated over many years is clear. There is no evidence that the radiosignals generated by mobile phones, transmitting masts or other portable communications devices posea health hazard. The above evidence in my opinion provides a sound basis for concluding that mobilephones are safe.

World Health Organization Says Cell Phones canCause Brain Cancer 

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NaturalNews) The results of the decade-long Interphone study on cell phonesafety are that heavy cell phone use increases the risk of developing braintumors later in life. The study, which focused on three types of brain cancer and

tumors of the parotid gland, found a significant increase in cancer after a decadeor more of cell phone use. When a cell phone tower connects with a cell phone,electromagnetic radiation is created. When the cell phone is held against the ear,this radiation penetrates the brain, particularly in children. According to the DailyTelegraph in London, the World Health Organization (WHO) will soon publish theresults of the Interphone study, which was conducted in 12 countries by theInternational Agency for Cancer Research (IARC). Head researcher Dr. ElisabethCardis told the Telegraph, "In the absence of definitive results and in the light of anumber of studies which, though limited, suggest a possible effect of radiofrequency radiation, precautions are important. I am therefore globally inagreement with the idea of restricting the use by children, though I would not go

as far as banning mobile phones as they can be a very important tool, not only inemergencies, but also maintaining contact between children and their parentsand thus playing a reassurance role. Means to reduce our exposure (use of hands-free kits and moderating our use of phones) are also interesting." Theseresults from the Interphone study follow closely on research published in the Oct13 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology , which reviewed existing research onthe association between cell phones and brain tumors. It found that when just thewell-done studies were included, there was an 18% increased risk of braintumors in cell phone users, and that they tended to occur on the side of the headthat the cell phone was used most. In the United States, which did not participatein the Interphone study, there are 270 million cell phones in use. Senator Tom

Harkin, now head of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and PensionsCommittee, has promised to probe more deeply into the question of a linkbetween cell phones and brain cancer. There's no argument that cell phonesemit an electromagnetic field, a form of microwave radiation, that enters the brainwhen the cell phone is held against the ear, and there's good research showingthat the field does affect brain function. Although research has not shown thatshort term cell phone use causes cancer, a large population study from Swedenhas shown that people who use cell phones for more than ten years on the sameside of the head have a 40% higher risk of certain types of brain tumors. TheInterphone study adds to this evidence. Cell phone users can distance the brainfrom electromagnetic fields by using the speaker phone function, a headset, or by texting. Sources: "Long-term use of mobile phones may be linked to cancer,"by Martin Beckford and Robert Winnett, Daily Telegraph, London, 24 Oct2009: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo... "Cancer Cell Phone," by TomPettifor, Mirror.co.uk News, Oct 26, 2009: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-st... "Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: A Meta-Analysis," Seung-KwonMyung, Woong Ju, Diana D. McDonnell et al, Journal of Clinical Oncology,published online October 13, 2009, DOI:10.1200/JCO.2008.21.6366

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job. And then your boss call to ask for another errand. You can ignore it but of 

course you will need to face the consequence later on. Maybe you can tell that

you are in a place that is out of service.

Cheating in examination

Since hand phone has become normality in once life, it is not weird for students

to bring hand phone during class or exam. Furthermore, it is not weird if students

bring hand phone during exam because it is too dangerous to leave it outside the

examination hall since hand phone is pricey.

However, the real problem occurs when some students misused their hand

phones to cheat in examination. Just think how much of information can be

stored inside a 2GB hand phone memory? There is no need to write a lot of 

information in a tiny paper anymore for cheating in examination. Some students

even use 3G to get instant answer from the internet. 3G access is really useful

for sudden quiz or test. If you are a lecturer, please aware of this.

Cell Phones for College StudentsCollege students can now save money on thenewest cellphones including thenew BlackBerry Curve 8330 Titanium. On this web site, I give yourecommendations for finding the cheapest cell phone prices anywhere. The firsttip you need to know is the various monthly rate plansfrom Alltel,Cingular , Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon will cost the same amount no

matter where you purchase the service. However, the prices for the phoneequipment will vary widely from store to store. College students should buy newcellular service from an online store rather than a local retail store. The onlinestores offer much lower prices on the phone equipment and will include extraaccessories for free. I've searched for the lowest prices on cellphones for collegestudents from the major carriers and listed them here on this page.

Here's another tip. The major carriers Alltel,Cingular , Sprint, T-Mobile,and Verizon require you to have a history of finacial responsibility beforequalifying you for a cellular plan. As a college student without a long history, youmay have problems qualifying for a cellular plan because they will ask you to put

down a very large deposit or refuse you service altogether. I recommend collegestudents first try a prepaid cellular plan with Cingular GoPhone, T-Mobile To Go,or TracFone who cater to college students by not requiring a background checkat all.

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Teen, College Students Are Most Active Cell Phone

UsersBy Enid Burns, ClickZ, Aug 29, 2005

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College students access more mobile content on their phones while mobile servicesare unrestricted by the parents of teens. A pair of reports look into each segment;one an independent study fromM:Metrics, the second, a survey conducted by Itracks

for ACE*Comm.

The M:Metrics report finds employed college students are 42 percent more likely to

use mobile email than the typical subscriber. That's 23 percent more likely than full-

time workers. Working students download mobile games and personalize content ontheir phones twice as often as do other users.

"Students who work as well are time-deprived. Highly personalized news and

entertainment feeds could be interesting if done correctly," Seamus McAteer, chief 

product architect and senior analyst at M:Metrics, told ClickZ Stats.

The report says a student's mobile phone bill ranges from $41 to $60 per month, but57.5 percent of students are on family plans and don't pay the bills themselves.

Students who don't work may be more conscious of download costs.

"Students without work are almost three times more likely to spend less than $20 in

total on their monthly mobile bill than their counterparts with work," said McAteer,

Parents foot the bill of most teen mobile lines through family plans as well, accordingto the study commissioned by ACE*Comm. The survey finds most teenagers aren't

restricted by their parents when it comes to cell phone or data usage.

Just because kids are in school doesn't mean their phones are turned off. Thirty-eight percent of teens surveyed text-message with friends during school hours. A

smaller 30 percent of students say they play video games on their phones while atschool. Parents who look at their kid's calls will realize 26 percent of kids speak with

people mom and dad wouldn't approve of.