Dangers of Cell Phones on Dangers of Cell Phones on ChildrenChildren

By: Ruqia HussainiBy: Ruqia Hussaini

Choosing My TopicChoosing My Topic

I decided to write on the dangers of cell I decided to write on the dangers of cell phones on kids because it related to my phones on kids because it related to my second summary-response essay which also second summary-response essay which also highlighted children.highlighted children.

Throughout the researching process my topic Throughout the researching process my topic never changed because I found a lot of never changed because I found a lot of information on it and it was something information on it and it was something intriguing for me to research. intriguing for me to research.

My ThesisMy Thesis

I believe that cellular phones are I believe that cellular phones are dangerous for children. They pose dangerous for children. They pose as distractions in school, while as distractions in school, while learning to drive and can lead to learning to drive and can lead to brain cancers and tumors. Children brain cancers and tumors. Children should be given limited usage rights should be given limited usage rights toward them. toward them.

I chose this particular thesis I chose this particular thesis because the subject of children is because the subject of children is too broad and I wanted to narrow it too broad and I wanted to narrow it down. down.

I know a lot of people who have I know a lot of people who have children so I wanted to do research children so I wanted to do research on this particular thesis for them. on this particular thesis for them.

As a result, once I began working on As a result, once I began working on my thesis, it never changed. my thesis, it never changed.

My Overall StructureMy Overall Structure Introduction:Introduction:

– Many people don’t know how Many people don’t know how bad cell phones are for bad cell phones are for children. They are given to children. They are given to children as a form of convince children as a form of convince but their short and long term but their short and long term affects can be disastrous affects can be disastrous For example, the Gilroy For example, the Gilroy

Unified School Board District Unified School Board District is thinking of banning cell is thinking of banning cell phones on school premises phones on school premises because children simply don’t because children simply don’t need them. If a phone call need them. If a phone call needs to be made they can go needs to be made they can go to any office and use the to any office and use the phone. Many board members phone. Many board members feel that cell phones pose as feel that cell phones pose as distractions and a right of distractions and a right of passage in schools. passage in schools.

My Overall Structure Cont’dMy Overall Structure Cont’d

NarrationNarration– Mention cell phone Mention cell phone

misconduct in classrooms.misconduct in classrooms.– Problems with young Problems with young

drivers using cell phones. drivers using cell phones. – What are the statistics on What are the statistics on

young cell phone drivers?young cell phone drivers?– What are negative health What are negative health

issues of using cell issues of using cell phones?phones?

– What are the What are the misconceptions people misconceptions people have about cell phones?have about cell phones?

My Overall Structure Cont’dMy Overall Structure Cont’d

PartitionPartition– Children need to avoid using Children need to avoid using

cell phones as much as cell phones as much as possible because of its possible because of its

– Negative effects it can have Negative effects it can have on youngsters.on youngsters.

– Cell phones usage should be Cell phones usage should be monitored by parents.monitored by parents.

– Using cell phones should be Using cell phones should be avoided while teenagers are avoided while teenagers are driving.driving.

My Overall Structure Cont’dMy Overall Structure Cont’d

ArgumentArgument A reduction in cell phone A reduction in cell phone

use would decrease the use would decrease the number of car number of car accidents.accidents.

Less cell phone use would Less cell phone use would mean the lower risk of mean the lower risk of children getting tumors and children getting tumors and brain cancers.brain cancers.

Children would focus more Children would focus more on schoolwork and on schoolwork and education rather then their education rather then their cell phones.cell phones.

My Overall Structure Cont’dMy Overall Structure Cont’d

RefutationRefutation– Not all cell phones Not all cell phones

emit high radiation.emit high radiation.– Cell phones give less Cell phones give less

radiation compared to radiation compared to x-ray machines.x-ray machines.

– Only a small number Only a small number of care accidents of care accidents occur because of occur because of drivers using cell drivers using cell phones while driving. phones while driving.

My Overall Structure Cont’dMy Overall Structure Cont’d

ConclusionConclusion– Cell phone use should be Cell phone use should be

restricted while children restricted while children with learner’s permits are with learner’s permits are driving.driving.

– School officials to make School officials to make policies to ban cell phones policies to ban cell phones in classrooms.in classrooms.

– Children should use ear Children should use ear pieces when speaking on pieces when speaking on the phone rather then the phone rather then putting the phone antenna putting the phone antenna towards the ear which towards the ear which increases the amount of increases the amount of radiation given off into the radiation given off into the brain.brain.

Major Arguments Supporting Major Arguments Supporting My ThesisMy Thesis

Cell phones are dangerous on kids Cell phones are dangerous on kids because too much radiation can because too much radiation can penetrate from the antenna and into penetrate from the antenna and into their brains because their heads have their brains because their heads have not completely formed a hard barrier yet. not completely formed a hard barrier yet. As a result they are more vulnerable to As a result they are more vulnerable to getting a brain tumor or cancer.getting a brain tumor or cancer.

Most schools have a phone in every Most schools have a phone in every room so cell phones aren’t necessary. room so cell phones aren’t necessary. Instead they are a distraction and are Instead they are a distraction and are being used as a means of cheating or being used as a means of cheating or doing inappropriate things with it, like doing inappropriate things with it, like taking pictures of people the locker taking pictures of people the locker rooms.rooms.

Children using cell phones while Children using cell phones while learning to drive with learners permits learning to drive with learners permits are causing many accidents. Children are causing many accidents. Children need to learn to drive with out speaking need to learn to drive with out speaking on phones which can be a major on phones which can be a major distraction which is very unsafe. distraction which is very unsafe.

Conquering Opposing ArgumentsConquering Opposing Arguments Opposing SideOpposing Side

– Believes that cell phones don’t carry Believes that cell phones don’t carry as much radiation as X-raysas much radiation as X-rays

– Not all students abuse the privacy Not all students abuse the privacy of others with taking inappropriate of others with taking inappropriate pictures or taking pictures of exams pictures or taking pictures of exams and using it as a means of cheating.and using it as a means of cheating.

– ““4% of deaths occur due to 4% of deaths occur due to overexposure from radiation from overexposure from radiation from cell phone lighting alone” (Gorsuch, cell phone lighting alone” (Gorsuch, 1). 1).

– Not many deaths occur from kids Not many deaths occur from kids with learners permits driving and with learners permits driving and using their cell phones.using their cell phones.

My ArgumentMy Argument– They carry enough radiation to give They carry enough radiation to give

a child a brain cancer, tumor, as a child a brain cancer, tumor, as long term affects.long term affects.

– However, short term affects that are However, short term affects that are seen right away include: seen right away include: headaches, memory loss, and headaches, memory loss, and sleeping disorders. sleeping disorders.

– Enough students have abused their Enough students have abused their privilege to using cell phones and privilege to using cell phones and as a result many middle and high as a result many middle and high schools have already banned them.schools have already banned them.

– ““I think that driving with a cell phone I think that driving with a cell phone to your ear sometimes can be as to your ear sometimes can be as hazardous as driving while your hazardous as driving while your drunk. The phone can be as mind-drunk. The phone can be as mind-altering as alcohol” (Reiter1). altering as alcohol” (Reiter1).

Sources With EvidenceSources With Evidence HelpfulHelpful

– The The Time MagazineTime Magazine article was article was helpful because it focused on helpful because it focused on the bad affects of children using the bad affects of children using cell phones. It had professional cell phones. It had professional opinions from Medical Journals.opinions from Medical Journals.

– I realized that magazines, I realized that magazines, newspapers, and medical newspapers, and medical related sited had the most info, related sited had the most info, every other site was not as every other site was not as thorough. thorough.

– Articles that I got from the CNN Articles that I got from the CNN and WebMD websites were also and WebMD websites were also very helpful. They were very very helpful. They were very formative and provided a lot of formative and provided a lot of facts with support from facts with support from creditable Doctors and people in creditable Doctors and people in the Medial community. the Medial community.

Not HelpfulNot Helpful– Opinions written by normal Joes Opinions written by normal Joes

or reporters from internet sites or reporters from internet sites who did research wasn’t as who did research wasn’t as thorough and detailed as I thorough and detailed as I would have liked. would have liked.

– These sources included a lot of These sources included a lot of repetition and at times were repetition and at times were vague and discussed many vague and discussed many things ambiguously like the things ambiguously like the medical causes of children medical causes of children using cell phones.using cell phones.

– An example of these sources An example of these sources would be:would be:

Loyola College-Maryland Loyola College-Maryland University WireUniversity Wire

The Associated Press State & The Associated Press State & Local WireLocal Wire

What I Would Do Differently…If I What I Would Do Differently…If I Had To do It All Over AgainHad To do It All Over Again

Look at newspapers and magazines Look at newspapers and magazines foremostforemost

Begin looking for sources soonerBegin looking for sources sooner Find more side affects of cell Find more side affects of cell

phones on kids both for long term phones on kids both for long term and short term affectsand short term affects

Do it all in one sitting, so I don’t Do it all in one sitting, so I don’t forget anythingforget anything

I would try to find more sources that I would try to find more sources that clearly dealt my subject from more clearly dealt my subject from more reliable opinions like police officers, reliable opinions like police officers, principals, concerned parents.principals, concerned parents.

I would look at legal documents to I would look at legal documents to see what the statistics are of people see what the statistics are of people getting cancers and brain tumors getting cancers and brain tumors and actually taking their cases to and actually taking their cases to court. court.

What Important/Interesting What Important/Interesting Thing Did I learnThing Did I learn

In my topicIn my topic– I learned how much radiation I learned how much radiation

is emitted from cell phones is emitted from cell phones for not just kids but adults as for not just kids but adults as well.well.

– I learned that there is I learned that there is enough cell phone radiation enough cell phone radiation to alter ones DNA if used too to alter ones DNA if used too much.much.

– I learned that there are many I learned that there are many side affects for children side affects for children using cell phones and yet using cell phones and yet marketing agencies keep marketing agencies keep promoting cell phones to promoting cell phones to kids to grab their attention. kids to grab their attention.

In doing a research paperIn doing a research paper– I learned that it is imperative I learned that it is imperative

to start early and not to start early and not procrastinate till the end to procrastinate till the end to do everything.do everything.

– I learned that the most I learned that the most reliable sources are the reliable sources are the ones from newspapers and ones from newspapers and magazines. These sources magazines. These sources tended to also have the most tended to also have the most important information that I important information that I needed.needed.

– I learned what microfilm is I learned what microfilm is and how to look at it, even and how to look at it, even though it took a lot of time.though it took a lot of time.

Time TableTime Table

# Assignment Days/WeeksTime to Complete

Assignment

1 Topic Selection & Proposal 2 days 2 hrs

2 Single Source Summary & Analysis 1 day 3. 5 hrs

3 Annotated Bibliography 2 days 6 hrs

4 Formal Outline 1 day 2hrs

5 Written Presentation 3 day 6hrs

6 Rough Draft 4 days 8hrs

7 Final Draft 3 days 6hrs.

The EndThe End