| There is growing consensus that cell | | | | Children should not use cell phones for |
| phone antennas may be harmful to humans | | | | long calls. They should sue land lines |
| due to the huge volume of | | | | instead so as to minimize the length of |
| electromagnetic waves that get | | | | contact with the radiation emitted by |
| concentrated around it during the | | | | the device. |
| receipt and placing of calls. This | | | | Consumers should buy phones with low |
| danger is even further aggravated by | | | | specific absorption rate (SAR). Mobile |
| cellular manufacturers who place the | | | | phones should be kept away from the body |
| internal antennas close to the earpiece. | | | | as much as possible. They can be put in |
| Mobile phones are basically radio sets | | | | the purse or bag and only brought into |
| and therefore emit energy radio signals | | | | contact with the body when there is the |
| that can penetrate the body and cause | | | | need to make or receive a call. |
| harm. | | | | Users should try to keep their |
| There have been several commissions on | | | | conversations short. |
| the study of the effect of mobile phone | | | | If possible, SMS messages can be sent |
| on the human body and the most | | | | instead of calls so that there is less |
| pronounced has been The Stewart Report | | | | contact with the body especially around |
| which suggested that radio waves indeed | | | | the skull area. |
| penetrate human bodies from mobile | | | | Keep switching between both ears so that |
| phone antennas and specially recommended | | | | one particular ear does not absorb the |
| that children who obviously have softer | | | | full brunt of the radiation all the |
| skulls be extra careful and use the | | | | time. |
| device sparingly. The report further | | | | Radiation emission is at the highest |
| went on to state that the brain cells of | | | | when the phone is trying to connect so |
| children are not as fully developed as | | | | keep the phone away from the skull till |
| those of adults and can therefore be at | | | | you see the call fully connected. |
| greater risk as they absorb the | | | | Weak signal results in higher radiation |
| radiation more than fully hardened adult | | | | so avoid making calls in areas where |
| skulls. | | | | reception is poor as the device will try |
| These hazards may exist but cell phones | | | | to boost its power to get you a |
| have become part of everyday living like | | | | connection and resultantly bombard you |
| cars and cannot be dispensed with. In | | | | with more radiation. |
| the light of this fact, doing away with | | | | We cannot do away with cellular devices |
| our phones may not be a practical | | | | looking at the convenience they have |
| approach to solving the health hazards | | | | ushered consumers in. Nevertheless, we |
| issue. Rather we can adopt some habits | | | | can adopt some helpful attitudes to |
| to mitigate the effects of the | | | | minimize the harmful effects this |
| radiation. | | | | technology is bringing to mankind. |