My husband needs a new cell phone. Well, “need” is relative I suppose. His doesn’t work quite right anymore, so he says he “needs” a new one. Since he carries his phone in his pants pocket all day long, turned on, I sent him searching for a low-radiation cell phone.
Yep, that’s right, I’m worried about his cell phone. There are studies linking frequent cell phone use to brain tumors, migraines, sleep disorders and low sperm count. Cell phones give off radiation when they’re turned on, and the amount of radiation varies widely from phone to phone. Unfortunately, none of the phones offered by our carrier are low radiation phones, so we may even be switching carriers to obtain a lower radiation phone for him.
According to this article by Healthy Child, Healthy World, I’m definitely not the only one concerned. Here are some countries taking action:
*India – No use in children under 16 years of age (also it is an illegal offense for an expecting Mother to use the cell phone)
*Israel – No use in children under 12 years of age
*France – No long calls, no use under 16, banning of advertising to children under 12, mandatory earphones with all cell phones
*Japan – General limitation under 18 years of age
*United Kingdom – General limitation under 12 years of age
Few (if any) are tossing their cell phones. We’re all too in love with the convenience to do that. But, there are some simply habits that you can (try) to break to make using a cell phone more safe:
1. Don’t carry it on your body. Keep your ph0ne accessible, but off your body if possible. Men, especially, should avoid carrying phones in their pants pockets (remember, low sperm count?).
2. Don’t charge your phone near your bed. Set up a charging station for your cell phone that’s not near where anyone sleeps at night. Even while just charging, the phone gives off radiation.
3. Don’t use your cell phone in a moving car. This one is hardest for me! When you use a cell phone in a moving car, the phone has to work hard to continually locate the closest cell towers. As such, it gives off a greater amount of radiation when you’re driving than it does when you’re parked.
4. Don’t let young children use a cell phone. Young minds are most vulnerable to radiation! Make a habit of saving those calls to family and friends for when you’re at home. A landline phone emits zero radiation. A portable phone at home emits significantly less radiation than your cell phone.
So, what about you? Are you worried about cell phones?