Cell Phone Radiation

Introduction

Cell phones have become an integral part of our lives. It all started with basic functioning like calls and messages. But now it has evolved into much more with the advent of new and amazing technologies.

On one hand, studies have shown that the invention of smartphones has proved to be a boon in many cases. For example, with the development of diverse applications, our lives have become comfortable, more independent and it has made our near and dear ones available to us in a blink. But on the other hand, few studies have mentioned the physical and psychological health effects due to the excessive use of cell phones.

The research being done in this area focuses on the functional changes in the brain as well as on the cognitive ability of the brain apart from finding the possible relation between the mobile phone and cancer.

The Main Issue – Radiation:

Cell phones emit Radiofrequency Radiations from their antennas that may affect us, as cell phones are always in contact with the body.

Electromagnetic Radiations (EMR) are known since long along with its implications. In 1996, the World health organization (WHO), established the International EMF (Electromagnetic Fields) project that studies the scientific proofs of the effects of EMF on health. This was in response to the growing health concern due to the exposure to Electromagnetic Radiations.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), regulates and specifies the exposure limit of the handheld device in terms of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). It is a measure of the rate at which RF energy is absorbed by the body.

What is Radiation?

Radiation is a form of energy that is electromagnetic in nature. It comprises waves of both electric and magnetic energy, moving together.
An electromagnetic Field Radiation is the flow of photons (an elementary particle or a fundamental particle), where each photon comprises a certain amount of energy. So the amount or type of radiation depends upon the amount of energy found in the photons.

Findings:

The results obtained from the studies performed on the effects of EMR are still debatable. Though the studies found that the physiological and biological effects are considerably small and reversible, it does not completely rule out the possibility.
 
One of the main concerns is the effect of EMR on the brain due to its proximity while in use. Some studies have clearly shown that the radiation produced from the prolonged use of devices may directly affect the Central Nervous System that may result in anxiety, headache, cognitive disability, sleep disorders, etc.

Below are some examples,

I

According to a Research Article, A Study on Some of the Common Health Effects of Cell-Phones amongst College Students, several college students were selected and asked certain questions that addressed some common yet important issues related to cell phone usage. the most common symptom was found out to be Headache, that affected 51.47% of the students, followed by

Irritability – 50.8%
Lack of Concentration – 47.4%
Anxiety – 38.5%
Eye Strain – 36.5%
Lack of Sleep – 35.4%
Exhaustion – 32.7%
Body Ache – 32.2%

This study was conducted by taking into account all the factors such as students owning the cellphone, number of years of using the cell phone, age group and gender of students, number of urban vs rural students, etc.

II

Another paper in Delhi Psychiatry Journal explores some more psychological effects like personal stress, insecurity, mood swings, low self-confidence, a feeling of social isolation upon not receiving a text or call when expected, musculoskeletal effects like neck pain and pain at the base of the thumbs and wrists, etc.

III

Nomophobia – A Modern Fear

Nomophobia is an irrational fear of being unable to use your cell phone for communication. Various clinical symptoms or characteristics of nomophobia include,
– to continuously use or check the phone.
– to always carry a charger.
– to have more than one device.
– to feel nervous or anxious at the thought of losing the mobile phone or of not being able to use the phone due to various unforeseen circumstances like battery down, network coverage not available, etc.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is considered as a standard manual that provides us with the classification of mental disorders. In the new DSM-V, i.e the fifth edition, some researchers have proposed to introduce Nomophobia in it as the DSM has expanded its criteria to include the non-substance (non-drug) behavioral addictions.

The Behavioral Cycle:

In another paper published in Computers in Human Behavior, researchers found that in a vicious cycle, people already dealing with negative emotions, tend to turn to their phones as a coping strategy. Though this may seem to help them in the beginning, it ultimately creates dependency and other negative impacts creating a loop that people tend to get stuck in.

What must be done to overcome it?

The World Health Organization states that one must adopt a precautionary principle. That is,

“ A risk management policy applied in circumstances with a high degree of scientific uncertainty, reflecting the need to take action for a potentially serious risk without awaiting the results of scientific research.”

The best precautionary measure one can take is to minimize the use of cell phones. Others include making use of the speaker mode or the headphones, keeping the phone away from the body as much as you can, etc.

Conclusion:

It is undeniable that mobile phone use is an evident problem that will only increase with technological development. Though a lot more scholarly research needs to be done in this field to investigate the exact effects of RF emitted from a cell phone.

Till now there has been no conclusive scientific evidence that establishes a direct link between cell phones and illness. This may be because of various factors like the case studies that are done are based on the people’s memory, the type of cell phone, number of times individual cell phones are replaced, the duration for which a person is studied, and many such reasons that are not definite.

But if the psychological part is considered, there are many studies as stated above that prove that few people are affected as in the case of the study done on the college students. Even in our day to day life, we can tell what harm can our cell phone do to us. We have become extremely dependent on them to fulfill any of our needs.

So, the best solution is to make a decision and start taking precautionary measures from our side and reduce our RF exposure.