Health Effects of Mobile Phones
The rise of cell phones has created concerns mobile phones and their effects on our health. While there have been no completed long term studies on the effects of cell phones, a recent study discovered links between psychosocial aspects of mobile phone use and mental health symptoms.
The study began with a questionnaire at baseline given to young adults aged between 20 and 24 years old and then a 1 year follow up. The questionnaire varied from frequency of use, to stressfulness of accessibility, personal overuse, being awakened by a mobile phone at night, and demands of availability.
The outcome of this study consisted of cross sectional associations between high and low mobile phone use. When excluding reports from respondents at baseline about mental illnesses, the high mobile phone use was linked with symptoms of depression, sleep disorders, and stress. Moreover, this study showed a greater association with stress and sleeping disorders in women, while a high rate of accessibility stress was connected to depression, symptoms of stress, and sleep disturbance in both men and women.
Furthermore, there have been many assumptions as to what effects mobile phones have on our health. Other studies demonstrate other possible hazards of mobile phone use such as how exposure to mobile phones can hinder a safety barrier in the blood causing a leak in the brain of toxins. Also, low level radiation can case blood cells to seep hemoglobin which can cause heart disease and kidney stones. Another study shows that 50 minutes or more of cell phone use can cause a rise in glucose in areas around the brain.
It is good to be aware of how much time you spend on a mobile phone. Children with cell phones or who use cell phones a lot are at risk of health problems linked to radiation. Since a child’s brain is still developing and their tissue is thinner, they absorb twice as much radiation as an adult. Being on the phone all day is not a problem for many people, it’s being connected to what is happening and being available to everyone just a dial away. When people have to shut their phones off, they start to suffer symptoms of anxiety since they cannot keep checking to see if they have any voicemails or text messages. Putting your phone away or shutting it off for a bit will not harm anyone. Just remember, when you turn it back on, all your messages will still be there!
