Opinion Talk safe
The jury is still out on whether cell phones can actually lead to cancer. But,why take a chance?
Warnings about the bad effects of cell phones have not always been enough to stop us from engaging in unusually long conversations or from keeping the phones close to our hearts,literally — one in the shirt pocket,another one in the pant pocket and so on.
But now things have gotten a bit more serious with the World Healt Organisation classifying cell phones as a “possible carcinogen”,like lead,exhaust fumes or even coffee. This is a marked shift from the WHO’s earlier stance that there was nothing to link cell phones as the cause of cancer or any other critical illness.
Across the world there is a movement to define how much electromagnetic radiation any device can emit and limit the same. Government agencies have started defining their Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) standards,or the maximum amount of radiation emitted from a cell phone,and are slowly raising the bar.
As radiation levels vary from model to model,some might soon fail to make the cut and might have to be taken off the shelves. But you can also try and minimise the effects of what little radiation is emitted from the handsets by following some self-imposed rules.
I have culled out some from articles written by experts on the topic:
1. Keep conversations short: The longer you speak,the longer you are exposed to radiation.
2. Use a headset,or switch on the speaker phone: The further the unit is away from you the lesser you are exposed to radiation. So use a Bluetooth headset or switch on the speakerphone if you have to engage in a long conversation.
3. Text more,use Net when possible: While texting or using the Net the phone is in your hands and thus minimum exposure.
4. Don’t keep the phone near your body: Stop keeping the phone if your pockets. A backpack or a handbag is a better place to keep the phone.
5. Don’t make the call if the signal is weak: If the phone is struggling for a signal,it is also emitting more radiation. So avoid making calls when you don’t have a good signal.
The jury is still out on whether cell phones can actually lead to cancer. But,why take a chance?
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