If you’re like most people, your cell phone is practically another extension of your body. But, did you know that your little attachment can have deadly consequences? Take the Texas teenager who recently died after reportedly using her phone in the bathtub. Per family members, the 14-year-old was electrocuted after she either grabbed her cell that was unplugged or reached to plug it in.
"There was a burn mark on her hand, the hand that would have grabbed the phone. And that was just very obvious that that’s what had happened," the teen girl’s grandmother, Donna O'Guinn told KCBD-TV.
Here are three more ways your cell phone may be harming you:
Possible Cancer Link
The largest case-control study completed to date -- surrounding a possible link between cell phone use and brain tumors -- looked at more than 5,000 people who developed brain tumors (gliomas or meningiomas) and a similar group of participants without tumors. Overall, no link was discovered involving brain tumor risk and the call frequency, time, or cell phone use spanning over 10-years. Still, findings suggested a possible increased risk of glioma, and a slightly smaller risk of an increased risk of meningioma, in the 10 percent of people who used their cell phones the most.
The warnings go back as far as 2011, when the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified cell phone radiation possibly carcinogenic, meaning there “could be some risk” of carcinogenicity.
Although there’s a good amount of conflicting research, no firm conclusions, another study suggests that, “children have the potential to be at greater risk than adults for developing brain cancer from cell phones. Their nervous systems are still developing and therefore more vulnerable to factors that may cause cancer.”
In the meantime, the FDA has suggested steps to reduce fear associated with exposure to radio frequency energy:
- Reserve the use of cell phones for shorter conversations or for times when a landline phone is not available.
- Use a hands-free device, which places more distance between the phone and the head of the user.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also advises users to opt for a phone with a low Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) rating. An SAR rating measures “the amount of radio frequency (RF) energy absorbed by the body when using a mobile phone.”
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Physical Injury
In a growing age of technology, people are tied to their cell phones whether driving, walking, using the bathroom or even having sex. The problem? According to research, people just can’t put them down, resulting in clumsiness, lack of attention, or phycological issues. A survey of smartphone owners in 2014 revealed that 86 percent of participants suffered an injury as a result of tripping, falling, or walking into a lamppost while using their phones.
But there’s more! Despite knowing the dangers of texting while driving, 98 percent are aware of the risk and 75 percent still do it, according to a study commissioned by AT&T. Furthermore, at least 50 percent of Americans surveyed (ages 18-29) use their phone while on the toilet, exposing themselves to massive amounts of harmful bacteria.
"You have in the air pathogens such as E. coli, salmonella, C. difficile, norovirus," says Canadian germ expert and Huffington Post blogger Jason Tetro. "These could get deposited onto these devices. That could then lead to either self-infection, or transmission of infection through touching somebody else."
Addiction
There’s a link between the overuse of smartphones and behavioral and emotional issues among elementary aged kids.
One study states, “Children referred to a community based pediatric mental health center were screened for smartphone addiction and related problematic behavior using the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale and the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). After considering factors like gender, usage, and internalization symptoms (anxiety/depression, withdrawal), variants showing the most significant correlation with smartphone addiction were usage time, internalization problems somatization, anxiety/depression, withdrawal, aggressive behaviors, and total behavior problems."
The big takeaway? While, your cell phone may be a big part of your life, there’s much to be learned about the long time effects of regular use.
