By: Billy BeerSlugger
The cell phone has become a necessity rather than a luxury in the last decade. I remember at the turn of the century when I thought me getting a pager was “selling out”. I never wanted to be that plugged in or accessible to people. Then times changed, I eventually buckled and got a cell phone then buckled again about a year ago to get the all important email/internet on the phone.
Like many of you BeerSlugger’s out there I can’t really imagine life without the cell phone now. Telephone technology that used to be affixed to a wall has been available in your pocket now for about 15 or so years commercially. Some 4 billion people are now or have used cell phones.
I remember when my mom got a cell phone for car emergencies in 1996 or so, back then using a cell as your main communication line was very cost prohibitive. I also remember reading a warning that came with the cell phone that stated the possible effects of the radiation emitted from the cellphone could cause, number one obviously involving the brain since you effectively hold your phone up to it.
Fast forward to today and I’ve just read a report that has me slightly concerned and has renewed an old fear about cell phones and their radiation.
A quote from the report:
Lloyd Morgan, lead author and member of the Bioelectromagnetics Society says, “Exposure to cellphone radiation is the largest human health experiment ever undertaken, without informed consent, and has some 4 billion participants enrolled. Science has shown increased risk of brain tumors from use of cellphones, as well as increased risk of eye cancer, salivary gland tumors, testicular cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia. The public must be informed.”
Sounds like pretty serious stuff. The report also states that the Telecommunications funded studies of Cell Phone use and it’s risk of Brain Tumors was greatly underestimated. It is said that the telecom studies left out several types of brain tumors, did not interview people who had died or who were too sick to be interviewed as well as children and young adults who seem to be at a greater risk. That’s a complete shocker being that like most corporations, the health of their bottom line is valued more than the health of their clients. Plus, corporations misleading the general public about the safety of their product is nothing new in the U.S. or anywhere else, just ask the Pharmaceutical industry.
The report also had special warnings about the radiation given out by iPhone users so you guys better watch out.
Reading something like this, whether true or untrue, really puts things into perspective in terms of what politicians are fighting over today and what they should be fighting over. I for one would love the government to throw a couple million towards a tried and true cell phone safety study, though that’s not going to happen when the corporations own Washington. I’m sure the mass media will touch briefly on this story and go back to covering who the father of Michael Jacksons’ kids are or who’s going to be the contestants on Dancing with the Stars.
I try to use the speakerphone feature as much as possible on cell phones and have noticed some cell phones give me a headache or ringing in my head when placing them up to my ear. I wonder if this is somehow related to the radiation.
With this being said and dropping all this science knowledge on you, I think it is now safe to blame all the times I got really wasted and couldn’t get it up on my cell phone being in my pants too close to my gigglebits. I reserve to use this excuse in the future if I so desire even if I don’t have my phone on me. Listen sweetheart, it’s science.
ps: I made up the thing about the special warning for iPhone users in that report. You also believed it because you didn’t read the report. Admit you cringed at the thought having to make a decision over good health or still using your iPhone. I think most would still pick the iPhone.