Recently, a graduate gave her speech about the importance of putting down electronic devices in order to interact with the world in a more traditional way.
It was quite surprising to hear a young person, who has essentially grown up with these devices, notice how they are being overused.
Admittedly, I’m just as guilty. Far too often I catch myself checking emails, social media feeds or just randomly browsing the Internet on some device. This fact makes me wonder, are these devices safe in the long-term?
Studies are being conducted to test whether cellphones are harmful. One recent set of results that measured cellphone radiation exposure on rats shows they may lead to our undoing, through cancer.
But don’t get rid of your device just yet, there are just as many studies out there deeming them safe.
Cellphones are a relatively new technology that really hasn’t been around long enough for us to know for sure.
But it’s true, they do use radio frequency radiation to transmit those signals we all rely on to stay connected to the world. And as we all know, radiation is not a good thing in high doses.
The thing is, radiation is part of life. Our sun puts out heavy doses of it every minute, but that radiation is mostly blocked by our planet’s magnetic field. So, you should ask yourself, how much radiation is coming from your cellphone?
The easiest way to find that out is to visit the FCC’s website, which has a link to various cellphone manufacturer websites that can provide that information. You can find it at www.fcc.gov/general/specific-absorption-rate-sar-cellular-telephones.
It is said that a safe dose of cellphone radio frequency radiation is 1.6 watts per kilogram.
To further reduce your exposure, employ headsets, keep phones away from your body as much as possible and choose texting over phone calls.
These practices will ensure your body is exposed to less radiation, hopefully.