Some negative effects of cell phones

photo by Ed Yourdon

There is no doubt that cell phones have revolutionized communication. But are they also having some negative effects? Lizette Borreli writes at Medical Daily,

Ninety-one percent of American adults and 60 percent of teens own this device.

(I am a 9 percenter.) Borreli continues,

With an estimated six billion subscriptions worldwide and counting, cell phones have become one of the fundamental means of communication in society.

Borreli summarizes research which shows five areas of concern:

The presence of a cell phone while two or more people are talking face-to-face can generate negative feelings toward the person who has his or her device visible.

Researchers found high mobile phone use was associated with stress and sleep disturbances for women, whereas high mobile phone use was associated with sleep disturbances and symptoms of depression in men.

The incessant touching of your phone can harbor germs on your handset. The greasy, oily residue you may see on your cellphone after a day's use can contain more disease-prone germs than those found on a toilet seat. In a study conducted at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London, researchers sampled 390 cell phones and hands to measure for levels of bacteria. The results of the study showed that 92 percent of the cell phones sampled had bacteria on them.

Cell phones require constant use of your hands, especially when sending text messages and e-mails. Responding to messages at rapid speed can cause pain and inflammation of your joints. Back pain is also common with increased cell phone use, especially if you hold the phone between your neck and shoulders as you multitask. "Long periods of cell phone use cause you to arch your neck and hold your body in a strange posture. This can lead to back pain," says Healthcentral.com.

Staring at your mobile device can cause problems in your vision later in life. Screens on mobile devices tend to be smaller than computer screens, which means you are more likely to squint and strain your eyes while reading messages.

This article does not even touch on issues presented when cell phones are used by drivers of cars, the lack of attention to the task at hand when used at work, negative effects on family interaction, and distracting from other experiences.