There is one gizmo that I will definitely not be buying my grandchildren for Christmas, and that is a mobile phone. In spite of the obvious benefits of having instant access to friends and family - particularly these days when parents are rarely home after school – the dangers are too great.
It is estimated that there are currently three billion mobile phone users worldwide and this number is rising fast. Children as young as three have already started using mobiles.
The ability to have instant communication is only one function of mobiles that makes them attractive to young people. It has given rise to the completely new art of texting, at which youngsters seem to excel with their nimble fingers to the chagrin of their elders. Added to this are games, camera facilities, picture messaging, video clips, as well as, perhaps most ominously, internet access. These facilities, useful as they are when used responsibly, can be abused by criminals, particularly sexual predators who use this method to contact and chat with children.
The use of mobile phones by adults is not without danger. Many vehicle drivers flaunt legislation condemning their use while driving. It has been well established that chatting or texting while driving is a major cause of vehicle accidents, more significant than alcohol overindulgence. It is even claimed that the deleterious effect of using the phone while driving can last for up to 15 minutes after stopping the conversation – the mind is still engaged with the problems discussed on the phone rather than with driving the car.
The question of physical injury from the use of mobile phones has recently been emphasised. Vini Khurana, a top Australian neurosurgeon, has reviewed current evidence and states that using a mobile for more than 10 years could double the risk of malignant brain tumours. He even goes as far as saying: “It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking and directly concerns all of us, particularly the younger generation.”
Likewise, a recent study by Lennart Hardell from the University Hospital Orebo in Sweden concluded that there was a definite risk of brain tumours and hearing nerves affecting the side of the head preferred by mobile phone users over a period of 10 years or more.
This is, of course, debatable. Even as recently as 2000, the World Health Organisation had concluded that the radio frequency fields from mobile phones do not have any adverse health consequences. It has now become fairly clear that this was a premature statement. While the link with brain cancer has not yet been definitively proven, it would be foolish to ignore the accumulating data. Children are at an increased risk because of their relatively thinner skull and immature brain structure which is more sensitive to damaging radiation effects.
To avoid some of these problems, one would recommend restricting the use of mobile phones by children; using shielded cell phones and hands-free devices; supervising older children and discussing the dangers of chat rooms and communication with strangers; and emphasising the dangers of mobile use while driving.
Irrespective of the potential dangers of this exciting gadget, it is unlikely to go away and we have to live with it like other dangerous but useful gadgets. It is up to us to realise that this is a double-edged sword and that we should be aware of the dangers it poses to our society.
Source: The Suday Times, November 2, 2008