OUR CELL PHONES

Before the advent of technology, the crude method of communication was in vogue of which town criers were used in the monarchical era to relate a king’s message to the subjects. This continued over a long period of time until the analog system came into play.

During this time, only the elite had access to it; the average citizens could only send messages to their loved ones through the post office. Such written letters could take months before reaching its destinations. If for instance, a student is writing to the parents in a different locality for financial assistance, it may take a couple of months for the letter to get to them, and another month(s) for the response letter to get to the former.

This was indeed a serious communication barrier until the GSM Communication System came to stay. It has really relieved us of so many communication barriers.

          With the GSM Communication System, virtually everybody in the world has access to it, even to the most remote area in the world. Today people hardly write letters rather, they communicate their thoughts in voice calls or text messages.

Some cell phones have internet connectivity; hence, one can do a lot of things without visiting any cyber café- these are smart phones that can show your exact location on the globe. Geological scientists sometimes use it to carry out part of their reconnaissance survey to know the relief of an area. With your cell phone, you can communicate with anybody in any part of the world, but as the saying goes “every advantage has a disadvantage”, hence, there are side effects to the use of these phones.

          Firstly, every cell phone has a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) which is a measure of the amount of radio frequency (RF) energy absorbed by the body when in use. This SAR varies with cell phones, of which some countries in the western world have adopted a maximum SAR level between 1.6 and 2.0 watts per kilogram.

This device is actually called handset, but it has become “bag set” and “pocket set” by some people, such that they are oblivious of incoming calls.

Studies have even shown that keeping the cell phones in trouser pockets can cause decreased sperm count; keeping close to the head while sleeping can affect one’s brain cells. Developing children who have smaller skulls should limit the use of cell phones. Constant exposure to the emitted radiations also affects the cells of the eyes, brings about slightly raised blood pressure, mild fatigue after prolonged use, etc.

To inhibiting these effects, let your cell phone be at least 1inch from your body. You could resort to using a headset or speakerphone when necessary. Sending text messages could also help instead of using a voice call.

Adhere to these, and save yourself from harm.