The cell phone is the world’s No. 1 communication tool. Cell Phone Free Day is a gadget meant to show us that its use isn’t as crucial as many of the world’s 4 billion users think. But nobody does the objective analysis of the “pros” and “cons”, probably because many benefits are subjective and the scientific argumentation of its harmfulness without real evidence.
Since 2004, these are three days (6, 7 and 8 February) to give yourself more chances of succeeding in “winning”. We know the inescapable arguments that addicts ignore:
An undeniable environmental weight, as with everything that works thanks to a battery; globalized reconditioning and production, with harmful polluting effects. High energy consumption for use; a catastrophic carbon footprint: 40 million tonnes of CO2 produced by 4 billion smartphones, or the equivalent of 20 million cars! Made with many rare metals like gold and copper, yet no real recycling in sight! Remember that a recent study showed that a laptop, turned on unnecessarily, can cost up to 30 euros for nothing…
But let’s trust them because we can imagine that future generations will integrate this factor.
The danger of its use while carrying out a risky maneuver, such as simply driving, is indisputable and prevention campaigns are more and more numerous… For the moment with minimal effect.
The economic argument is also swept away fairly quickly when we know that having a smartphone costs, at least, the price of a small (or large depending on use) car for the year.
The health risks are the only ones that get – a little – attention.
Let’s start with the “psy” consequences.
Psychiatrics, we know that the laptop “desocializes”, but there is a lack of studies to know if it disturbs, for good or bad, the itinerary of psychotics or the mood of depressed people.
The relational psychological consequences are more obvious, and the number of couples or families torn apart by a forgotten text message can no longer be counted. But are logical in the history of communication between men.
Another disadvantage, more easily negotiable: cell phone use leads to muscle and joint disorders due to lack of exercise and poor posture.
There remains the dangerousness of the waves, which from radio to mobile phone via radars, television, satellites or quite simply the alarm of your house, are now part of a daily life from which no one escapes, even if he decides to live as a hermit .
The energy associated with these waves is not sufficient to damage tissue. On the other hand, this energy is sufficient to make the water molecules vibrate, which causes the exposed areas of the body to heat up. This is also the principle of the microwave oven.
The human body placed in one of these electromagnetic fields absorbs part of their energy, which is quantified with a number called the SAR, the Specific Absorption Rate.
A SAR greater than 4, for the whole body, is believed to cause significant heating effects. This is why the World Health Organization has determined maximum exposure limits: theoretically, this SAR must be less than 0.08.
You will tell me that all these figures are a little daunting, especially since the most classic use today is the mobile phone which does not irradiate the whole body. This is why we prefer to speak of local SAR, which corresponds to a well localized absorption. For example, with regard to the telephone, the radio frequencies absorbed are calculated on 10 grams of constituents (skin, brain or bone) of the head. Again, our health authorities have set the standard. The local SAR must not exceed 2.
For workers, the limit levels of use correspond to the SAR divided by 10, while for the general public, we divide by 50. As a general rule, we are at 1 to 5% of the maximum authorized, which suggests that the standards that protect us are effective. Manufacturers, operators and distributors are required to comply with this standard. Were you told about it when you bought your laptop? Probably not. This militates so that the DAS of the telephones appears in a very readable way.
But what are we risking? According to some scientists, laptops are the cause of sleep disorders, mood disorders, fatigue or depression. But also migraines and headaches, symptoms that are found, it is true very often, in user surveys.
There are currently no undisputed scientific studies, but there is no denying those who claim that the risk of wave-related damage to the brain and sensitive parts of the body, in particular spermatozoa, exists.
Faced with so many uncertainties, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided in 2011 to classify radio waves as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. This means that we don’t have proof that it is carcinogenic, but we can’t say that it isn’t…
On the other hand, doubts still remain as to the long-term effects. We lack hindsight to be able to say with certainty that this cannot lead to health problems after several decades of exposure.
The consequences of modern telephony will probably be seen in the years and beyond the debate danger or not, everyone seems to agree to reduce the quantity. Yes but how
No health disaster in sight or to be expected.
While waiting for the results of the numerous studies that are springing up almost everywhere, almost all of which are dependent on the pros and cons camps, there are a few extremely simple measures to apply when in doubt, the easiest of which is to use as often as possible. the hands-free system and the headphones.
So we can imagine in front of this unprecedented technological invention in the history of man, what will be the reaction of humans if this day without mobile phone were to turn into a week, month or year? Probably another less glorious revolution, because the waves, in particular those of the telephone, are part of our environment and it is impossible to imagine today the world without their presence.
One last point: why February 6? Because it’s Saint Gaston! Gaston a first name inseparable from the telephone for those for whom the mobile phone was a rare commodity and was called “Radiocom 2000 don’t quit…”.
Nostalgia!
Doctor Jean-Francois Lemoine
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