Most people in developed
countries have cell phones and
don’t hesitate to use them as
frequently as possible.
Selfies, journey reports,
cooking experiments, inter-
continental messages, non-stop
communication…
To many users, mobiles make as
essential part of their daily
routine as breathing, eating and
sleeping. But few wonder if such
trend is that good for our
health? If used properly, cell
phones are your best allies, but
too many people abuse these
devices, which eventually
results in many minor and major
troubles.
1. Facing germs
According to scientific data,
your most used device has 10
times more germs on it than a
toilet seat. This happens
because you rarely bother to
clean your phone (admit it
finally). And now think of all
that cases when people cook,
clean the house, walk a dog and
(dear Lord!) use the restroom
and straight jump into texting
without washing their hands.
Believe, it happens more often
than you can imagine.
Researchers say that phones
can host E. coli bacteria able to
cause fever, vomiting, and
diarrhea. Scary, isn’t it?
However, there is one way to
avoid spreading germs and it’s
not rocket science to figure it
out: wash your hands with soap
and water (at least after using
the restroom) and regularly
clean your phone with an
antibacterial wipe.
2. Seeking the perfect shot
The statistics of deaths caused
by dumb cell phone usage is
terrifying. Earlier this summer,
a German tourist died after
posting a photo in Machu Picchu
because he went into a
dangerous restricted area to
make the perfect snap. He
ignored safety signs and plunged
over the edge of a cliff.
Another tourist, Colleen Burns,
was in the middle of capturing
the Grand Canyon when she
tripped on her own feet and fell
backward into the canyon. A
South Korean resident died in
the Amazon rain forest after
falling off the Gocta waterfall,
and a Japanese tourist died
while taking a selfie at the Taj
Mahal after not handling
gravitation.
Unfortunately, these incidents
aren’t isolated, and tons of
people break the law and risk
their health and life to get the
perfect shot. The moral of
their stories is obvious: watch
where you take selfies and mind
that no image is worth your life.
3. Risking to contract cancer
Scientists are yet to discover
whether cell phone use causes
cancer, but you shouldn’t ignore
this possibility. The electronic
pulses this device uses for
operation may damage your
body, a brain in particular, plus,
cell phones emit radio waves,
which also seem suspicious to
users. Though the evidence of
that this type of energy is
harmful needs to be
investigated further, try to
reduce cell phone use overall,
especially when it comes to
children.
4. Talking and texting while
driving
Though it may sound strange to
you, but cell phones are
responsible for 1.6 million auto
crashes each year, which result
in a half million injuries and
6.000 deaths. Unless you want
to be 23 more times likely to
crash your car, stop texting and
making selfies when you’re at
the wheel. Do yourself and your
traffic companions a favor by
going hands-free when driving.
It could save your life and lives
of passengers you happen to
transport.
5. Struggling with vision
Doctors, eye specialists, in
particular, have been ringing
the alarm for a long time
warning that cell phones,
tablets, computers and
television cause eye strain and
other vision problems. About
one-third of adults reportedly
uses electronic devices up to six
hours a day, which eventually
leads to eye redness or
irritation, dry eyes, blurred
vision, back pain, neck pain, and
headaches. So, the strategy you
need to opt for to let your eyes
stay sharp longer is to stop
staring at a screen too closely.
