The answer: not enough. Sure, there are cases of users suffering from rashes due to the nickel on phones, and the declared (but not conclusively proven) effect of phones on children (Does Exposure to Mobiles Affect a Child’s Behavior? and Finnish Group Recommends Special Considerations for Children’s Cellphone Use). But, as always, scientists and research have yet to make definitive conclusions.

This, according to Dariusz Leszczynsk, of the University of Finland, is simply because “the current safety standards are not sufficiently supported by science because of very limited research on human volunteers.” That’s a sentiment mirrored by Siegal Sadetzki, an epidemiologist who works for Tel Aviv University: “people have not been using cell phones long enough to draw any concrete conclusions.”

It seems that will change, at least partially. A US government program plans to consistently expose laboratory mice to GSM and CDMA signals, at the 900MHz and 1900MHz frequencies, some of the most used worldwide. Unfortunately, with the project slated to start next year, any conclusive findings will only appear in 2013 or 2014.

So what can we do now? Personally, I wouldn’t worry too much. Let science work its controlled magic, build a body of evidence and eventually provide a better understanding. In the meantime we can continue using cell phones as they remain an important part of our personal and business lives.

(Image Source)

Post from: The Gadget Blog

To summarize:

The results suggest a linkage between cell phone use (both maternal and by the children) and behavioral issues. “Children with exposure to cell phones (prenatally, postnatally, or both),” write the authors, “tended to have higher percentages of borderline or abnormal scores for emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems.”

The contradictions between the two studies are obvious; better concentration stereotypically leads a better, more well-adjusted life right?

At least the folks of the study, as reported by Ars Technica, did not discount other factors that could’ve affected the results. For some reason, “higher rates of cell phone use correlated with low socioeconomic status and maternal psychological issues”, meaning it’s not necessarily the mobile’s fault after all?

This is where studies can be paralyzing, similar to the carcinogen craze of the early 90s and early 2000s. Don’t eat this, this, or that, because there’s a link between that and a higher rate of a certain kind of cancer. A few months later, another study with a totally opposite view comes out.

For now, it’s probably best to not do anything drastic, while researchers figure out ways to come out with more definite results that show absolutely clear links between cell phone use and any badness it may cause. Admittedly, that may be practically impossible, so can’t we just use the damned things?

Image courtesy of the Shawn Phoenix Reason website

Post from: The Gadget Blog