Whether you own an Android, an iPhone, a Blackberry, or a basic flip phone, chances are you check your phone for messages, alerts, or calls even when your mobile device isn’t ringing or vibrating, says Pew Internet & American Life Project survey.

Nigeria is currently home to about 190 million connected telephone lines, with 145 million having an active subscription. Internet users, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission, are about 86 million.

Another report states that 85 per cent of Nigerians have access to the Internet through mobile phones. The modern convenience that cell phones provide is responsible for its increased daily use.

According to the Morningside Recovery Rehabilitation Center, the average American spends 144 minutes a day using his or her phone during a 16-hour period.

With an estimated six billion subscriptions worldwide and counting, cell phones have become one of the fundamental means of communication in the society.

Everyone must agree with me that, in Nigeria, the above statistics must be more than double. In most cases, we spend a huge period exchanging unnecessary pleasantries, innuendos, and greetings ranging from  one to five minutes or more, before we get to the subject matter or the reason for the phone call.

So our exposure is far more than the developed countries. Compare: “Blake speaking. Can I help you?” to “Hello, hello, yes, hello ooo. How are you? Can you hear me? Who  is speaking?” This can go for some minutes and then  you hear, “Wrong number!”

While cell phones provide an efficient and easy way to communicate with friends, family, and co-workers, excessive use can take a toll on your health. Mobile phones use transmitting radio waves through a series of base stations where radiofrequency waves are electromagnetic fields that cannot break chemical bonds or cause ionisation in the human body, says the World Health Organisation.

Although cell phones are considered to be low-powered radiofrequency transmitters, your handset transmits power when it is on, and therefore it is important to increase your distance from the handset to reduce radiofrequency exposure.

The Federal Communications Commission  suggests that cell phone users should keep a minimum distance of 20 centimeters from their handset to significantly reduce radiation exposure.

 Adults and especially children can suffer the long-term effects of radiation waves on the brain. “Young children particularly need to be careful,” Dr. Devra Davis, director of environmental oncology at the University of Pittsburgh, told CNN.com.

“We do not have enough information nor do we have enough time to be sure that cell phones are safe, and there’s reason for concern that they may be harmful,” she said.

The University of Pittsburgh also warned its faculty and staff to limit their cell phone use due to the possible cancer risks.

Don’t gamble on your life, and learn about the reasons why increased cell phone use can have short-term and long-term effects on your health.




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