Cellphones Should Be Banned

Cellphones should be banned
Nowadays you see cellphones everywhere: at the store, at a restaurant, and even at the theater. People seem not able to put them down or turn them off. Cellphones have negative effects on health, society, and safety. I have arranged my discussion in this order, ascending of importance, in order to give the reader some insight in the world of cellphones, and why cellphones should be banned.
Cellphones can cause severe stress in all generations. Children and young adults are always on; they eat, sleep and shower with their cellphones. Gaby Badre, MD, PhD, of Sahlgren 's Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden found out that “Teenagers who excessively use their cell phone are more prone to disrupted sleep, restlessness, stress and fatigue” (American Academy of Sleep Medicine). While teenagers are stressed when they are not on their phone, always being on can stress people in the workforce. “Increasing use of cell phones and pagers may be blurring the boundaries between work and home and raising stress levels at both places” (Warner). Even though there is just anecdotal evidence of cellphone related cancer and brain damage in adults, evidence was found that cellphones can damage a child 's brain. Children using mobile phones absorb as much as double the amount of radiation through their heads as adults. The leading scientist Dr. Om Ghandi, from the University of Utah, found that a child 's brain can absorb radiation across its entire surface. Cellphone radiation mainly effects the neurological system of a child, “causing headaches, lack of concentration, memory loss and sleeping disorders. It can also cause epilepsy in children” (international parenting association). Further can radiation of cellphones harm body cells and DNA. In Europe 12 research groups, worked on the project called Reflex. Over four years the researchers, coordinated by the german research group Verum, “studied the effect of radiation on human and animal cells in the laboratory” (international parenting association). They found that single and double-strand DNA breaks, after being exposed to electro magnetic fields. “Professor Leif Salford, who headed the research at Sweden 's prestigious Lund University, says 'the voluntary exposure of the brain to microwaves from hand-held mobile phones ' is 'the largest human biological experiment ever '” (international parenting association).
Like cellphones have an effect on health, they have an impact on society. Cellphones affect social interactions, communication, and etiquette. When you are watching a group of young people going out, or waiting for the bus together, each person of the group is either texting or calling a friend that is not with the group right now, instead of talking to each other. They avoid uncomfortable situations and confrontations by either not answering a call or sending a text message. “Text messaging is dangerous, not only does it ruin social interaction between humans, writing skills and expression. Everything becomes so impersonal and simple” (Marquez). There is no awkward silence or nonverbal response connected to text messaging. You can basically say anything you want in text messages without revealing your feelings or opinions. Text messaging is impersonal and young adults seems to lose the ability to have a face to face conversation. Moreover do cellphone have a great impact on Socioeconomic Diversity. Cellphones and cellphone contracts are expensive. Not every parent or student can afford a cellphone with unlimited text, call, and data. This may set young adults apart from their peer and make them subject of bullying. “People can be inconsiderate when using the phone in public” (ehow) – phone etiquette is poor or does not exist at all. Answering phone calls during a movie or theater show, to holding up the line at the store, or bumping into people on the street, because of focusing on the cell phone instead of their surroundings, are all examples of poor cell phone etiquette.
But the biggest problem with cellphones is safety. The National Safety Council states that 28% of all car accidents are caused by cellphone use behind the wheel. The study “A comparison of Cellphone Driver and the Drunk Driver”, by Daniel L. Strayer and et al., at the University of Utah in 2006, states that talking on the phone while driving equals a blood alcohol of 0.08%. While teenagers are texting, they spend about 10 percent of the time outside the driving lane they’re supposed to be in (Edgar Snyder). But there are other crucial safety issues connected with cellphones beside cellphone use while driving. Sexting, the submission of sexual messages or pictures, is becoming more and more popular among teen agers, and young adults. “In January 2009, three high school girls from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania were charged with manufacturing and disseminating or possessing child pornography after they allegedly sent nude or seminude cell phone pictures of themselves to three male classmates. The boys, ages sixteen and seventeen,were charged with possession of child pornography for having the images on their phones. The girls involved were even younger, just fourteen and fifteen years of age (Calvert). News like that are disturbing, but far from uncommon. Young adults and teenagers reported that sexting is regarded as normal, and prerequisite for dating and hooking up. But sexted images and messages are not safe. With todays cellphone technology it is easy to send those pictures viral, online, without the initial sender knowing. The sender can be publicly exposed without their knowing. Furthermore can others take your picture without your consent. When convicted for distributing or owning child pornography, a teenager or young adult can face the chance to be labeled as sex offenders, “a stigma that could haunt them throughout their lives, all for what one might consider a youthful, sophomoric indiscretion” (Calvert).
Cellphones appear to be very convenient, yet they come with severe side effects. After considering the health, society, and safety issues that cellphones bring with them a ban of cellphones is justified. Unfortunately a ban is not in sight for right now so we need to make sure that children, teenagers and young adults learn how to use their cellphones right, without depending on them too much.

Work Cited

Calvert, Clay. "SEX, CELL PHONES, PRIVACY, AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT: WHEN CHILDREN BECOME CHILD PORNOGRAPHERS AND THE LOLITA EFFECT UNDERMINES THE LAW." Firstamandmend.com. Web. 2 Mar. 2012. <http://firstamendment.jou.ufl.edu/pubs/SexCellPhonesPrivacyArticle.pdf>.
"Developing the Child Brain." 'Early Learning ' Parenting Resource. Early Learning ' Parents Resource. Web. 01 May 2012. <http://www.internationalparentingassociation.org/BrainDevelopment/cellphones.html>.
Titus, Christa. "Negative Impact of Mobile Phones on Society." EHow. Demand Media, 26 July 2009. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://www.ehow.com/facts_5217378_negative-impact-mobile-phones-society.html>.
"Cell Phone & Texting Accident Statistics." Edgarsnyder.com. Web. 03 May 2012. <http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/statistics.html>.
Marquez, Cesar. "Negative Aspects of Text Messaging." Borderzine. 21 Oct. 2009. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://borderzine.com/2009/10/negative-aspects-of-text-messaging/>.
Warner, Jennifer. "Cell Phones Raise Stress." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 14 Dec. 2005. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500368_162-1125102.html>.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "Excessive Mobile Phone Use Affects Sleep In Teens, Study Finds." ScienceDaily, 9 Jun. 2008. Web. 3 May 2012.

Cited: Calvert, Clay. "SEX, CELL PHONES, PRIVACY, AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT: WHEN CHILDREN BECOME CHILD PORNOGRAPHERS AND THE LOLITA EFFECT UNDERMINES THE LAW." Firstamandmend.com. Web. 2 Mar. 2012. &lt;http://firstamendment.jou.ufl.edu/pubs/SexCellPhonesPrivacyArticle.pdf&gt;. "Developing the Child Brain." 'Early Learning ' Parenting Resource. Early Learning ' Parents Resource. Web. 01 May 2012. &lt;http://www.internationalparentingassociation.org/BrainDevelopment/cellphones.html&gt;. Titus, Christa. "Negative Impact of Mobile Phones on Society." EHow. Demand Media, 26 July 2009. Web. 02 May 2012. &lt;http://www.ehow.com/facts_5217378_negative-impact-mobile-phones-society.html&gt;. "Cell Phone &amp; Texting Accident Statistics." Edgarsnyder.com. Web. 03 May 2012. &lt;http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/statistics.html&gt;. Marquez, Cesar. "Negative Aspects of Text Messaging." Borderzine. 21 Oct. 2009. Web. 02 May 2012. &lt;http://borderzine.com/2009/10/negative-aspects-of-text-messaging/&gt;. Warner, Jennifer. "Cell Phones Raise Stress." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 14 Dec. 2005. Web. 02 May 2012. &lt;http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500368_162-1125102.html&gt;. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "Excessive Mobile Phone Use Affects Sleep In Teens, Study Finds." ScienceDaily, 9 Jun. 2008. Web. 3 May 2012.