BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Heard different stories, received warning broadcast messages of different effects of using a mobile phone, most adverse basically talking of numerous stuffs such as radioactive waves which could fry your brain if it’s exposed for too long probably by keeping your phone pretty close to your head when about to sleep, saw a short trimmed videos from a live broadcast on CNN were people were advised to use earphones in receiving calls as it’s perceived to be safer, phones exploding as well of which i remember seeing a video where a phone burst into flames in a man’s pocket.

There have been so many news making rounds which i must admit are really SCARY. As a health safety conscious individual, it was expedient of me to achieve proper enlightenment and clarifications as regards this user friendly device which could as well be perilous as well, a prospective or rather imminent grenade(time bomb) waiting to explode in our pocket. However the significant effect of the mobile phones cannot be overlooked, as a result of the numerous tasks that could be achieved just with a mobile phone it has resulted in addiction by most. Asides basically making calls there are so many functions that makes it ever easy to keep in touch and stay updated, all these modern day convenience come alongside with owning a phone has lead to it increased daily use.

From my digging for more information, I came across numerous negative effects of using a mobile phone but my cynosure in relation to this post would primarily be the adverse health effects as well as infer some ways through which the negatives could be avoided or curbed as much as possible. We all are familiar with what a “mobile phone” is as well as it’s uses so a brief introduction as regards the subject matter i guess wouldn't be needed

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF USING MOBILE PHONES

Here are some negative effects of using a mobile phone which i deemed necessary to share with you;

Exposure to Cancer: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) suggested that its best for users to keep a minimum distance of 20 centimeters from their handset to reduce their exposure to radiation. In my introduction I mentioned radioactive waves as one of the factors that makes the use of mobile phones dangerous, this is because according to research it was concluded that electromagnetic radiations emitted from mobile phones are easily absorbed by body tissues and could have long-term effects on both adults and children. A continued exposure to the radiations could result in cancer at the long-run.

Increased stress level: The use of a cell phones have been known to increase stress level, this is as a result of continuous texting, rings, vibrating alerts and different reminders. Studies have shown that young adults and teens spend loads of time on their phones and this has resulted in them becoming inclined to being fatigued/stressed. Researchers also discovered increased use of mobile phones was associated with stress and sleep disturbance for women while in men it resulted in sleep disturbance as well as depression.

Your posture is at risk: Most people are addicted to using their phones, especially as a result of the presence of numerous social sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat as well as messaging apps such as whatsapp and bbm. When surfing through all these interesting sites and texting, most people become unaware of their position at such times, sitting or lying in a cramped position for hours could result in hand, back, neck pain as well as alter your posture.

Impaired vision: According to the Vision Council, more than 70 percent of Americans don’t know or are in denial that they are susceptible to eye strain. Eye strain in relation to the use of mobile phones occurs as a result of staring at the screen of mobile devices for long. This would definitely have an effect on the vision at the long-run especially at old age.

Risk of illness and vulnerability of the immune system: According to a new research, it was discovered that mobile phones are greatly contaminated with different types of micro organisms especially bacteria, this occurs as a result of repeated touching and holding of your phone. In a study conducted at the London School of hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, 390 phones and hands were sampled for bacteria levels, results showed that 92 percent of the phones as well as 82 percent of hands were contaminated with bacteria.

Explosion: Another major danger of using mobile phones is the likelihood of it exploding, this occurrence most might not be aware of, as a result triggered the necessity of this post in order to enlighten readers. This unfortunate occurrence has left some dead and many wounded. Recently, there have been cases of Samsung phones, iphones as well as other brands of phones exploding, it was discovered that this mystery of explosions most times are as a result of battery related problems (defective lithium-ion batteries)

CAUSES OF PHONE EXPLOSION

Like i said above, most times the explosion of mobile phones occur when the battery of a mobile phone is defective which could be as a result of a puncture or a break in the material used in compacting the batteries, this could occur when the phone drops thereby leading to an internal short circuit which may result in swelling and potential explosion.

Another major cause is excessive heat which occurs when the phone is charging or over charged, during the process of over charging, the battery receives more current than it can safely handle thereby causing internal short circuit as a result of the over heating.

As a result of recent advancement in technology such as fast charging and introduction of new processors, lot of heat are produced in phones nowadays. Different designs being initiated by different phone manufacturers such as ultra slim design and the rest could further worsen the situation because batteries have to be fitted into the slim cases thereby resulting in more pressure on the battery as well as making it hard for heat to exit the battery area.

Alternatively, another cause may be the use of cheap batteries that could contain rare microscopic metal particles inside that could as well come in contact with other parts of the battery cell also leading to internal short circuit

What is internal short circuit of a battery: This occurs when two electrode materials are internally and electronically interconnected, giving rise to high local current densities. Internal short circuits may occur in a lithuim battery through lithuim dendrite formation or compressive shock.

ENSURING SAFETY REGARDLESS

You could reduce the likelihood of experiencing an explosion by doing the following

Disconnect your phone when charged or overheating: Always ensure you are conscious of your phone whenever charging in order to avoid over charging which could result in overheating of your device. Also stop charging whenever you observe your phone is heated up, let it cool down a little then continue charging.

Use appropriate (first party) chargers: Always ensure you make use of the charger that comes with your phone to ensure your phone receives the required voltage and current

Charge safely:You should make sure you charge your phones at the right place, not under your pillow or on the bed as you could roll over it when asleep. Also avoid charging in hot places that increase the temperature of your mobile phone.

Pressure: Avoid putting pressure on your device by either putting it a tight pocket or sitting on it as this could result in excess pressure.

Removing phones cases or pouch to aid cooling: whenever you notice your phone is hot as a result of the task you are using it for or as a because of charging, its best to remove the pouch and back cover if possible to accelerate the cooling process

Spread the word, share the post, you might just be saving someone.

Images:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/smartphone-windows-phone-nokia-device-7423/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/adult-art-dark-darkness-296654/
http://mobilephonespricess.blogspot.com.ng/2016/09/stop-shipments-note-7-explosion-of.html
https://www.pexels.com/photo/mobile-phone-samsung-edge-samsung-galaxy-s6-edge-plus-50614/

Sources:
http://www.momjunction.com/articles/side-effects-of-mobile-phones-on-teenagers_00352682/#gref
http://www.medicaldaily.com/5-reasons-why-cellphones-are-bad-your-health-247624
http://www.androidauthority.com/what-makes-smartphones-explode-714380/
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/mobile-phone/will-my-phone-explode-how-stop-your-phone-battery-exploding-3647780/
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/5-ways-cell-phones-harm-health/
http://www.indiatimes.com/health/buzz/negative-impact-of-mobile-phones-on-health-240680.html