Cell Phones–An Unhealthy Obsession

Have you ever considered how you would operate your daily life without your cell phone? For many, this is almost impossible. It’s simply the modern world we live in–without cell phones, we could not communicate because it seems that’s all we know anymore. “Snail mail” and older forms of communication are becoming extinct; even some people today do not know how to properly address an envelope.

Nomophobia: fear of being without your cell phone. It’s a real word.

Cell phone obsession has become an epidemic since its invention in 1973. In 2011, Mashable recorded a survey that showed one in three people are so obsessed with their phones that they would give up sex for a week in place of their cell phones. In other words, they would rather spend the night with their phones than their partners.

It can go beyond obsession–for some, cell phone addiction is a serious issue. Texas Baylor University published a study that shows that people who are addicted to their cell phones are more unstable and using them as a “fix” for their emotions. It claims that cell phone addiction can be like any other in the fact that it acts as temporary solace for unstable individuals.

Mobile phone overuse is classified as a “dependence syndrome” and should be taken seriously. This type of syndrome is associated with a long-term need for other people or things, which shows poor mental health. Just as people go through rehab for addictive shopping and other behavioral addictions, there are rehabilitation centers for cell phone addiction such as reSTART.

Even if you aren’t clinically diagnosed as “addicted” to your cell phone, many of us need it to perform our daily lives. Unfortunately for us, there are some serious physical health concerns from carrying your phone 24/7.

For future fathers, keeping your cell phone in your front pockets can mean infertility in the long-run. Many studies have proved mobile radiation to be harmful to your “swimmers” both by reducing sperm count and sperm mobility, or how well your swimmers can swim.

We can also find a correlation between women who keep their phones in their bras and increased risk for breast cancer. Though there is not much scientific proof yet, there have been many cases of women under the age of 40 with no family history of cancer or other health issues who develop cancer in the area their phones are kept underneath their bras.

Children are most vulnerable to mobile radiation. With the current safety testing procedure modeled after a large adult male, children are left out of the equation and absorb higher amounts of radiation due to their smaller, still-developing bodies.

Whether it is mental or physical, constant use of your mobile phone does affect your health and is something to be weary of.

Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

You may also be interested in…