The mobile phone has been one of the biggest technological advances in modern society. Along with a rise in computer technology and the Internet, mobile telephony has impacted us all to some degree and changed the very nature of communication. mobile phones have reached a stage in their evolution where they are practically everywhere and owned by everyone. They are carried by many school aged children in western society, with some pre-teen children even owning or having access to their own mobiles. The rapid rise in mobile phone devices has lead to much debate about the health and cultural impacts of mobile telephony, and especially among young people – there does seem to be some concern.
A mobile phone is also referred to at times as a cell phone, wireless phone, or hand phone. While mobile phones started off as simple devices used for mobile voice communication over a wireless network, they have expanded their field of use to include many other tasks. Mobile phones can also be used for text messaging or texting, email, Internet browsing, and many even include other non-communication related technologies such as cameras and MP3 players. As mobile phones start to perform a wider variety of functions, the amount of time people spend on them increases – and especially when talking about young people – this can have some issues.
Mobile phones do emit electromagnetic radiation, a fact which has raised some concerns among many health professionals. This is especially of concern for children, with studies showing that the extended use of cell phones before the age of 20 increases the risk of brain tumors by 5.2, as opposed to 1.2 for those people over the age of 20. Hands free technology and limiting overall usage are two ways that this risk factor can be reduced. The use of mobile phones in schools has caused other non-health related concerns, as many children seem unable to focus on their school work when they are constantly checking their phone for new messages.
Other mobile phone related concerns include repetitive stress injury (RSI) from the extended use of a mobile phone keypad, and the increased inability of children to respond to their immediate environment when constantly being on their phone. Many schools have responded to these concerns by banning mobiles from their grounds, with some allowing students to use their phones in break periods. The use of mobile phones is likely to increase even more in future years, and all of these issues need to be addressed. When dealing with school age children, it is even more important to come up with working and manageable solutions to these problems, to ensure that the humble mobile phone causes as few long and short term problems as possible.