Are Mobile Phones Tantamount to Danger?

Miguel Arias Sanchez

Look how this crazy guy beats the little dog, and how these two old ladies fight at the market. Ah, and I also have the one of your mother and your sister when a truck ran over them….  Illustration by Carlos

HAVANA TIMES – Mobile phones have become an essential item for us. The need to constantly communicate with others and be up-to-date with what’s going on means that we spend most of our time with our phones. However, we are unaware of the great danger that having a mobile phone in your pocket represents.

Studies carried out by scientists and researchers have shone a light on just how dangerous mobile phones are to human health which are due to the electromagnetic fields that surround them.

These are some of the biological effects that people might suffer from:

It can affect the nervous system, the spinal cord, the endocrine and reproductive systems due to the electromagnetic radiation that is emitted which are especially dangerous to pregnant women and children. It’s really quite terrifying, if we were to leave it at that.

However, some precautionary measures can be taken to reduce risks. For example: it’s best to have short and quick conversations and using hands-free is even better, which has existed in Cuba for a while now and is worth investing in.

Using mobile phones can also affect our vision, due to the amount of time we spend forcing our vision; sometimes computers also aggravate this, although mobile phone screens are much smaller so we need to make a greater effort to read messages, see photos or videos. Some experts believe that we all suffer from some kind of digital eye strain.

Exposure to radiofrequencies, which is a form of non-ionizing radiation, can damage our tissues because they absorb this radiation and heat up, increasing the risk of cancer.

Cell phone radiation also obstructs the heart’s natural process, the way it works; it can force red blood cells to lose hemoglobin, which causes further complications. People who have pacemakers are even advised to keep their mobile phones away from their hearts at all costs.

It can also affect the concentration of spermatozoids as well as their quality and speed; and this has an impact on male fertility.

Thinking about damage (not physical anymore), we could mention this morbid attitude it stirs in some people, which is currently on the rise. I’m talking about this obsession with saving and watching videos of murders, accidents, violent brawls or abuse over and over again, in cold blood and even for enjoyment. I believe many people do this unconsciously, but over time, it could lead to aggressive behavior and psychological destabilization.

After learning about all of this, I’m quite tormented. It’s impossible to take every mobile phone out of circulation today in the world, but if we could all do something on a smaller scale, make quick calls, keep phones out of pockets, keep them in covers and not look at screens too long, much less to “enjoy” violent scenes. Even taking all of these precautions, I am still worried. I don’t know whether to sell the iPhone my son gave me…

Miguel Arias

Miguel Arias Sánchez: I was born in Regla in 1949. That’s where I went to elementary and high school. Afterwards I took courses to be a teacher and did that for several years. I did my military service and as soon as I got out I studied formally to be a teacher graduating at the University of Havana. I taught in classrooms for nearly 20 years. I had the opportunity to travel and see another reality. I returned and am currently doing different self-employed activities.

3 thoughts on “Are Mobile Phones Tantamount to Danger?

  • In Cuba, the biggest danger related to mobile ‘phones is the opportunity for ETECSA and in consequence MININT to know who is saying what to whom. Not only the walls have ears!

  • This is pure nonsense.
    Not one word of it is supported by science.
    Cell phone radiation affecting one’s heart, hemoglobin, etc. a totally insane proposition.
    Radiation theories long ago debunked.
    And I won’t even get into the sophomoric illustration.

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