“The Dangers of Cell Phones” Transcript
It’s your constant companion. It’s in your pocket, in your bag, in your hands, or against your head. You
use it at home, in class, at the gym, in coffee shops, before you go to sleep at night and first thing when
you wake up in the morning. I’m talking, of course, about your cell phone. According to my class survey,
everyone in this room has a cell phone, and all of us use it dozens of times every day.
But what if your constant companion is dangerous? What if it’s hazardous to your health? Evidence is
piling up that long-term use of cell phones can lead to tissue damage, tumors, and even brain cancer.
Given that well over 4 billion people worldwide use cell phones, we’re looking at a problem of
potentially staggering magnitude. According to Devra Davis, epidemiologist and author of the 2010 book
Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, we may be watching “an epidemic in slow motion.”
I’d never thought much about the possible perils of cell phones before I saw a CBS News report on the
subject earlier this year. But doing extensive research for this speech made me realize that cell phones
do in fact pose a danger to our health.
Now, don’t worry, I’m not going to try to persuade you to abandon your constant companion. I still use
mine on a regular basis, and I probably always will. But I do hope to persuade you to make one simple
change in the way you use your cell phone—a change that will protect your health and could even make
the difference between a long life and premature death. But first, let’s look more closely at the health
risks posed by cell phones.
Still not convinced about the potential dangers posed by your constant companion? Take a look, then,
inside the thick manual that comes with your phone. Read the fine print. You’ll see that all cell phone
manufacturers warn against keeping your phone right next to your body. Apple, for example,
recommends keeping the iPhone five-eighths of an inch away from your body. Makers of the Blackberry
recommend that you keep their phone a full inch away. Cell phone manufacturers don’t publicize this
information widely, but they clearly recognize that their products are potentially hazardous.
So what’s the solution? As I stated earlier, it’s not to stop using cell phones altogether. I can’t imagine
being without mine, and I’m sure you can’t imagine being without yours.
You can, however, take seriously the risks of cell phones and find a way to minimize those risks. Time
and again, experts point out that the single most effective way to reduce the risk is not to press your cell
phone against your head while using it. Since the phone emits radiation, the closer you put it to your
head, the more radiation you expose yourself to.