"Digital" dementia
Doctors in South Korea have recently reported a surge in “digital dementia” among young people who have become over-reliant on electronic devices that they are showing signs of deterioration in cognitive abilities.In this era of high-tech, we are becoming more machine than human. People are so connected to their cell phones, as well as other digital devices such as laptops and game systems, that if we were forced to stop using them, some would most certainly experience withdrawal symptoms, quite similar to those who have suffered psychiatric illness or a serious head injury. This is unprecedented and the ubiquitous problem warrants close examination before the situation gets worse.
According to The Telegraph, doctors have reported that the percentage of people aged between 10 and 19 who operate their smartphones for more than seven hours a day has greatly increased since last year. South Koreans have the highest percentage of smartphone users in the world, with 67% of the population connected.
“Heavy users are likely to develop the left side of their brains, leaving the right side untapped or underdeveloped,” said Byun Gi-won.
Since the right side of our brain is linked to concentration, its failure to develop significantly affects memory span and attention — leading to dementia.Dr. Manfred Spitzer, a German neuroscientist, has warned that spending too much time on electronic devices has irreversible consequences. He has even called for digital media to be banned from German classrooms before kids become “addicted.”
In 2012, TIME magazine released a Mobility Poll, wherein researchers polled nearly 5,000 people in eight countries. The results?
Nearly 84% of people worldwide said that they could not go a single day without their mobile device in hand!
Handphones CAUSES Cancer?
After a group of scientists from 14 countries, including the United States, analyzed peer-reviewed studies on cellphones, the panel announced on May 31, 2011 that cell phones might possibly cause brain cancer. The announcement comes from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Like the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society relies on IARC for evaluation of cancer risks.
This puts cellphones in the same category as lead and auto exhaust. The WHO report noted that there was not enough evidence to prove the radiation from cellphones is linked to cancer, but enough to alert consumers to a possible connection.
“We reached this conclusion based on a review of human evidence showing increased risk of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, in association with wireless phone use.”
Though the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates radiation from cellphones claimed that there is no scientific evidence to date that proves that wireless phone usage can lead to cancer or a variety of other health effects, including headaches, dizziness or memory loss but brain experts believed that ”commonsense would tell you that since a cellphone is a microwave generator and emits radiation, it has the potential to alter DNA and should therefore be used in moderation.
Proving a causal relation between cellphone use and brain tumors is very hard to do as it takes many patients over many years to try to draw a connection but even if a connection exists, it will be very hard to prove it in the short term. This is because radiation emitted by cellphone includes very low level microwave radiation, a type of non-ionizing radiation which is absorbed near the skin as compared to ionizing radiation emitted by an X-ray or CT scan that has enough energy to break down chemical bonds by knocking electrons off atoms or molecules, rendering them unstable.
As a precautionary step, is recommended not speaking for long periods with the phone held to the ear and preferably using an earpiece or speaker to keep the phone away from your head. Hence, risk of brain tumor formation from the phone will be essentially eliminated.
Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, added: “Given that the evidence remains uncertain, it is up to each individual to determine what changes they wish to make, if any, after weighing the potential benefits and risks of using a cellphone.”
If some feel the potential risk outweighs the benefit, they can take actions, including limiting cellphone use or using a headset, he said. “Limiting use among children also seems reasonable in light of this uncertainty,” Brawley said.
Latest findings
25-6-2011 – WHO has never concurred on an epidemiological link between cellphone use and glioma and consistently insisted that no such risk existed. The claim may not be found on ionisation but mutation of cells causing gradual damage, especially to the brain tissue near the ears and become cancer spots over a prolonged period of time.
Recently NASA scientist Peter Siegel irradiated cells with ultrasound waves, which like cellphone waves are low frequency that carry low energy and yet capable of boring nano-sized pores through cell membranes. Hence, the biological effects affecting cell functionalities are still unknown risks that need further exploration.
Recommendations
“Recent studies have raised alarm bells about mobile phones. An unreleased World Health Organisation study reportedly found “a significantly increased risk” of some brain tumors related to use of mobile phones for 10 years or more.”
Brain cancer surgeon Charlie Teo from Melbourne informed that as breast cancer doubles its cell numbers in weeks or months, brain cancer works so rapidly, taking a mere 16 hours to create havoc. There is no differentiation in age group and the incident rate is ticking faster especially in developing countries.
+ The FCC noted that earpieces do significantly reduce the rate of energy absorption in a user’s head, but that if the phone is attached to the waist or another part of the body, then that part of the body is exposed to radiofrequency radiation. A Suleyman Demirel University study in Turkey found wearing a mobile phone on your belt may lead to decreased bone density in an area of the pelvis commonly used for bone grafts. It can also be a contributory factor to mutations in prostate cells but yet to be proven conclusively.
+ Other devices such as metal cellphone shields that claim to protect users from cellphone radiation or reduce is doubted by the FCC. It explained that they may actually increase radio frequency absorption in the head due to their potential to interfere with proper operation of the phone, thus forcing it to increase power to compensate.
+ Finally, cell phones emit the most radiation when they are attempting to connect to cellular towers. A moving phone, or a phone in an area with a weak signal, has to work harder, giving of more radiation. So users can avoid using their cell phones in elevators, buildings and rural areas if they want to reduce their exposure, experts say.
LAST ADVICE: WHEN YOUR HANDPHONE IS DOWN TO THE LAST BAR, DO NOT USE THE CHAT ON IT AS RADIATION IS 1000 TIMES STRONGER !!!
Wise up! Reduce damage to your body by reducing usage of electronic devices.
“We reached this conclusion based on a review of human evidence showing increased risk of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, in association with wireless phone use.”
Though the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates radiation from cellphones claimed that there is no scientific evidence to date that proves that wireless phone usage can lead to cancer or a variety of other health effects, including headaches, dizziness or memory loss but brain experts believed that ”commonsense would tell you that since a cellphone is a microwave generator and emits radiation, it has the potential to alter DNA and should therefore be used in moderation.
Proving a causal relation between cellphone use and brain tumors is very hard to do as it takes many patients over many years to try to draw a connection but even if a connection exists, it will be very hard to prove it in the short term. This is because radiation emitted by cellphone includes very low level microwave radiation, a type of non-ionizing radiation which is absorbed near the skin as compared to ionizing radiation emitted by an X-ray or CT scan that has enough energy to break down chemical bonds by knocking electrons off atoms or molecules, rendering them unstable.
Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, added: “Given that the evidence remains uncertain, it is up to each individual to determine what changes they wish to make, if any, after weighing the potential benefits and risks of using a cellphone.”
If some feel the potential risk outweighs the benefit, they can take actions, including limiting cellphone use or using a headset, he said. “Limiting use among children also seems reasonable in light of this uncertainty,” Brawley said.
Latest findings
25-6-2011 – WHO has never concurred on an epidemiological link between cellphone use and glioma and consistently insisted that no such risk existed. The claim may not be found on ionisation but mutation of cells causing gradual damage, especially to the brain tissue near the ears and become cancer spots over a prolonged period of time.
Recently NASA scientist Peter Siegel irradiated cells with ultrasound waves, which like cellphone waves are low frequency that carry low energy and yet capable of boring nano-sized pores through cell membranes. Hence, the biological effects affecting cell functionalities are still unknown risks that need further exploration.
Recommendations
“Recent studies have raised alarm bells about mobile phones. An unreleased World Health Organisation study reportedly found “a significantly increased risk” of some brain tumors related to use of mobile phones for 10 years or more.”
Brain cancer surgeon Charlie Teo from Melbourne informed that as breast cancer doubles its cell numbers in weeks or months, brain cancer works so rapidly, taking a mere 16 hours to create havoc. There is no differentiation in age group and the incident rate is ticking faster especially in developing countries.
+ The FCC noted that earpieces do significantly reduce the rate of energy absorption in a user’s head, but that if the phone is attached to the waist or another part of the body, then that part of the body is exposed to radiofrequency radiation. A Suleyman Demirel University study in Turkey found wearing a mobile phone on your belt may lead to decreased bone density in an area of the pelvis commonly used for bone grafts. It can also be a contributory factor to mutations in prostate cells but yet to be proven conclusively.
+ Other devices such as metal cellphone shields that claim to protect users from cellphone radiation or reduce is doubted by the FCC. It explained that they may actually increase radio frequency absorption in the head due to their potential to interfere with proper operation of the phone, thus forcing it to increase power to compensate.
+ Finally, cell phones emit the most radiation when they are attempting to connect to cellular towers. A moving phone, or a phone in an area with a weak signal, has to work harder, giving of more radiation. So users can avoid using their cell phones in elevators, buildings and rural areas if they want to reduce their exposure, experts say.
LAST ADVICE: WHEN YOUR HANDPHONE IS DOWN TO THE LAST BAR, DO NOT USE THE CHAT ON IT AS RADIATION IS 1000 TIMES STRONGER !!!
