Table Of ContentOther titles in the In Controversy series:
Are Video Games Harmful?
Can Renewable Energy Replace Fossil Fuels?
Childhood Obesity
Does the Death Penalty Deter Crime?
Does Illegal Immigration Harm Society?
How Dangerous Are Performance-Enhancing Drugs?
How Serious a Threat Is Climate Change?
How Should America Respond to Illegal Immigration?
How Should the World Respond to Global Warming?
Is Animal Experimentation Ethical?
Is Offshore Oil Drilling Worth the Risks?
Is Stem Cell Research Necessary?
Is the World Prepared for a Deadly Influenza Pandemic?
Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered?
Should Juveniles Be Tried as Adults?
Should Marijuana Be Legalized?
Are Cell
Phones
Dangerous?
Bonnie Szumski and Jill Karson
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© 2012 ReferencePoint Press, Inc.
Printed in the United States
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Szumski, Bonnie, 1958-
Are cell phones dangerous? / by Bonnie Szumski and Jill Karson.
p. cm. -- (In controversy series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60152-233-7 (e-book)
1. Cell phones--Health aspects. I. Karson, Jill. II. Title.
RA569.3.S98 2012
615.9'25663--dc23
2011034063
Contents
Foreword 6
Introduction
A Ubiquitous Technology 8
Chapter One
What Are the Origins of the Cell Phone Debate? 11
Chapter Two
Does Cell Phone Use Lead to Cancer? 26
Chapter Three
Do Cell Phones Cause Other Health Problems? 39
Chapter Four
How Has Cell Phone Use Affected Driving? 51
Chapter Five
How Do Cell Phones Impact Youth? 63
Related Organizations and Websites 75
Additional Reading 80
Source Notes 83
Index 88
Picture Credits 95
About the Authors 96
D
R
Foreword
O
W
E
R
O
F
I
n 2008, as the US economy and economies worldwide were
falling into the worst recession since the Great Depression,
most Americans had diffi culty comprehending the complexity,
magnitude, and scope of what was happening. As is often the case
with a complex, controversial issue such as this historic global eco-
nomic recession, looking at the problem as a whole can be over-
whelming and often does not lead to understanding. One way to
better comprehend such a large issue or event is to break it into
smaller parts. Th e intricacies of global economic recession may be
diffi cult to understand, but one can gain insight by instead begin-
ning with an individual contributing factor, such as the real estate
market. When examined through a narrower lens, complex issues
become clearer and easier to evaluate.
Th is is the idea behind ReferencePoint Press’s In Controversy
series. Th e series examines the complex, controversial issues of the
day by breaking them into smaller pieces. Rather than looking at
the stem cell research debate as a whole, a title would examine an
important aspect of the debate such as Is Stem Cell Research Neces-
sary? or Is Embryonic Stem Cell Research Ethical? By studying the
central issues of the debate individually, researchers gain a more
solid and focused understanding of the topic as a whole.
Each book in the series provides a clear, insightful discussion
of the issues, integrating facts and a variety of contrasting opin-
ions for a solid, balanced perspective. Personal accounts and direct
quotes from academic and professional experts, advocacy groups,
politicians, and others enhance the narrative. Sidebars add depth
to the discussion by expanding on important ideas and events.
For quick reference, a list of key facts concludes every chapter.
Source notes, an annotated organizations list, bibliography, and
index provide student researchers with additional tools for papers
and class discussion.
6
The In Controversy series also challenges students to think
critically about issues, to improve their problem-solving skills,
and to sharpen their ability to form educated opinions. As Presi-
dent Barack Obama stated in a March 2009 speech, success in the
twenty-first century will not be measurable merely by students’
ability to “fill in a bubble on a test but whether they possess 21st
century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking and en-
trepreneurship and creativity.” Those who possess these skills will
have a strong foundation for whatever lies ahead.
No one can know for certain what sort of world awaits today’s
students. What we can assume, however, is that those who are in-
quisitive about a wide range of issues; open-minded to divergent
views; aware of bias and opinion; and able to reason, reflect, and
reconsider will be best prepared for the future. As the international
development organization Oxfam notes, “Today’s young people
will grow up to be the citizens of the future: but what that future
holds for them is uncertain. We can be quite confident, however,
that they will be faced with decisions about a wide range of issues
on which people have differing, contradictory views. If they are
to develop as global citizens all young people should have the op-
portunity to engage with these controversial issues.”
In Controversy helps today’s students better prepare for tomor-
row. An understanding of the complex issues that drive our world
and the ability to think critically about them are essential compo-
nents of contributing, competing, and succeeding in the twenty-
first century.
7
N
O
A Ubiquitous
I
T
C
U
D
Technology
O
R
T
N
I
A
relatively new invention, cell phones have entered American
society—and the world—with a vengeance. People use cell
phones everywhere, even when doing so poses a danger, such
as while driving. As accidents rise, state and federal governments
have passed numerous laws banning handheld cell phones, ban-
ning texting, or banning phone use altogether while driving.
Th e passage of these laws has had little eff ect, and in the case
of texting, might even be counterproductive. It is not uncom-
mon to see drivers looking down at their laps
rather than at the road as they try to hide their
texting from the eyes of passing police offi cers.
“Switching off Some studies have even shown that driving
their phones
with a cell phone is more dangerous than driv-
causes [teens]
ing drunk.
anxiety, irritability,
sleep disorders, or Th e cell phone has impacted society in
sleeplessness, and many ways beyond contributing to dangerous
even shivering and
driving habits. Many people carry their cell
digestive problems.”1
phones with them at all times—checking mes-
— Lopez Torrecillas, lecturer at the
sages continually even in the middle of meet-
Department of Personality and
Psychological Assessment and ings and conversations, posting updates on
Treatment at the University of
their latest shopping spree or meal and, in gen-
Granada, Spain.
eral, spending countless hours each day online
on their phones. An archaeologist who studied
teen behavior and cell phone use found that many teens will sit
side-by-side, separately texting or talking on their phones rather
than communicating with one another. Th ese new behaviors have
been redefi ning the social fabric of the United States and some
other countries as well.
88
The cell phone does have many positive aspects, including fa-
cilitating communication between individuals, such as children
and parents, enabling the access of information quickly, and, in
general, acting as a mobile computer. Others use the cell phone
to look up facts and information as they discuss an issue with an-
The cell phone has
other person, or use the phone’s GPS to find their way to various
become an essential
locations.
tool of modern life:
People talk and text
Addiction
on them, they look
However, constant cell phone use may be creating behavioral up addresses, watch
changes in users and influencing young adults in a particularly movies, play games,
check prices, take
negative way. In light of certain health concerns, some experts
pictures, and more.
even see the persistent use of the cell phone as an addiction. In
Cell phones have also
one study in Spain, 40 percent of young adults were found to be
become a dangerous
using their cell phones more than four hours a day. Lopez Tor-
distraction on the road
recillas, lecturer at the Department of Personality and Psycho- and they might pose
logical Assessment and Treatment at the University of Granada, other health hazards.
Spain, claims that cell phone addiction is as bad as addiction to
drugs, tobacco, or alcohol but that instead of physical problems,
the phones cause psychological ones. “Switching off their phones
causes [teens] anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders, or sleeplessness,
and even shivering and digestive problems,”1 Torrecillas claims.
The comparison between the physical addiction of drugs and
alcohol and the psychological addiction of the cell phone may not
be that far off. Many see the resistance to giving up the cell phone
while driving to be similar to an addiction—even though people
are eight times more likely to be in an accident while using a cell
phone, the behavior persists.
The cell phone continues to be studied for psychological ef-
fects on the individual and society, for evidence that it may be
sowing the seeds for health effects such as cancerous brain tumors,
and to determine whether its use will foster negative, addictive
behavior in young adults. Whether the cell phone is harmful to
society and the individuals who use them will remain hotly de-
bated as scientists and users attempt to answer these questions in
the years ahead.
10
