The California Department of Public Health warned people against heavy usage of their mobile phones and issued new guidance on how families can avoid health risks associated with the exposure to the radio frequency energy emitted by cellphones.
California's recommended guidelines are easy enough to do, but the question is whether people will really stay away from their cellphones.
California Warns Against Cellphone Exposure
In an official statement, the California Department of Public Health warned against the explore of families, especially children, to radio frequency energy. The department noted that scientists have not reached a consensus on whether or not continuous cellphone usage is harmful but said that some research suggests long-term usage may have a negative effect on human health.
Some scientists and public officials believe in the health risks carried by the radio frequency energy emitted by cellphones when sending and receiving signals from cell towers. The linked long-term health effects due to cellphone exposure include brain cancer, tumors of the acoustic nerve and salivary glands, lower sperm counts, headaches, and impairments to memory, and sleep, behavior.
California's Recommendations To Reduce Cellphone Exposure
In its new guidance, California recommended users to avoid holding cellphones to their heads when taking a call and instead use a headset or speakerphone.
California also warned people against keeping their cellphone on their body and instead keep the device in their bag. This is because the device keeps emitting radio frequency energy when not in use.
Lastly, people are recommended to stay away from their cellphone in situations when the device emits high levels of radio frequency energy. These include when the signal is weak, when in a fast-moving vehicle, and when streaming video or audio.
Will You Stay Away From Your Mobile Phone?
California decided to speak out regarding the potential public health issue due to the massive increase in cellphone usage in the United States in recent years.
According to statistics shared by the California Department of Public Health, about 95 percent of Americans are cellphone owners, with 12 percent relying on their devices for their daily access to the internet. The average age for children to receive their first cellphone is currently just 10 years old, and most kids keep their cellphones near them at all times.
All that said, the big question is whether or not people will actually listen to the warnings or if it is possible for people to pry themselves away from their cellphones.
It does not help that there is no definitive proof that cellphone usage is really linked to brain cancer, with some scientists even claiming that there is absolutely no connection.
Nevertheless, smartphone addiction is real, so reducing cellphone usage could still be a good thing.
