9 Tips for Smarter, Safer Cell Phone Use
Use a wired headset or the speaker phone feature if you're going to be spending a lot of time on the cellphone. The wireless, hands-free Bluetooth devices emit the same frequency of EMFs as cellphones (but weaker), so remove them as soon as your call is finished.
Don’t clip your cell phone to your body.
The electromagnetic fields are the strongest when your cell phone is connecting. If you don't want to use the speakerphone, put it up to your ear after the connection has been made (use the speaker phone while it’s connecting).
If you’re buying a new cell phone, compare the SAR numbers. They can vary widely among cell phones. The lower the SAR the better. Here’s a CNET link where you can compare SARs for various types of cell phones.
And of course I recommend having a Cell Phone Ladybug on your cellphone!
Most of us have cell phones. Many also have cordless phones in our homes and offices (cell and cordless phones function the same way). Although some of us are aware of the risks involved with the constant presence of these microwave radios, none of us are about to toss our cells. And we don’t have to.
Young people are particularly vulnerable, not only because their bodies are still growing, but also because they have years of cell phone use ahead of them, resulting in much higher lifetime radiation exposure.
Here are nine easy ways you can modify your cell use and reduce your exposure to radiation:
1. Use your phone on speaker whenever feasible. The distance between your body and your phone makes all the difference–and even a little distance helps. When you can’t go on speaker, avoid resting the phone against your head; hold it even slightly away, especially when you are speaking (radiation is higher when transmitting than when receiving). The cell manual you didn’t read probably recommends holding the phone an inch away from your head. Four inches reduces the exposure to radiation 1000 times.
2. Use a headset, preferably one with a ferrite bead to absorb the radiation, or get one with a hollow tube (the sound is carried through the air instead of radio waves). Using bluetooth? Switch sides and take it off when you’re not talking; it emits radiation even when not in use, albeit at a lower rate.
3. Hold the phone at arm’s length when you answer it, because when you answer your phone, it emits a burst of radiation.
4. Avoid carrying your phone on your body. Keep it in a purse, briefcase, or even your outer coat pocket rather than your pants or shirt pocket. This is particularly important when moving quickly, such as on a train, because the phone is sending bursts of radiation to establish connection with a tower more frequently.
5. When you carry your phone on you, do so in different pockets. This is particularly true for young men carrying their phones near the family jewels; you may not be thinking of parenthood at the moment, but let’s keep the option of a healthy next generation open. Know which side of your phone broadcasts the most radiation (usually the back), and keep that side facing away from you.
6. Use the phone only for emergencies when you don’t have good reception. When the bars are low, the cell is pumping higher levels of radiation as it attempts to connect with a tower.
7. Place your phone away from your bed at night, especially if it is charging. Put it at least three feet away from you. Six feet is even better. Yes, this may mean investing in an alarm clock.
8. Avoid using your cell in an elevator. It emits more radiation trying to get a signal, and you’re in a metal box that bounces the radiation and affects not only you, but everyone you’re riding with. Especially the children.
9. Speaking of children–no cells for them. Cell phones are being marketed to toddlers; it is up to us to protect children’s developing brains.
We don’t need to wait for the science to protect ourselves and our families from cell phone radiation.Young people are particularly vulnerable, not only because their bodies are still growing, but also because they have years of cell phone use ahead of them, resulting in much higher lifetime radiation exposure.
