Cell phone radiation has become a hot topic of conversation recently due to the rise in smartphone usage and consequential anxiety. To save you the panic, we have covered 8 amazing tips for you to avoid cell phone radiation and even busted some of the myths around this.
So what is this cell phone radiation, and can it cause serious harm to us? Well, radiofrequency energy is used by cell phones, and this energy emits radiation. The FCC has a safe limit on the amount of radiation in your cell phone, but various models out there exceed the limit of 1.6 W/Kg. So, although the effects of the radiation are limited and do not cause any serious health hazards, a few minor problems may occur.
With that being said, we can now move on to explore and understand this topic better. Without any further ado, let’s get into it.
Is Cell Phone Radiation Harmful to Your Health?
The RF radiation from mobile phones can cause certain health problems, but the research shows no conclusive evidence that the radiation can be the reason for long-term harm to humans.
There are various myths about the effects of this radiation that are not true or have no evidence to support them. So no, using a cell phone won’t give you cancer, brain damage, or harm your memory. But it can cause the following:
- An increase in hypertension, generally known as blood pressure (BP), while using your smartphone is pretty common. It is usually not considered a severe health concern as the systolic and diastolic pressure of blood goes back to normal range when you get off your phone.
- Using your cell phone for an extended period of time can cause direct brain heat, which will go away when you stop using your gadget. Also, long hours on your phone can cause mild fatigue.
- A study shows acoustic neuromas are twice as common among mobile users compared to people who generally avoid using smartphones.
How to Avoid Radiation From Cell Phones?
Although research provides no solid evidence of the long-term effects of cell phone radiation, you still must take precautions to ensure your safety.
1. Minimize Direct Body Contact
Usually, you would carry your cell phone in your pocket or keep it in your hands, which is not ideal, especially when you want to minimize your contact with RF radiation. So keeping your smartphone close to your body at all times increases your exposure to harmful radiation.
The best way to avoid this is to have your phone in your bag, purse, or even a backpack. Even when you are at home or in your car, make sure your device is at a reasonable distance.
2. Text Messages
When you are trying to avoid your cell phone’s radiation, talking for long hours or even minutes is not ideal. This keeps the phone in contact with your body (ears), and calls need to ping the cell tower more to provide a stable connection, which can lead to extensive amounts of radiation.
Although in some situations, especially in times of an emergency, a regular phone call is the best way to go, it’s better to communicate over text messages as much as possible, as this saves time and keeps you protected.
3. Hands-Free Calls
As you know, calls are sometimes necessary, so to protect yourself from those harmful cell radiation, take/make these calls hands-free.
A hands-free call means that you either put your call on the loudspeaker to communicate without any trouble, or if you are in a public setting, you can get headsets that will help ensure your safety without compromising your privacy. Moreover, you can even take a few more precautions when you are on a call, such as:
- Ensuring that your conversation is short so that you aren’t in contact with the device for too long.
- If you can’t keep your phone on speaker or don’t have your headphones, switching between the sides of your head to decrease exposure to radiation to just one side.
- Your cell phone emits radiation the most while connecting to the call, so it is better to place the phone next to your ear after the call is already connected.
4. Lower the Usage Of Smartphones in Low Signal
When trying to maintain a connection with the nearest cell tower, your cell phone needs more RF energy. This leads to an increase in the amount of radiation, so it is recommended to avoid the use of phones in areas of low signal.
Similarly, when you are in a car or traveling on a train, you should minimize the use of cell phones as the speed of these vehicles can make it difficult for your device to maintain a connection.
5. Avoid Sleeping With Your Phone
Here’s another great way to reduce your exposure to cell phone radiation; sleeping with your smartphone near you can expose you to harmful RF. So, to have a peaceful sleep, you can switch off your phone or put it in airplane/flight mode, but if you get important work calls, then you can keep your phone away from your bed and body.
6. Keep Track of Your Child’s Screen Time
In recent times, children have been introduced to smartphones at a young age. Although it is important in case of an emergency or for better access to knowledge, you must put some limitations on their overall usage.
Research has shown that these cell phone radiation is harmful to young kids as it affects their brain more severely and can also hinder their overall development.
7. Take Precautions While Downloading/Streaming
You should avoid keeping your smartphone close to you while watching movies or downloading games. Researchers from the California Department of Public Health advise you to also avoid holding your phone while downloading/streaming media.
It is recommended to fully download all the media you want to stream beforehand and avoid placing the device near your head. These downloads take up a lot of RF energy, which boosts radiation, so be careful while doing activities like watching a series or even listening to music.
8. Be Careful of ‘Shielding’ Products
In your quest to find solutions to avoid cell phone radiation, you might have come across products that claim to shield radiation from RF radiation, EMF, and more.
However, the US federal trade commission has shown that there is no solid evidence as to if these ‘shielding’ products work. The FTC has also warned about using any kind of tech that hinders cell signals, as this disruption might increase the overall radiation emission.
Despite this, some cases available in the market have been tested and provide protection against cell phone radiation.
You should go through all the product details before buying it and take precautions with the product.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Far Away Should Your Phone Be When You Sleep?
Keep your phone at least three feet away from your bed to reduce radiofrequency energy exposure. Switch your phone off or turn on airplane mode to prevent it from transmitting or receiving calls or text messages.
Which Phone has the Highest Radiation?
Motorola Edge has the highest radiation rate of almost 1.79W/Kg; adding to this, some other high radiation cell phones include ZTE Axon 11 5G (1.59), OnePlus 6T(1.55), among others.
Does Airplane Mode Stop Radiation?
Airplane mode disables all wireless connections, reducing mobile phone radiation to a large extent. Even so, as long as your phone is turned on, it will induce a certain level of radiation.
Is Cell Phone Radiation Worse than Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi radiation is safer in some ways compared to cellphone radiation. Both devices emit radiofrequency (RF) radiation; however, because we don’t hold Wi-Fi routers as close to our bodies as we do cell phones, they are safer.
Summing Up
All in all, we can see that cell phones do emit RF radiation in a small amount and within the limit. However, you must take steps to ensure your protection, as some phones can exceed the standard limit. Radio frequency, in general, is harmful to humans, so it is reasonable to incorporate some safety measures.
The tips mentioned in this article can help you lower your exposure to this radiation, and following them will also help you avoid long hours on the phone as well as ensure your overall health.
We hope you had a great time reading this blog and found it helpful to know the effects/solutions to the RF radiation of cell phones.
