Today, we all are addicted to our phones all day long. Sometimes, we sit with the phone and don’t even realize how much time we have spend in scrolling and gaming. Our phones have become a one-stop solution for everything, from finding food recipes and catching up on the news updates to binge-watching our favourite TV shows. You can see the whole world in this pocket-sized device. With the increased use of mobile phones in our routine lives, there has been a rising concern about the harmful effects of cell phones. Scientists and doctors have been raising awareness about the need to control our exposure to phone radiation and minimize its impact on our health. Studies indicate that nearly half of the radiation exposure is emitted by our cell phones. Our mobile phones are the highest source of radiation exposure. Even organizations like the WHO have acknowledged that excessive exposure to phone radiation can lead to fatal conditions like Cancer. Supreme Court of India has issued orders in several states to remove mobile towers from the vicinity of schools, hospitals, and playgrounds to prevent radiation from the buildings. Even mobile phone manufacturers have emphasized the importance of maintaining a distance (about 5mm to 15mm) between your phone and ears while talking. There are some precautions we must take to prevent ourselves from hazardous radiation effects. Let us check the Top 10 ways by which we can minimize exposure to radiation caused by mobile phones.
1. Maintain A Distance
Keep your cell phones at a safe distance from your body. Try to maintain space between your phone and ear while talking. Consider using the speaker mode or a wired headset with an air tube for safety. It is better to put your phone in a bag or purse. Avoid keeping it in your pants or shirt pocket, as our body tissues can sometimes absorb radiation.
2. Try For Text Conversations
Opt for text messages as an alternative to phone calls. By increasing the distance between you and your phone, you can reduce the amount of exposure from the radiation automatically. It is better to converse with your friends or relatives via a text message. It will take a few seconds to ping the cell phone tower against the long phone calls.
3. Limit Calls During Low-network
Be mindful of your surroundings and network strength. In areas of low signal or network, try to limit phone usage. Your phone tends to emit more radiation to build a strong connection. Wait until the network signal improves to minimize exposure to harmful radiation.
4. Keep Airplane Mode On
Most transmission antennas get turned off once the Airplane mode is activated. When not in use, turn off Bluetooth and hotspots on your phones. Now-a-days, kids are completely addicted to phones for playing games and watching videos. Activation of Airplane mode while gaming helps cut off excess radiation exposure for your child’s safety. Turn off the mobile data if you are not using it.
5. Do Not Sleep Beside Your Phone
Night Time is not your phone time. When you are sleeping, you are on low energy levels. Most of your body’s biological repair process happens at night while sleeping. So, if you keep your cell phone beside you during your sleep, cell phone radiation disrupts the natural healing process and cause you restless sleep. Don’t put your phone for charging near your bed. Set your phone to Airplane or offline mode to prevent wireless electromagnetic field emissions.
6. Hang Up While Driving
We often don’t pay attention while driving and attending the phone call. It is essential to understand that while you are driving, your phone emits small bursts of radiation as it connects to nearby cell towers. Our phones constantly struggle to build connections while moving in and out of the range. In such situations, the radiation level is very high, which can intensify the RF effect in your body. Put your phone in silent mode while driving and once you reach the destination, answer the missed calls.
7. Switch Off Wi-fi Or Hotspot
Keeping Wi-Fi and Hotspots on for extended hours in your home will increase EMF radiation exposure. These Wi-Fi and Hotspot are called radio functions that creates unnecessary radiation exposures. If you keep the Wi-Fi off while attending a phone call, you can reduce overall exposure levels. When not required, disabling these functions will help reduce emissions by 10 to 40 percent.
8. Keep Kids Off The Phone
Try to minimize your child’s exposure to cell phones. Check for the distance of your child from the mobile phones. As kid’s brains are still developing, radiation from cell phones can severely impact their growth and brain development. Even for adult children, please encourage them to use headset or speaker phones instead of holding the phone close to their heads.
9. Be Cautious While Streaming
Avoid holding your phones while streaming or downloading the media, as it increases the RF emissions from your phone. If you are someone who downloads or streams movies or music frequently, it is best to download it first and then watch the movie or listen to the music in Airplane mode. Updating of apps in the background remits RF in the surroundings. Delete the apps you are not using.
10. Buy Low-Radiation Phones
Purchase cell phones with low radiation or SAR (Specific Absorption Rate). It helps in reducing electromagnetic hypersensitivity and severe health issues. Such phones minimize radiation exposure to the human body. You can select a low-radiation phone by checking its SAR value in the user manual or official website. Phones with low SAR value is safe to be used by both kids and pregnant woman.
