8 Essential Habits For Healthier Cell Phone Use
Cell phones (also known as mobile phones by those of us who like
to be a little more Euro-chic, and smart phones for those of us mostly residing
in Bangladesh, apparently) get a bad rap for the damage they're causing to our
health. The screens are bright, we know about the nervous system effects of the wifi signal and
we let them bleep and buzz all night long, disturbing our sleep.
Drake can sing about how we used tocall him on his cell phone, late at night when we need his love.
But let's be real about this. There will be only love lost if we're up in
the middle of the night staring at that bright blue screen - even if Drake is
on the other end of it.
Now, I am not hating on the beloved mobile phone here. I love
mine. I really do. And if used properly, it can actually be a boost to our
health. My favourite healthy uses of my iPhone include:
·
Being onInstagram. My social media channel of choice. The creativity flows!
·
Making DubSmash
videos, which offers no end to the hilarity. Even when they're not funny,
they're very funny.
·
The HeartMathapp for meditation when I'm feeling overly anxious.
·
Email - mostly receiving
the TreeHugger newsletter every morning while sipping on my Elixir.
·
Taking photos with it
because that camera is way easier to use than my SLR.
·
Recording jingles. Josh and
I often make up songs and then record them. We're working on our first album.
No one will want it.
·
Facetiming with my
family and most of all, my nieces and nephews (until they invariably just
use it to look at themselves, make faces and fart noises).
I am not here to tell you that your iPhone is evil and
you must ditch it. No, not at all. These phones are rather amazing and
allow us to do, be, create, and share amazingness. That being said, they also
have the potential to contribute to the degeneration of our health.
The radiation of phones are often considered the biggest hazard.
This is how it works according to Dr. Devra Lee Davis:
"A cell phone is a two-way microwave radio. In order
for it to receive information, it must send signals to the tower for the tower
to send signals back to it. Whenever you are moving (e.g. in cars or on bikes)
while you are on your phone, the phone operates at full power to maintain
connection with one cell tower after another. That means continuous, maximum
microwave radiation. On top of that, you have constant microwave radiation
plumes generated by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth two-way transmissions as well as
notifications and updates of numerous smartphone apps. The mobile industry
euphemizes this radiation as “radiofrequency energy,” because marketing
cellphones as two-way microwave radios used next to the brain would not make
them very popular."
Because phones aren't going away anytime soon, I kindly ask that
you take on these healthy cell phone user habits to reduce any potential harm
they could be doing to your health.
8 Healthy iPhone & Smart Phone Habits
1 - AVOID WEARING YOUR PHONE
I cringe when I see women wearing their phone in their bra, or
men keeping it in their front shirt pocket. Aside from this looking totally
nerdy and or trashy depending on the context, it's not good. Front pants
pockets for men aren't any better. Woman aren't usually as guilty of this as
men as often when we're out, our phones are in our purses. Though I always love
a man who can rock a good man-purse, few do, and even fewer are sporting a
fanny pack.
The goal here is to have your phone on your body as infrequently
as possible. Cell phones work by constantly sending an receiving signals. This
erratic radiation is what is causing concern. The World Health Organization has
classified cell phones as a Class B carcinogen. References continue to
circulate about young women getting breast cancer in the top quadrant, closer
to the surface of the skin, indicating a link to where they store their phones.
Other studies have indicated a link between cell phone radiation and impaired fertility in
men.
2 - AVOID PRESSING YOUR PHONE TO THE SIDE OF YOUR
FACE
A phone, though once intended to make and receive phone calls,
isn't used for this as often as it once was. If you actually read the legal
terms that are present on your iPhone (Seetings -> General -> About ->
Legal -> RF Exposure) you'll find the following statement, or variation
depending on the date/phone you're using. I was going to highlight the
important parts, but it's all important.
“SAR measurement may exceed the FCC exposure guidelines for
body-worn operation if positioned less than 15 mm (5/8 inch) from the body
(e.g. when carrying iPhone in your pocket). For optimal mobile device
performance and to be sure that human exposure to RF energy does not exceed the
FCC, IC, and European Union guidelines, always follow these instructions and precautions:
When on a call using the built-in audio receiver in iPhone, hold iPhone with
the dock connector pointed down toward your shoulder to increase separation
from the antenna. When using iPhone near your body for voice calls or for
wireless data transmission over a cellular network, keep iPhone at least 15 mm
(5/8 inch) away from the body, and only use carrying cases, belt clips, or
holders that do not have metal parts and that maintain at least 15 mm (5/8
inch) separation between iPhone and the body.”
You can read more about these warnings here.
Studies have
shown the connection between cel phone radiation exposure has been linked
to braintumors, salivary gland tumors, mouth cancers and more. There have
also been increases in brain cancer in childrenand adolescents.
3 - GET A RADIATION PROTECTIVE CASE
Not all cases are created equal. At all. I am
not sure why a phone case seems to be such an important personal branding
thing, but the case matters for more than how it will look in your mirror
selfies. If you start to search around on the topic of metal cases, you'll see
commentary about how it reduces the cell phone signal, making your phone
weaker. That's an inconvenience sure, but it's more than that. In addition to
weakening the signal, it also increases the levels of radiation according to
the Environmental Working Group.
And it's not just metal cases that can be
problematic. From this study done by Pong Research, all cases will affect
radiation levels to some degree.
The moral of the story with the first
three points on my list of eight is that the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) isn't looking out for our optimal health and safety, the
makers of these phones aren't doing it out of their own free will, and so it's
our responsibility to be smart about it.
I know your selfie photos in the mirror that show off your
phone case, or your perfectly curated "Look at me! I'm at work"
Instagram posts may suffer, but your brain, breasts, heart, uterus/ovaries
or testicles and general nervous system will thank you. So will your
healthy-brained children.
4 - AVOID STREAMING CONTENT - ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR
KIDS
Some might go so far as to say your children should never be on
your phone or tablet, that you shouldn't be on it near your children, that you
should definitely not be on it while nursing, but it's possible all of these
options may seem impossible. Previously I mentioned switching your phone to
"Airplane" mode when it's not in active use. Children are the most
vulnerable users. Children face the most serious health risks. According to WebMD and a study published inthe Journal of Microscopy andUltrastructure, "The rate of MWR [microwave
radiation] absorption is higher in children than adults because their
brain tissues are more absorbent, their skulls are thinner, and their relative
size is smaller. Fetuses are particularly vulnerable, because MWR exposure can
lead to degeneration of the protective sheath that surrounds brain
neurons."
Once upon a time, kids survived without having technology in
their face during every gap between activities. I'm not a parent, but please
don't hold that against me on this point. Parents have lots to say about this here, here and here.
5 - USE THE "NIGHT SHIFT"
FUNCTIONALITY IN THE EVENING
All screens project primarily blue
light. Perhaps you've heard about how late night screen time can impair your
sleep? Well a big contributor to that is the blue light. This light
is much like daylight. Because we are humans, and not owls or bats or monk
seals, we are meant to be asleep during the darker, nighttime hours and awake
in the daylight hours. Our hormones know this. A recent Harvard studyhas also
connected this late night blue light exposure to increase risk of diabetes and
obesity.
"Harvard researchers and their colleagues conducted an
experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to
exposure to green light of comparable brightness. The blue light suppressed
melatonin for about twice as long as the green light and shifted circadian
rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours)." Melatonin is the
hormone that lets us sleep at night.
Further, decreased levels of melatonin have also been associated
with increased risk in some cancers.
Of course, there are simple and essential benefits to getting a good night'srest. If you or your children are having trouble winding down at the
end of the day, getting to sleep and/or staying asleep, could it be that
"one more video" before bed that is part of the problem? It's
definitely not part of the solution.
6 - CUT YOURSELF OFF
Oh now this is hard. I know. Start slow and steady, you can do
it. There is some joy to missing out, just a little. The world will continue,
all will be okay. Research has shown in kids that more than three hours a day
on social media increases rates of anxiety and depression. Is it possible the
same can be said for adults. It's okay to shut it off. There is no FOMO if you are
blissfully unaware.
Of course, as I mentioned at the top of this article, smart
phones can be super fun. And so is human interaction. I've recently taken
measures to fill my time with more tech-free activities like macrame wall
hanging and tapestry weaving. I am not joking. There are also ways to taper off
and reduce the tendency to grab at your phone just because the person you're
out with went to the bathroom.
7 - SWITCH TO AIRPLANE MODE FOR OVERNIGHT USE
This is a big one. A big, big one. If
you have to use your phone for your alarm, ensure you have the "Night
Shift" mode activated and turn off the wifi signal by switching your phone
to airplane mode. There is absolutely no reason to sleep with your phone under
your pillow, in your hand or on your night table and let it buzz and ping, and
ding and ring when you're main purpose is to be sleeping. These subtle sounds
pull you out of your deepest sleep and have long term consequences to your
health.
I'll get texts from people that say things like "I hope
it's not too early to text". Send me a text at all hours, won't bother me.
My phone is off. But it will be disruptive to you and your rhythms.
8 - SET A TURN ON TIME
Just as it's ideal to have a shut off time, set yourself a turn
on time too. It can be very easy to turn your phone on first thing when you
wake up in the morning. Give yourself a breather: some time to welcome in the
day, take some deep breaths, maybe some exercise, or perhaps just a little
meditation time. Maybe you can focus on the people in your home rather than all
the ones on the other side of those walls. Reading all those work emails
before you get to work does not make you more productive.
There is huge benefit to starting your day with positive
messages, positive intentions and calmness. The morning news very rarely
welcomes that in.
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