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The harm of smartphones to the body is not fully understood. Doctors have not yet come to a consensus about the impact of mobile phones on health. According to the data obtained as a result of various tests, regular use of the devices has a negative effect on the body. But it is impossible to say exactly what the health consequences will be. It depends on the frequency of using the phone, existing problems, and propensity to develop certain diseases.
How does a smartphone affect human health, is it useful?
Mobile radio communication devices spread non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation around them. It is capable of causing a local increase in the temperature of living cells and tissues.
Disputes about the health benefits and dangers of smartphones are ongoing. According to the WHO, published in 2011, radiation from cellular communication systems was classified as "possibly carcinogenic." The same group includes gasoline, pickled vegetables, chloroform, aloe extract, etc. But during the study of the effect of cellular networks, quantitative risks were not assessed. This means that no connection to the radiation power was carried out.
Research conducted over the past 20 years has not proven the negative health effects of mobile phones. But the experiments concerned only the action of electromagnetic radiation. If the recommended operating rules are violated, the risk of negative impact on vision and psyche remains. Children are at the greatest risk of developing problems.
How a smartphone affects vision
Regular use of mobile devices to watch videos, social media feeds, games can cause visual impairment. The negative effect on the eyes is due to the fact that people bring the screen very close to their face. If this distance does not exceed 25 cm, then there is a great load on the eye muscles.
You can reduce the negative impact on eye health by keeping your smartphone at least 40 cm away. In addition, you need to blink more often and take breaks every 20 minutes. The damage to sight from a smartphone screen increases if a person is in a dark room. It is better to use it in good lighting, so the strain on the eyes is minimized.
Effects of smartphones on sleep
Research in young people aged 16-19 in Norway has shown that prolonged use of mobile phones throughout the day increases the risk of insomnia. There is an assumption that the electromagnetic radiation from a smartphone located near the bed has a bad effect on the quality of a night's rest. It disrupts the change in the phases of REM and slow sleep.
The effect of the smartphone on the brain
Smartphone addiction triggers structural changes in the brain. Studies have shown that the volume of gray matter decreases, the activity and volume of the anterior cingulate cortex decreases.This is the cause of mental, emotional disorders, the appearance of problems with memory, speech, thinking. But these structural changes are observed only in those with addiction akin to drug addiction.
It is believed that frequent use of smartphones increases the risk of developing cancerous brain tumors. But this information is unconfirmed. Due to the lack of information on the long-term effects of mobile phones on health (more than 15 consecutive years), many experts recommend not to exclude this risk.
Effect on the reproductive system
The effect of smartphones on the functioning of the genitals is not well understood. But in order to avoid possible problems with reproductive health, doctors recommend carrying the phone not in trouser pockets, but in bags.
Some researchers have argued that smartphones have a negative impact on erectile function and semen quality. Such data were obtained by Hungarian urologists after checking 300 men who carry a phone in their front pocket of their trousers. In their opinion, this is due to the influence of electromagnetic radiation. But the surveys did not take into account other factors that affect libido:
- stress;
- intense physical activity;
- alcohol abuse;
- smoking;
- sedentary lifestyle, etc.
A Canadian study in field mice has shown that electromagnetic waves lead to decreased libido and decreased testosterone levels. But in the experiment, we used radiation close in frequency to the mobile one.
How smartphones affect children
According to scientists, parents should try to minimize the time that children spend in front of the screen of gadgets. You can assess how dangerous a smartphone is if you know what effect it has on health.
The first data from a 10-year study involving 4,500 children showed that using a smartphone for more than seven hours a day leads to thinning of the cerebral cortex. Areas responsible for processing information received from the senses are changing.
The most dangerous smartphones by radiation in 2020
According to the Federal Agency for Radiation Protection of Germany, the highest level of radiation comes from devices of Chinese brands - OnePlus, Lumia 630, Huawei. The iPhone 7 also entered the top ten dangerous leaders.
Research by an independent laboratory in February 2020 showed that the most dangerous device is the iPhone 11 Pro. Its RF radiation level is significantly higher than the recommended limits. Another study found the Samsung Galaxy S8 to be the most hazardous to health.
But independent labs 'methods are not as accurate as manufacturers' production tests. Therefore, the results obtained are not grounds for withdrawing these models from the market.
Conclusion
The harm of smartphones to the body is constantly being studied. It is quite difficult to reliably prove the negative impact on the health of the brain and internal systems. With frequent use, there is a risk of deterioration in vision, sleep quality, weakening of concentration, and decreased performance.
