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| Miss Oladimeji Hameedah, a mass communication student, UNILORIN |
Mobile phones are handheld devices used in receiving calls, make calls, send text messages and thanks to recent inventions, they are now used for browsing.
As at February 2014, over 167 million Nigerians use mobile phones and as at 2007 over 1 billion people use them all over the world. Nowadays its very difficult to find someone without even a touch light phone. And we see this as "development", to the extent that it has become fashion and everyone wants to use the latest phone in town.
Even though phones have lot of advantage, it also has its disadvantages just like so many good things. And too much of everything is bad, this applies to the use of mobile phones too. Excessive use of mobile phone can take a toll on your health.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), mobile phones use transmitting radio waves through a series of base stations where radio frequency waves are electromagnetic fields that cannot break chemical bonds or cause ionization in the human body.
Some of us sleep and wake up with our phones. They are the last things we see before going to bed at night and the first thing we see immediately we wake up in the morning.
Have you ever wondered why you wake up in the morning to find out that the phone you left under your bed is hot. Sleeping with your phones under your pillow or close to your bed is very dangerous because when you sleep your phone pump out electromagnetic radiation when they are on.
Other things include setting your bed and pillow on fire, this can affect your room too and probably the house, it can also keep you awake throughout the night which can make you grumpy throughout the day.
Since we can't do without these mobile device we have to look for solution to the problems. To start with, we can start using hands free devices instead of using receiving calls directly. Also, we can make less calls and start using text messages more.
Furthermore, charging while using your phone is very dangerous. Some people even go to the extent of receiving calls while charging, this could lead to burning your hands and in some cases death.
Also children less than 10 years old shouldn't be allowed to use phones frequently because their skulls and scalps are thinner than adults.
This new age has also made youths so addicted to their phones that they can't do without checking their phones for messages for even a minute.
Driving while using your phone is also a problem which can lead to accident resulting into driver, commuters and passengers death.
In conclusion, life is the greatest gift bestowed on all humans. Life is precious, beautiful and meant to be enjoyed while it lasts. Use your phones wisely and spread the words. Mobile phones are as well a blessing and at the same time a curse.
