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cellphone Remember when we were kids, phones were attached to the wall? You generally had one line for the whole house to share, and you had to practically cut the lines so your sister would let you use the phone already! Now we live in a day in age where just about everyone has a mobile phone. I have to admit, while it’s a bit pretentious and ridiculous to see these young kids with cell phones these days (and there are emergency only options), it’s a great way to keep track of your kids.

But, there’s the whole debate on whether or not your mobile phone is emitting radiation, and with phones being given to younger and younger kids, it begs the question. Is your phone safe? Think about it. Their generation has no idea that we actually had to share a phone with a rotary dial. They will never know life without a cell phone.

One of our favorite organizations, The EWG has put together a great guide on the best (and worst) cell phones, ranked by the amount of radiation emits. Sadly, my beloved iPhone is one of the highest emitting phones (of course it is). You can look up your current phone as well as find the best options for your family. Not eligible for an upgrade yet? EWG has also put together some great tips to reduce your exposure:

Use a headset or speaker phone
hold phone away from your body
choose texting over talking

Read all 8 tips on reducing your exposure over at Environmental Working Group as well as much more information on the risks of children using mobile phones.

Posted by: Statia on September 15, 2009

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Comments

5 Responses to “Is your cell phone safe?”

Lynn on September 15th, 2009 4:02 pm

Great. I also have the iphone 3G. And my toddler LOVES it. In fact nearly my entire family has it, in-laws too. But what do those numbers mean? They don’t really say why, or at least I didn’t see why, the “worst” are bad (as in giving a specific range) or what recommended ranges to avoid are, which ranges are okay, etc.
Lynn on September 15th, 2009 4:08 pm

It is also very difficult to understand exactly what “UMTS II 1900 Mode” or “GSM 850 Mode” means. And what about just using one of the apps? I have child apps on my phone, and my FIL lets my son watch videos on his (3GS).
Rob Miller on September 18th, 2009 6:03 pm

I too am wondering what the ranges are since I usually keep my cell phone on my nightstand while sleeping. This information is definitely motivation to limit my 2 1/2 year old’s time spent talking to Grandma on the cell phone; we’ll video chat instead .
Cynthia on September 27th, 2009 11:19 pm

Ugh I have an iPhone3G too and my son loves it. Do you know if it cuts the radiation down when you put it on airplane mode? I only let him play with it when it’s on airplane mode, but if that doesn’t help, I guess I will have to stop that too
LisaatEWG on October 15th, 2009 11:12 am

Thanks so much, Kathy, for sharing this information with your readers. For those with that questions, we have a great FAQ on our site that might answer them: http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/faq. I for one am listening to messages on speaker (while in private!), and putting it in my purse not my pocket. Also just choosing the land line, which we still have, when I’m home. And next time I lose my phone (inevitable!), I’ll choose a low-radiation replacement. Just some simple, precautionary steps while we wait (and probably wait) for government to get current. Lisa