Do stories like cause concern for your own health or that of your children? Do you try to limit cell phone usage?
Wherever I go these days, folks seem to have their phones permanently attached to their hands or ears. Aside from the social issues related to that, are you concerned with health issues?
Personally, I rarely use a cell phone for a whole host of reasons most not having to do with radiation.
I take it with a grain of salt. Add it to the list of things that “might” cause cancer.
It will be interesting to see if this discussion can stay on the subject of “does cellphone radiation cause cancer” or does it drift to a contest of who does or does not “need” or spend time on their cell phone. (unless @doschicos intends for it to be a discussion of both)
I try to be a little mindful of cell phone usage but not for the reason of fearing it being a cancer agent. I recognize my cell phone as a lifeline not a life shortener.
That study doesn’t cause me to conclude that cell phones are dangerous.
Junk science.
Actually not junk science. They did an experiment and reported the results. The FDA concluded cell phone use is safe. The report really didn’t draw conclusions.
But yes, I am concerned for my kids especially. They’ll have an extra 30 or more years of exposure to radio waves, microwaves, cell phone radiation, computer screens, wi-fi, x-rays that we never had. While short term exposure to any one thing might not show any harmful effects nobody knows what the really long term accumulative results will be.
The bigger question to me is if the result was that the radiation was harmful would they tell you?
Lots of money involved.
All these things have made our lives so much easier. Would anybody be willing to give them up? Or just hope nothing happens to themselves?
X-ray body scanners are starting to be used in subway stations–how do you feel about that? You could possibly be exposed to x-rays multiple times daily. All done in the interest of safety–but how safe do you feel if you did this daily?
I see our gas pumps and elevators have inspection stickers–ever seen one on that body scanner as you go through security at the airport?
What @gouf78 said.
Still waiting for a reasonable explanation why X-ray scanners disappeared from the airports… the official bs about software is so lame.
Back in the 1990s, I worked for 2 investment bankers in their 30s. Both were on their cellphones A LOT and both of them developed brain tumors. Sure, it could be a coincidence… but that got my attention. There has been research written about for a long time now regarding radiation levels of different kinds of cell phones… Like the reports of people living near power lines becoming ill with similar ailments. You just need to use your own judgment. I hardly ever use my cellphone as a “phone”… just text etc. My kid always uses earbuds with her phone.
wrong thread…
Cell phones in the 90’s radiated much more power than the current cell phones. The intensity of the radiation is inversely proportional to the distance squared, so the radiation drops by a factor of 4 if the distance is doubled. Furthemore, the photons that are emitted by a cell phone have a wavelength on the order of a foot, so they won’t penetrate much into the body, unlike the x-rays.
Studies on radiation effects due to cell phone use will never be conclusive because the amount of radiation is so small and it’s impossible to isolate other factors (including radiation from other sources such as flying). Regardless, it’s not a bad idea to keep some distance from the phone when it’s used (it radiates more when it’s in heavy use, such as talking or video streaming).
“It will be interesting to see if this discussion can stay on the subject of “does cellphone radiation cause cancer” or does it drift to a contest of who does or does not “need” or spend time on their cell phone. (unless @doschicos intends for it to be a discussion of both)”
Personally, I’m okay with any of the above. It’s all good. 
Nor do I deem such discussions to be “contests”. We all have our different preferences and I always find it interesting to hear a cross section even when I don’t agree or operate differently. Like I said, I’m not a cell phone user. It works for me (most of the time) but that is partially due to my own lifestyle and preferences which wouldn’t work for others.
“The FDA concluded cell phone use is safe.”
I don’t always trust the FDA to come to conclusions that are best for citizens.
Wireless headphones/earbuds worry me more than cellphones given their proximity to the brain as well as the length of time kids leave them in their ears.
Frankly. I worry more about microwave towers and wifi/wireless, which is all around us and something we cannot personally limit exposure to.
Note the author said, “Male rats bombarded with high doses of cellphone radiation.” How does that compare with ordinary random cell use? It’s like the old tests that daily fed animals some test substance, 20x or 100x of what a human ingests in a week.
@TheBigChef
Same here, which is why I don’t use wireless ones.
@lookingforward
Watch out for the ammus from microwave lovers! :)) (PS, we don’t use microwave)
I do ask DS not to put his cellphone in his pants pocket, and not to use his laptop on his lap!
The radiation does not bother me as much as the constant interruptions cellphone (or social media that flourishing over cellphones) is causing to the attention span to everyone. I am pretty bad myself so I have to rely on self-imposed screen-time feature on my cellphone to “help” me restrain its usage. Pretty pathetic I admit.
Off topic here, radon radiation is real danger in many parts of America. Get your basement tested if you have not already done so. Radon can seep into water too.
I agree with your points, @makemesmart. I do live in a radon prone area.
Relative to body weight, those rodents were exposed to over 100,000x the power levels of an adult using a cell phone. Other than possibly, pregnant women, I see absolutely no reason for concern, based on this study.
Not junk science, but almost as bad and misleading.
Headlines: Cell phones cause cancer.*
*If you have a million times the normal exposure.
I like this paragraph from the study:
Also this:
Just two statements that highlight the problems with placing outsized significance on the rat findings.
Well, we’re doing a real time experiment with humans now so time will tell…although it will likely be blamed on something else regardless. 
Like the OP, I don’t use mine very much in all.