Harm from a mobile phone

2024

An excess of blue light from the screen can cause hyperpigmentation on the skin

Blue light is part of the visible spectrum of light. Its strongest source is the sun. However, it is also emitted by electronic devices in the form of smartphones, laptops, televisions. Dermatologist Michael Freeman warned of the dangers of such radiation.

As the exhaustion of UfacityNews.ru wrote in July 2024, referring to the results of several studies at once, an excess of blue light can cause hyperpigmentation, since radiation provokes stimulation of the production of natural skin pigment, which can cause dark spots on the body. This problem is especially common in people with darker skin.

Also, blue light causes the early formation of wrinkles, since collagen, which is needed for the structure of the skin, is damaged.

Moreover, the emitted blue light leads to sleep disturbance and reduces its quality, which can lead to a deterioration in existing skin diseases, which include acne, eczema and rosacea^[1].

Technology has appeared in smartphones to protect users from myopia

At the end of June 2024, Honor announced at a conference in Shanghai a new functionality for AI-based smartphones that will protect users from myopia thanks to the AI Defocus Eye Protection system and detect AI deepfakes. Read more here

2023

Smartphones reduce sperm quality - a 10-year study proved

In October 2023, scientists from the University of Geneva found that frequent use of a smartphone reduces the quality of sperm in men. The results of the long-term study are published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

The study took place from 2005 to 2018. During this time, scientists interviewed 2,886 men aged 18 to 22, and also took a sperm sample from them for analysis. The survey took place during medical commissions for conscription into the army. Subjects answered questions about lifestyle, health status, frequency of mobile phone use, and where they stored their mobile devices.

Frequent smartphone use reduces sperm quality in men

According to the results of the study, scientists came to the conclusion that frequent use of the smartphone correlates with a lower number of sperm produced. In men using smartphones no more than once a week, the concentration of sperm was 56.5 million per milliliter, while the production of men holding the phone in their hands more than 20 times a day stopped at 44.5 million per milliliter.

At the same time, the place of storage of the phone did not have a statistically important effect on the concentration of sperm. It is worth noting that the vast majority of men wore the phone in their trouser pocket, so the sample in this regard did not meet the tasks of the study, so it is difficult to draw a specific conclusion in this case. Scientists plan to investigate this issue further and form a new study that will be concentrated precisely at the place of storage of the smartphone.

According to scientists, about one in six couples in the world suffers from the inability to have children. About half of these cases occur for reasons related to the male body. Research shows that there is a negative trend in sperm production in men on a global scale. Among the main factors that were previously investigated are overweight, smoking, alcohol, psychological stress and others.^[2]

Mobile Phone Conversations Increase 12% Risk of Hypertension

On May 4, 2023, Chinese specialists from Southern Medical University in Guangzhou presented the results of a study stating that mobile phone communication significantly increases the risk of hypertension - a chronically occurring disease accompanied by high blood pressure.

The conclusions of scientists are based on the analysis of the base of the British Biobank (UK Biobank). Experts identified 212,046 adult citizens aged 37 to 73 years without hypertension. They filled out questionnaires on the use of cellular devices for making and receiving calls (including using speakerphone). Users of mobile phones and smartphones were considered those persons who communicated through cellular communications at least once a week. The average age of the study participants was 54 years, 62% were women.

It turned out that during the 12-year observation period, hypertension developed in 13,984 (approximately 7%) citizens. Overall, mobile phone users had a 7% higher risk of hypertension than those who did not communicate through cellular communications. Individuals who spoke on a cell phone for 30 minutes or more a week were 12% more likely to have high blood pressure than participants who spent less than half an hour a week on phone calls. At the same time, the results were the same for women and men.

The risk of developing hypertension among those who spent 30-59 minutes, 1-3 hours, 4-6 hours and more than 6 hours on mobile phone conversations weekly was 8%, 13%, 16% and 25% higher, respectively, compared with those who spoke less than 5 minutes a week. It was also established that the probability of developing high blood pressure was greatest in persons with increased genetic risk.^[3]

2022: First case of gorilla's smartphone addiction recorded

On April 18, 2022, Amare, an eastern lowland gorilla that lives in the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, recorded the first case of a gorilla's dependence on a smartphone.

The gorilla, of course, does not have its own smartphone, but visitors to the zoo constantly show her photos and videos on their mobile devices through a glass partition. It captivates him.

The first case of gorilla dependence on a smartphone was recorded

16-year-old gorilla Amare met smartphones a few years ago. He became too interested in looking at the screen and once did not notice how a frisky gorilla ran up from behind and jumped on it.

The gorilla reportedly became addicted to phones after visitors began showing him photos and videos through the glass partition of his enclosure. This addiction became so harmful to the gorilla that zookeepers had to add rope in addition to a glass partition to keep people off the gorilla as much as possible. Moreover, if someone does try to show the gorilla videos and photos, the caretakers step in and ask people not to.

According to zookeepers, Amare is distracted by bright displays, so they try to shorten his time at the screen.

Stephen Ross, director of the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Zoo Primates, told the Chicago-Sun Times: We are increasingly concerned that too much of his time is spent looking at pictures of visitors, we really believe that he should spend more time with his fellow members of the group learning to be a gorilla.

However, the positive news here is that Amare does not have any withdrawal symptoms, such as despondency or anxiety per se. Moreover, it shows some positive effects. "Amare realizes that sitting in a corner and waiting for someone to come up and show him their phone doesn't make sense," Ross said.

Primate lives with three other teenage gorillas. They are all kept separate from the dominant adult male in another enclosure, it said.

Zoo officials said they had to reduce Amare's screen time so he wouldn't miss important interactions with other gorillas during the formation process.

During development, male gorillas often become aggressive towards each other and play a fight to establish dominance and heredity. If Amare gets too distracted by people and their gizmos, he will miss out on that interaction and take a lower social standing in the group.^[4]

2020

In the iPhone 11 found a dangerous level of radio radiation

In early February 2020, RF's independent Exposure Lab said 11 iPhone Pro emits radiofrequency radiation that is more than double the limit set by the Federal Communications Commission (USA FCC) for radiofrequency radiation. It can be dangerous to health. More. here

The impact of smartphones on the development of cancer has been proven

In late January 2020, Yale School of Health researchers published a paper that found cell phone irradiation is associated with higher rates of thyroid cancer among people with genetic variations in certain genes.

Researchers studied more than 900 people in Connecticut and found that people with single nucleotide polymorphisms (genetic variations commonly called SNPs) were significantly more likely to develop thyroid cancer. At the same time, people with SNPs in four of the genes studied who used cell phones were twice as likely to develop cancer. The researchers examined a total of 176 genes and identified 10 SNPs that appear to increase thyroid cancer risk among cell phone users.

Radiation from cell phones linked to higher cancer rates

This is the first study to examine the combined effects of genetic susceptibility and cellular use on thyroid cancer. The data obtained should help identify risk subgroups and provide them with all possible assistance. Further studies are needed to confirm the results, which will make it possible to better understand the interaction between cell phone radiation and SNPs in certain genes.

Our study provides evidence that genetic susceptibility influences the association between cell phone use and thyroid cancer, "noted Yawei Zhang, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health. - More research is needed to identify populations that are sensitive to radiofrequency radiation and to assess the impact of this radiation from different cell phone models.[5]

2019

How to use your smartphone safely for health. Recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor

On January 10, 2020, the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) published recommendations on the use of a mobile phone.

It is recommended to bring the handset to the ear only after the interlocutor answers, since at the time of the call the phone works at the maximum of its power. However, within 10-20 seconds after the start of the call, the radiated power decreases to the minimum permissible level.

Rospotrebnadzor told how to use a mobile phone correctly

You need to hold the mobile phone tube at a distance from the ear, by its lower part and vertically. The attenuation of radio waves occurs in proportion to the square of the distance traveled, therefore, by moving the tube from the ear by only a centimeter and thus increasing the distance to the brain by half, you can reduce the power, radiation of the effect on the brain, four times.

If the owner of the smartphone wears glasses with a metal frame, then it is recommended to remove them before talking, since the metal can increase the intensity of the electromagnetic field. 

A few more tips from the department relate to the rules for storing mobile phones. So, it is not recommended to put mobile phones next to you while sleeping, carry them in trouser pockets or keep them in your chest pocket for a long time.

Abuse SMS messages or games in Rospotrebnadzor is also not advised: regular and long-term tension has a bad effect on the development of bones and joints of the fingers and hand.

In addition, when playing, the child is forced to view a small image, look at the illuminated screen for a long time, which is all the time at the same distance from the eyes. This is a serious burden and can have a very negative effect on vision.

Contacts with a mobile phone should be limited, especially if this is not necessary, the department said.^[6]

Is 5G a health risk?

In mid-November 2019, the Australian Nuclear and Radiation Safety Authority (ARPANSA) denied all suggestions that 5G poses a threat to human and fauna health. "Higher frequencies do not mean higher levels of exposure," ARPANSA officials said bluntly.

Current research shows that radio waves used in mobile communications, including in 5G deployments, have no impact on human health. Some of the energy is absorbed by the body, but it is too small for significant tissue heating, and the higher frequency waves that will be used in 5G networks in the future simply do not "penetrate the skin." Heating of fabrics can only occur when exposed to energy 50 times higher than the Australian standard - for example, during welding, which is why precautions are taken in such cases, ARPANSA notes.

Australian Nuclear and Radiation Safety Authority (ARPANSA) has denied all suggestions that 5G poses a threat to human and fauna health

Representatives of the department also confirmed that radio waves do not have an ionizing effect and cannot destroy chemical bonds, leading to DNA damage. ARPANSA notes that the alarms spread on the Internet are not justified, since they selectively consider individual data and do not take into account the evidence-based approach.

No scientific study considered separately will provide an accurate answer to the question of whether radio waves can cause adverse effects on human, animal or environmental health, it said.

Although ARPANSA and WHO acknowledge that the symptoms of electromagnetic hypersensitivity are real and can negatively affect the condition of the affected person, the condition still does not have clear diagnostic criteria, and scientists have not yet provided evidence that radiofrequency exposure is the cause.^[7]

Smartphones bring death closer. 7 tips

By November 2019, there was growing evidence that smartphone use affected sleep, self-esteem, relationships, memory, attention span and decision-making. Among other things, by constantly increasing levels of cortisol, the main stress hormone, smartphones can threaten health and shorten users' lives.

Quartz has offered 7 tips on how to use smartphones with minimal health damage.

More and more evidence has begun to emerge that the use of smartphones affects sleep

1. Use Apple Time Screen, Android ActionDash or the Moment app to track how often you use your smartphone and which apps take up most of your time.

2. Disable all but the most important application notifications. If notifications cannot be turned off completely, we recommend that you set aside a specific time during the day when they will not disturb you.

3. Turn off the "receive new emails" option on email. This allows you to view mail only when you open the application.

4. Use a special application that will allow you to unsubscribe from unnecessary users and pages on social networks, as well as from mailings that cause stress in you or do not bring you benefit.

5. Highlight areas in the house that are free from electronic devices, such as a kitchen table or bedroom. The "out of sight" approach hearts will help you get rid of the bad habit of constantly checking your smartphone, which means it will reduce stress.

6. Set a digital curfew before bed and don't keep your smartphone close to your bed. Instead of checking the messages first thing in the morning, start the day with a brief meditation, a charge or a thoughtful breakfast.

7. Track for yourself how often you turn to a smartphone just out of boredom. Instead of pointless flipping through the tape, take this time with breathing exercises.^[8]

Smartphones destroy brain cells and speed up aging

In October 2019, scientists at Oregon State University in the United States published the results of a study that confirmed the negative impact of prolonged exposure to blue light from smartphone displays. According to experts, due to the screens of gadgets, brain cells can be destroyed and the aging of the body accelerates.

Jadwiga Giebultowicz and her colleagues at Oregon State University conducted laboratory experiments, exposing Drosophil to 12-hour exposure to blue LEDs daily (with 12 hours in the dark). The control group flies spent all 24 hours in the dark or received light, the blue of which was filtered.

Scientists at Oregon State University in the United States published the results of a study that confirmed the negative impact of long-term exposure to blue light from smartphone displays

It turned out that those who were exposed to light radiation day or night died before insects in the control group, who were in the dark or in the light with filtered blue rays. Flies in the experimental group revealed damage to the retina and neurons of the brain, as well as disorders in motor activity.

In addition, flies that were born without eyes still showed degenerative changes. Thus, LED monitors are capable of causing harm, even if they are not looked at.

Comparing flies that interacted with screens and were constantly in complete darkness, scientists found that the life cycle of the latter turned out to be longer.

Earlier, scientists from France conducted a study and came to the conclusion that blue light from LEDs is dangerous to the retina and causes disruption of natural sleep rhythms.

Over the past century, human life expectancy has increased dramatically as we have found ways to treat diseases, although at the same time we are spending more time with artificial lighting, says study co-author Eileen Chau. - Science is looking for ways to help people stay healthy longer, and developing a more "healthy" spectrum of light for use in technology could prove useful not only in terms of improving sleep, but also in terms of overall [9]

Smartphones worsen posture and cause pain. Here are tips for reducing harm

In August 2019, Malaysian scientists from Perdana University published recommendations on the website of their scientific center that will help reduce the harm from using smartphones.

According to experts, regular and long-term use of gadgets comes to poor vision, poor posture, stiffness, pain in the thumb, wrist, neck.

Smartphone owners advised to adhere to several rules to minimize health risks when using gadgets

Teens spend up to 5000 hours a year hunched over a smartphone while adults spend up to 1400 hours a year, according to a survey by the Occupational Therapy Association of America.

The most common injuries caused by long-term use of smartphones are as follows:

• postural syndromes: neck, thoracic and lumbar;
• thumb or wrist tendinitis;
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• cervicogenic headache;
• pathology of thoracic and lumbar discs.

Experts gave 5 recommendations, following which users can protect themselves from these diseases.

Buying a convenient smartphone

The purchased gadget should be comfortable in use. It should be easy for a person to hold it in their hands, so you need to make sure that the distance between the thumb and index finger of the palm matches the width of the device.

Typing the message correctly

Many neglect the SMS dialing rule and use only one thumb to do so. To reduce pain, it is necessary to use the fingers of two hands, voice input can also be used.

Keep your smartphone in the right position

When using a smartphone, hold an even posture - hold your back and shoulders straight, do not look down at the screen, and do not put the phone itself on your knees. It is better to keep the gadget at eye level.

Set up Quick Access buttons on your phone

It is worth making the most of voice commands to access applications. Those programs that a person uses most often, bring to the main screen. For long calls, you can use a Bluetooth headset.

Be sure to do joint gymnastics

A few minutes a day should be devoted to exercise: stretching for the hands, wrist, neck and shoulders are mandatory points.^[10]

Apple and Samsung smartphones are dangerous to health. Radiation goes off scale in them

In late August 2019, the Chicago Tribune published the results of a journalistic investigation, according to which the latest models smartphones Samsung Apple and emit much more electromagnetic energy than manufacturers claim. At the same time, the radiation of some smartphones exceeds the safe level by five times.

Each smartphone has a SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) indicator - the level of electromagnetic energy absorbed by the body's tissues in 1 second. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set the limit for such exposure at 1.6 W/kg for 1 gram of tissue. It is believed that this standard is significantly lower than the limit value at which the radiation of a smartphone begins to have a harmful effect on a person.

Smartphones may let in more radiation than previously thought

However, results from a Chicago Tribune study conducted at an FCC-certified laboratory showed that the real situation was not as expected. The study evaluated 11 smartphone models: four iPhone (, iPhone 7 8, 8 Plus and), X three Samsung Galaxy (, and S8 J3) S9 , three (e5, Motorola e5 Play and g6 Play) and BLU Vivo 5 Mini. Apple products have earned such unusual attention because of the results of a pilot study conducted on the iPhone 7. All smartphones were placed in 2, 5, 10 or 15 millimeters of a mixture of water, salt and sugar imitating the human body, and the level of absorbed radiation was measured.

It turned out that at a distance of 2 mm, fabrics absorb energy emitted by the iPhone 7 in a size 2 − 4 times higher than a safe value, and the worst result was shown by the Samsung Galaxy S8 with an indicator of 8.22 W/kg - 5 times higher than the maximum permissible value.

The FCC noted that the Chicago Tribune's technique is not as accurate as manufacturing tests of smartphones, but promised to conduct repeated tests.^[11]

Smartphone users grow "horns" on their heads

The use of smartphones leads to the fact that people modify the bones of the skull - a corneal process appears at the base of the neck. This is the conclusion reached by Professor David Shahur, a biomechanics researcher at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, reports the BBC^[12]

According to Shahur, the appearance of the "horn" is becoming more common, and its size is often so large that a new bone can be groped under the skin. Shahur has been practicing medicine for 20 years, but the appearance of the process has begun to be noticed in the last 10 years.

In fact, this "horn" is the so-called external occipital tubercle, first seen back in 1885, but until recently it was extremely rare. So rare that the French surgeon Paul Broca, who investigated the problem, did not even want to single out this feature into a separate medical diagnosis.

And here are smartphones

According to Shahur, the appearance of the "horn" is caused by the fact that people spend a lot of time leaning their heads forward when using a smartphone. If you often hold this pose for a long time, it gives excessive stress to the place where the neck muscles meet the skull. When the head is in normal position, the muscles of the back are loaded, not the neck.

To provide additional support to the prone head, which weighs about 4.5 kg in an adult, the body grows a new bone to help redistribute weight. This effect is provided by the use of not only a smartphone, but also other gadgets that the user holds in his hands in front of him.

Smartphone users grow a new bone in the neck

According to The Washington Post, this is the first time that scientists have noticed the influence of smartphones on the human skeleton. It was previously known about pain syndromes in the neck area associated with the constant tilt of the head to the smartphone. Users also had problems with their thumb due to constant typing with it. But the effect of the smartphone on the body so deep that it affected the bones has not previously been noted.

Shahur assures that there is no need to treat the "horn," but if it has grown once, it will remain until the end of life. To minimize its growth, the correct position of the neck should be monitored.

Youth problem

In 2016, Shahur conducted a study in which he analyzed 200 X-rays of patients aged 18 to 30 years. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Anatomy. "Horn" was found in 41% of the images. It should be noted that the researchers ignored 3-5 mm long processes. "Horn" was recorded only when its length exceeded 10 mm.

As it turned out, the process is more common in men than in women. The longest, about 3.6cm, was also found in the man.

In 2018, Shahur included patients under the age of 86 in his study and concluded that the "horn" is more common among young people. The process was detected on average in 33% of 1.2 thousand patients, but in the category from 18 to 29 years old, the percentage was higher. The researcher attributes this to the fact that young people use smartphones more often. The results of the study were published in Scientific Reports.

2018

Smartphone models with the largest and smallest SAR radiation

In the United States, there are centers for assistance dependent on gadgets and the Internet

In December 2018, more and more centers for assistance to addicts to gadgets and the Internet began to appear in the United States as part of the reSTART Life rehabilitation program.

The use of the word "addiction" in relation to gadgets, the Internet, online content and similar aspects is still being actively discussed in the world of psychiatry, and this problem is far from an unambiguous solution. Nevertheless, many mental health practitioners agree that the use of technology is increasingly one of the problems of people who seek help for addiction, and it cannot be ignored.

A review of research conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that overindulgence in video games alone is a major problem for 9% of young adults. This summer, the World Health Organization also added "video game addiction" to the list of addiction issues. In the United States, psychiatrists are considering whether it is time to introduce such a diagnosis into the classification of diseases.

In December 2018, aid centers for addicts to gadgets and the Internet began to appear in the United States as part of the reSTART Life rehabilitation program.

At the same time, dependence on gadgets and the Internet can be a forbidden topic in the electronic entertainment industry. Developers are often criticized for using psychological concepts that are designed to make the technology even more attractive. It is here that organizations such as reSTART come into the picture. They create psychological care groups that spend several weeks on a secluded ranch, interspersing the usual outdoor activity with therapy sessions. As part of the reSTART program, patients develop plans for a "balanced" and happy life, try to eat properly, sleep regularly and play sports. Of course, all this would be meaningless without psychotherapy sessions, during which specialists help patients realize and overcome the problems that led to the development of addiction.

With the help of specialists, such people find jobs and new ways to communicate, and many eventually solve their psychological problems, return to college or resume relationships with their family.^[13]

Using a mobile phone before bed causes blindness

In the August issue (2018) of Nature, an article by researchers from the University of Toledo was published, according to which excessive exposure to blue light contributes to the development of blindness. People can't escape its effects by day - it's a natural part of life - but using a mobile phone and other devices with LED screens before bed threatens our health.

Senior researcher Ajith Karunarathne notes that the harmful effects of blue light have long been known to scientists, but its mechanism was associated with the formation of the toxic substance lipofuscin from the transretinol molecule used by the retina. However, researchers in Toledo have shown that lipofuscin formation may not be the only pathological mechanism of exposure to blue. They treated cell cultures with light of different wavelengths and recorded the results. It turned out that blue light distorted the structure of the transretinol molecule, which led to an increase in the concentration of calcium ions in retinal cells and, ultimately, to its death. Exposure to light with a different wavelength, including from a household fluorescent lamp, was not accompanied by cell death.

Using a mobile phone and other devices with LED screens before bed threatens our health

The team tested the results with cell cultures of other tissues (including myocardial cells, neurons and tumor cells) and obtained similar results. Since retinol and transretinol are not only present in the retina and can be transported throughout the body along with other substances, similar results suggest sad reflections. So far, researchers cannot say how much the toxic effect of blue is spreading, but it probably affects not only the retina.

Usually vitamin E, which has an antioxidant effect, and other protective factors help the body cope with such a problem, but with the age of the incoming antioxidants begins to be missed. Perhaps you should think about turning off your smartphone or laptop a little earlier before going to bed.^[14]

The Chinese city of Xi'an has allocated a special lane on the Yant road for those looking at a smartphone

In the city of Xi'an, a strip appeared for fabbers - people who correspond or read Facebook when they walk down the street. For the first time proposed as an April Fools' joke, dedicated lanes for smartphone users are used as a means of improving road safety^[15].

Fabber (from the English phubber) is someone who pays more attention to a mobile phone or other electronic devices, and not to the interlocutor during a conversation or environment when moving around the city, a person susceptible to fabbing. It should not be confused with the fabber (from the English fabber) - a device using the method of layer-by-layer creation of a physical object using a digital 3D model, a 3D printer.

A strip of 80 centimeters wide and 100 meters long is painted red, green and blue; are painted on it. smartphones The city of Xi'an was pressured by a shopping mall located next to the road, and a month after the first request, the path was laid. It is intended for people who look at their smartphone while walking and do not notice anything around. In Xi'an, on the Yanta road where the walkway was laid, cars often drop onto the pavement, potentially creating dangerous situations. Cars should not drive into a dedicated lane where people with "reduced attention" go, so the injury hazard decreases.

In addition, fabber paths allow pedestrians to crash into each other less often. The latter is due to the fact that people looking at the smartphone usually walk slower than others. That is, the velocity gradient on the strips for fabbers and non-fabbers is less than on the combined strip, and this reduces the likelihood of a collision.

There are several precedents for launching such tracks. They were first talked about in 2012 - the city of Philadelphia announced the creation of an "e-lane," but later this statement turned out to be an April Fools' joke designed to emphasize the importance of the problem of "distracted walking." In 2014, a thirty-meter fabber track was made in Chongqing, China. A little earlier in 2014, smartphone users received a track in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Geographic television experiment.

During the experiment, it turned out that the path laid on 18th Street in Washington was not very effective - pedestrians often disrupted order and walked where they wanted. "Distracted" pedestrians could not find out in any way where the path began, where it ended, and where the pedestrian crossed the border with the zone of "ordinary attention."

Apparently, in China, the experience of introducing the fabber track was more successful than in the United States - the second such strip is being built.

Smartphone use at night threatens depression and neurosis

On May 15, 2018, The Lancet Psychiatry published the results of the first large-scale study proving the harm of using smartphones at a later time. Based on the data of more than 90 thousand people, scientists at the University of Glasgow have proven that those who like to spend time with a smartphone after 10 pm risk getting depression, bipolar disorder and neuroses.

From previous studies, it is known that disruption of the so-called circadian rhythm - the body's natural 24-hour sleep-wake cycle - is fraught with negative consequences. In a new study, in which over 91 thousand subjects took part, a group of scientists led by Doctor of Medical Sciences Daniel Smith (Daniel Smith) revealed a connection between a failure in the biological clock and late communication with gadgets. Previously, such a large-scale analysis was not carried out, reports The Independent.^[16]

Lovers of spending time with a smartphone after 10 pm risk getting depression, bipolar disorder and neuroses

Participants aged 37 to 73 years were equipped with wrist accelerometers, which they wore for 7 days. Based on the data obtained, experts judged the circadian rhythms of the subjects and violations in them during the study.

In parallel, the psychological well-being of the participants was studied. It turned out that about one subject out of 25 was distinguished by unusual habits of activity, as a result of which the activity of such people during the day and at night did not differ too much.

By matching the data, the researchers found that these people were 11% more likely to have bipolar disorder and 6% more likely to have depression. In addition, these same subjects were characterized by lower subjective assessments of the level of happiness and higher indicators of feeling lonely.^[17]

As Daniel Smith noted, all these people did not observe sleep hygiene. Among their typical habits are late-night phone games and nightly tea parties.

Apple investors worried about impact of smartphones on children's health

In early January 2018, two large investors, which own about $2 billion in Apple shares, sent a letter to the American company asking them to consider the impact of smartphones on children's health.

Activist hedge fund Jana Partners and the California State Teachers Retirement System (Caltstrs; one of the largest U.S. government pension funds), say Apple should take the lead in helping parents manage devices that are increasingly ubiquitous and potentially dangerous to children.

Apple shareholders urge company to rid kids of iPhone obsession

The average American teenager gets his first smartphone at the age of 10 and spends more than 4.5 hours a day on it, the letter said, and that doesn't include conversations and messages. Almost 80% of teenagers check their phone every hour, and more than half of them admit to feeling addicted to their gadgets. Investors recognize that parents play an important role in managing their children's "phone time," as does Apple, which in 2017 introduced technology in its OS that minimizes the practice of writing SMS while driving and distracts drivers from the road.

To explore existing research on the topic, investors teamed up with experts and activists, including founder and director of the Center for Media and Child Health at Boston Children's Hospital Michael Rich (Michael Rich), author of Generation I (iGen) and professor of psychology at the University of San Diego Jean M. Twenge (Jean M. Twenge), as well as musician Sting (Sting) and his wife producer Trudie Styler (Trudie Styler). The group's proposals include funding research and jobs at Apple to examine the issue, and creating tools to allow parents to restrict and/or improve control over children's smartphone use.

One of the ideas is to create a menu in the initial settings of the device, in which parents can enter the age of the child and get recommendations for the entire range: from restrictions on spending time with a smartphone to the corresponding pages on social networks.^[18]

2017

Banning mobile phones in French schools

In December 2017, it became known about the ban on the use of mobile phones in French schools. We are talking about tightening the law adopted by several years, according to which students are not allowed to use cellular devices during classes. Read more here.

Russian scientists have come up with an "eternal" protection against harmful radiation from smartphones

Tomsk State University has developed a protective screen to reduce the harmful effects of radiation from mobile phones. The screen blocks microwave radiation that affects a person, while the quality of communication does not deteriorate. Such protection costs less than 100 rubles, and the service life is not limited.

The disappointing research results pushed scientists to develop a protective screen, which was carried out at TSU, and will be brought to the market with the help of the Radiosashchita-T enterprise - in fact, the "daughter" of the radiophysical faculty. Scientists plan to obtain a patent for their development.

"Now the power of cellular cells has decreased significantly, but we began to use them much more often than before, so the effects affecting the body accumulate over time, and the consequences arise in 5-10 years," says Grigory Kuleshov, director of the Radiosashchita-T enterprise, associate professor of the Russian Fiscal Fund.

In the initial stages, protective screens were planned to be produced based on materials from ferrites and carbon nanostructures. They were not very practical - their thickness reached several millimeters, so they could be used, for example, as part of a case for a mobile phone. For the final version of the screen, the developers chose a magnetic micro-conductor with a diameter of 5-20 micrometers as the basis, which is much thinner than a human hair. The screen consists of a grid of micro-pipelines with a period of 1-2 millimeters and polymers.

Grigory Kuleshov said that the resulting film is slightly thicker than a sheet of paper, and this coating reflects harmful radiation. The screen is cheaper than previous developments, since less materials are spent on it and the cost is less than 100 rubles. At the same time, its service life is not limited. According to the developers, the development is especially relevant to preserve the health of children who in the modern world are starting to use a mobile phone from the age of 7.

Gadgets can cause numb fingers

In June 2017, Turkish scientists published a report on the negative impact of smartphones on the performance of the human brush. It was concluded that gadgets can cause numb fingers.

When using a smartphone, its owner makes repeated movements of bending and extending the hand, as well as the thumb. All these movements are characteristic of the etiology and pathogenesis of carpal tunel syndrome.

According to research, most students spend an average of 3 hours a day writing text messages, email messages and using the Internet via a mobile phone.

Turkish scientists published a report on the negative impact of smartphones on the performance of the human hand

A team of researchers led by Dr. Faik Ilik from Baskent University and Dr. Huseyin Buyukgol from Karatai University involved 62 smartphone users in the experiment. Among them, 19 people are moderately dependent on mobile devices, 22 do not imagine their lives without these gadgets, and 21 use ordinary push-button mobile phones.

Study participants answered questions about daily physical activity and activities involving hands, noted difficulties with performing actions that require dexterity, accuracy and flexibility of the first three fingers. With the help of a Jamar dynamometer, the grip strength was measured.

Additionally, the participants underwent ultrasound examination of the soft tissues of the hand and the joints of the thumb on both hands. During the week, smartphone users noted on a visual analog scale the presence and severity of pain in the dominant arm at rest and when moving.

According to scientists, people who often use smartphones have an enlarged median nerve and more often impaired hand function and less grip strength. In particular, the speed  of motor impulse in active users of gadgets is 10.8% lower compared to those who access the tubes from time to time.^[19]

Compensation for tumour pension as a result of long phone conversations

On April 11, 2017, an Italian court ruled that excessive use of a mobile phone for work purposes caused an employee to develop a benign tumor in the brain. In addition, according to a court decision, which could become an important precedent, the victim will be paid a pension from the state fund. The ruling can be appealed, according to the France Press agency.

In Italy, a court ruled that excessive use of a mobile phone for work purposes led to a benign tumor in the brain of an employee

According to the plaintiff, 57-year-old Roberto Romeo, on official duties, he had to use a mobile phone every working day for three to four hours for 15 years.

For the first time in the world, the court recognized the causal connection between excessive use of a mobile phone and a brain tumor, - say the victim's lawyers, Stefano Bertone and Renato Ambrosio.

According to Romeo, he does not want to demonize mobile phones, however, people should know more about how to use them.

I had no other choice: I had to use my phone to contact colleagues and to organize work. For 15 years I called all the time: from home and being in the car, "he says. - First, I had a constant feeling of congestion in my right ear, and then, in 2010, I was diagnosed with a tumor. Fortunately, it turned out to be benign, but the doctors had to remove the auditory nerve, so now I can't hear anything, "the victim admits

Taking into account the damage caused to Romeo's health, the court ruled to pay the plaintiff a monthly compensation of 500 euros. The money will be transferred from the INAIL fund, the nation's workplace accident insurance scheme.^[20]

See also

• Ergonomics and hygiene of the workplace at the computer
• Wi-Fi - The Invisible Killer
• Dependence on gadgets
• Banning mobile phones in schools

Notes