| The Dangers of Cell Phones
Most people don’t think of cell phones as dangerous, and in reality, they do little harm. However, they have more dangers than talking on a regular landline, and while some of these dangers are obvious, others are much more subtle. The government has enforced laws and regulations in order to decrease the dangers that cell phones present, but there is only so much the establishment can do to control things that are literally out of its hands.
Probably the most obvious of dangers that cell phones present is the impairment on a person’s driving ability. If you’re talking on the phone, your attention is drawn away from the road, therefore increasing the chances of an accident. While the government has created such laws as forbidding new drivers from using cell phones, many people ignore it and use them anyway. Cell phones, with their double dose of trouble, distract even adult drivers by requiring the use of one hand as well as requiring a certain about of attention for speaking. Even with the use of hands-free systems, the conversation factor alone can be hazardous. It is very important, even if you have been driving for years, to not to talk while driving. While it is extremely unlikely to be in an accident because of a cell phone, the situation is almost equivalent to wearing seatbelts. You probably won’t get in an accident, but it is precautionary to wear a seatbelt just in case.
Another of the lesser known, and more direct, health effects of cell phones is the radiation that they emit while in use. It has been claimed that longtime and heavy users of cell phones are more prone to brain tumors and cancer. While the evidence backing this up is not strong, it is not nonexistent, and some take it as fact and because of that alone do not use cell phones. Besides tumors and caner, it is also said the radiation can have genetic effects as well.
A very unknown danger of cell phones is that if one is in a storm and talking on a cell phone, they are more likely to get hit by lightning. As if getting struck wasn’t bad enough, the cell phone causes the lightning to course through the body, internally, unlike when people are usually hit (and I use the word “usually” loosely), the lightning goes over the body (externally). So next time you’re stuck in a storm, don’t call for help!
People can use your cell phone to commit identity theft, and they can do this in more ways than one. Besides stealing it and finding all your personal information, technologies can be used to intercept cell signals and your calls can be listened in on. If personal information is disclosed in the conversation going on, criminals can use it to commit identity theft or other types of fraud.
As you can see, the dangers of cell phones are very numerous, and as time goes on, the dangers will only increase. In the popular novel Cell, by Stephen King, cell phones are portrayed as a medium through which a Pulse is sent and causes everybody using their cell phone to go insane and become murderous. That scenario is impossible (well, near impossible), but it’s fun to thing of apocalyptic events sparked by technological items. | 
Linear Mode
