Did your alarm go off this morning? I know that mine did. My cell phone let me know that it was time to get up and start the coffee. My cell phone also reminded me of my afternoon appointments. I receive approximately thirty phone calls a day; I'm embarrassed to even count the text messages. Oh and I surf the net, check my email, and use my GPS application to get me where I need to go. My cell phone is for all intents and purposes my personal assistant; but my personal assistant should have come with a warning label on the outside of the box!
"It's a radiation-emitting device that we buy for our ourselves. I think we are asking the wrong question, whether or not they have been proven to be unsafe. The question should be, have they been proven safe."(Sullivan, 2010.) While the cell phone industries media outlets have implied that cell phone's are safe; obviously their written word is biased for their own business benefit. Cell phone complications seem to be a debatable specter amidst all areas of mass media. As cell phone usage surges, we as a society seem to be ignorant to the dilemma that could possibly arise from the third ear we have adorned.
In a Wake Up Call, by Robert Sullivan,the potential health deformities or risks of cell phone use are widespread throughout the human anatomy. He states that low sperm count in males, brain tumors, both benign and malignant on the side of the brain where the phone is utilized the most, and early onset of Alzheimer's are all complications that could arise from use(Sullivan,2010). Sullivan is straight forward about the risks, but how heinous that other journalists and media outlets seem to mask the potential dangers (2010). Alternative media outlets have outlined these significant health risks in their mildest forms, but still fail to provide an informative reality that we all may face; severe health problems from radiation-emitting devices.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission have stated that cell phones are not harmful. The FCC/FDA Web site "stresses that no scientific evidence has been published demonstrating harm from short- term exposures to low levels of RF energy"(2010). Questions of the hour: When did we start using our cell phones on a short term basis...? What defines a short term usage? Is this what they want society to know or want society to believe? I would normally take their written word....no questions asked, and believe in its validity. This is coming from a government media outlet. It serves society as an educational and truthful written resource. As I have examined the potential cell phone dangers, the FCC/FDA website is technically correct. The last studies performed were in 1999, the website was updated in June of 2010. The question society should be asking is this: It is 2010; Who is lobbying for new studies and who will document and disperse its findings honestly to society?
Good Morning America ran a very limited two minute piece discussing the health risks of cell phone usage. How informative can one be in two minutes? This live news media seems to edge around the real risks of cell phone usage in hopes of portraying a "slanted" perception to society. That perception as I viewed it, is this: There are documented risks, but we as a media source need to eliminate any controversy within our outlet. Journalism at its best should provide an unbiased, honest view of the truth and be held accountable for that truth. As with Good Morning America, they should be responsible to the public about the health risks, not creeping around their personal libel.
Journalism in its most basic form of the written word, warns us of cell phone usage health risks in informative articles that counter reference latent studies. Though the many articles penned on health advisories, when using cell phones, are informative, they seem to ignore the most basic fact: there are no current studies to help the public make an informative health decision. As the articles show there are only biased opinions. Journalism should cover the truth with no repercussions from society. If it is the truth that we as a society yearn for, then it should be the truth that we are reading, watching and listening to, regardless of the information proffered.
http://fcc.gov/
http://www.hulu.com/watch/156878/abc-good-morning-america-labeling-cell-phone-radiation-amounts
Sullivan, Robert. (2010, July). Wake up Call. Men's Health, 61-63.
http://trueslant.com/franjohns/2010/06/22/cell-phone-radiation-danger-true-or-false/
Extra Credit Response to Joe Lewis Unit Two Blog
ReplyDeleteNicely written blog. I must say, it hit a nerve with me because I am not much of a fan of the media for the very reasons you listed.
Whether the reports are "covered-up" or "down-played" by the company or our own government, does not change the fact that I believe I deserve to know the truth, and nothing but the truth.
Probably what bothered me the most was I recall hearing a story on the news several years ago about the dangers of cell phone use. At the time, I ignored it because I was not a heavy user at the time. That, of course, has changed. I now own a "smart phone" and also carry one for work. I am almost to the point of being obsessed about checking emails and also receive a large amount of phone calls.
Someone actually commented to me today that every time she saw me I was either talking on the phone or checking email. We had a pretty in-depth conversation about what we did before cell phones (and "smart phones") came along and the dependence we have developed for them.
Personally, I would be lost without my cell phone. I've canceled my home phone and only use my cell. Even knowing there may be health risks does not seemed to have made me seriously reconsider my dependence on that electronic umbilical cord. Made me a little sick actually! Great analysis of this story.
Allison Stearman's Response to Joe Lewis's Unit 2 Blog
ReplyDeleteIt is kind of scary to really think about your blog. So many things go out on the market for the public to use. Then years later after studies have been down played for years researchers will come up with enough evidence to pull it off the market or stick a big label on it stating the risks of use. It kind of crazy that stories about cell phone risks are played down since most people have one. My niece has had one since she was 10 and my 82 year old grandpa even has one. I know I rely on my cell phone. Up until I started back to school this summer we didn't even have a home phone. I got it put in 1 week before classes started just so I could have internet.
I watched the link from abc about the cell phone radiation. I guess posting the radiation for each phone would be comparable to going somewhere and seeing signs posted that there may be a microwave oven in use. We know that microwave give off radiation and I am not about to pitch mine out. So regardless of the slight risks out there, my cell phone won't be going anywhere either.
Joe, First of all I love your writing style. I think you did an awesome job on this particular assignment. The issue about the radiation and cell phone, I agree it has not gotten the coverage it deserves. I agree the media should remain unbiased and they have a responsibility to the public to report possible health risks. I have heard a little bit about the cell phones and radiation. I blew it off because I did not want to believe it and that someone was trying to get recognition for coming up with a negative claim against cell phones. I just thought this was another person trying to get a name for him or herself, similar to the recent news that someone wants McDonald’s to take the toy out of the “happy meals”. Cell phones are now causing health risks? I thought how crazy is that? I realized that I was denying any claims because I am addicted to my cell phone. Naturally I was rejecting anything negative related to the cell phone. You touched on a key point in your blog. This story did not get the recognition that say a major playoff or something negative going on in the world may have. First cell phones are probably one of the most purchased items out there. This is a money making product that many people depend on daily and are benefiting from. Too many people would be upset if the media connected cell phones with health issues and made this the top story of the evening. What would happen? Would the cell phone companies stop selling their phones? Would they take them off the market until they found a cure? I don’t think so. I would be one that would argue to keep my phone. At the same time it is sad that we would make something as serious as radiation such a small part of the news. I think we have our priorities out of order. Great job!
ReplyDeleteExtra credit response to Joe Lewis' Blog Jul 3, 2010:
ReplyDeleteJoe,
Great job addressing this topic; a topic that like many others the media tends to downplay due to the financial impact on the cellular phone business negative publicity would have.
This topic reminds of the years of non information on the risks of cigarette smoking and how the tobacco inductry controlled the media in the information that was released.
Like most people, I wake up to my cell phone(s), work and personal, and go to bed with them. The way I feel tied to it sometimes, reminds of one of those electronic ankle monitors, I can not go anywhere without it. My work phone is synced to my email, so every time I receive an email I almost feel compelled to read and respond.
I hate to admit it, but I cannot go on vacation without taking my work phone with me, for fear that I would miss some important bit of information.
I use my Iphone so much during the day and it has never crossed my mind that it could be harming me. It is either in my pocket or in my hand. I also use it to wake up by and even us it for music while at the gym.
ReplyDeleteI agree that new studies should be performed considering how much cell phones have changed since 1999, they are way more powerful now and Americans use them much more frequently. They should also do additional studies to see if cell phone use effects teenagers differently because it seems like teenagers are on there cell phones 24/7
I like how you called out the media for reporting that cell phones cause all those problems with out any scientific reports to back up their claims.
Nice post, Good job.
Response to Joe Lewis' Unit Two Blog
ReplyDeleteJoe you're post has definitely struck a chord with most of the class. I consider it as "Acceptable Dangers"
It is amazing to me how the perceived dependency of cell phones continues to grow. The manufactures keep adding more and more fetaures or apps to help simplify our lives that in an odd way they are also complicating. Ultimately we feel lost with out our cell phone. At this point the manufactures kind of have us, which is why we look the other way when we hear about risk. I mean how bad could it be?
I almost relate this thought process to the ORM program, do the risk out weigh the benefits? The two levels that should be looking at this are the us the consumer and the manufacture. In the long run for the consumer probably not such a good deal. For the manufacture it apperars to be a win-win situation. They make profits now and are covered by the warning label and the fact that there is no solid evidence to the dangers of long term exposure.
I suppose eventually one of the big players will allow for proper research (because they already know). While they are defacing the competition, they will have already developed the new "safe phone" and blow the market away. Of course no one will really know how "safe" the new phones are because they will be new and so begins another cycle.
Concerning the Medias role in this, well they are also cell phone users. The media may even beleive their own hype which would explain the lack of investigative research into the real dangers of cell phone use. Again the I feel the media sets the stage much like the fluoridation of our water, we need it, it is good for us and someone is making money on slowly killing us.