How do you know that you have arrived at a NCFCA tournament? No, its not the sign that might be in front of the facility announcing NCFCA Tournament nor is it the interesting fact that apparently some teenagers actually wear something other than jeans and T-shirts. It is when you walk into ninety percent of the rooms look at the dry-erase or chalk board and read something to the effect of “Please turn off all cell phones.” Although maybe not everyone actually pays attention and turns their cell phone off, everyone ought to learn more about cell phones then they already know. So the my goal over the next few minutes is to inform you about some of the significant negatives of cell phones as well as their remedies. That way before you buy one, upgrade one, or decide to use yours more you have the facts with which to make an informed decision.
First, our nation has “coverage” almost everywhere. Which to be honest explains the Cingular ads in which unknown caller has a very important call to business partner or girlfriend dropped. So why does Cingular get away with these ads? Becuase the quality of reception so called coverage can be weak and unreliable. This becomes especially important when you are having an important conversation with someone and your call is dropped or you can only hear them off and on.
Second is the disappearance of pay phones--those handy little things that used to be everywhere. The Federal Communications Commission says (use graph) “The number of pay phones has plunged from 2.6 million in 1998 to 1.4 million in 2004.” Therefore, at the current rate, you will be unable to find a pay phone in 2011. Then if you have an emergency because of a breakdown, accident, or bad weather--or for some other reason you need to contact someone--when you are in an area where your cell phone has poor reception (or if you forgot to bring or don’t have a cell phone good luck trying to find a pay phone), the reduced availability of pay phones is a significant problem. For those without cell phones it is their source of communication when away from home. John Rahl, general manager of Main Bowling Center in Greensburg, Pennsylvania says "Those that don't have (a cell phone), that's what they're stuck with." However, it is unlikely that there will ever be a major increase in pay phone availability. The impact of this problem is that this alternative source of communication will no longer be available when you need it.
Third, explosions. Yes, cell phones can explode. Although cell phone companies say that the majority of explosions have to do with counterfeit accessories several Kyocera phones and the Verizon LG phone have been recalled for explosion related reasons. Cell phone explosions can and have caused burns and fires. Take for example Marcelino Gonzalez, who suffered second-degree burns when his Kyocera phone exploded in his hand as he turned it on to make a call. "If it was to my face it would have blown up in my face," Gonzalez said.
Fourth, there is evidence that cell phones can cause brain damage. British physicist, Dr. Gerald Hyland, said in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, “If Mobile Phones Were a Type of Food, They Simply Would Not be Licensed.” Also, a massive study from Denmark found that the side of your face on which you normally hold your cell phone next to is four times more likely to develop a brain tumor than without the effects of the cell phone. Research by other scientists indicates that prolonged use of mobile phones may cause hot-spots to develop inside the brain, causing damage which could lead to Alzheimer’s disease or brain tumors. Still others report that cell phones have caused “cell phone-like vibrations throughout their bodies.
My fifth accidents, according to several different studies conducted by various researchers and groups, while talking on your cell phone the risk of an accident increases by 400 percent. Others say that driving while talking on your cell phone is like driving drunk. Further, several states have adopted legislation prohibiting cell phone use while driving.
Now that we know some of the negatives related to the use of cell phones we need to make informed decisions about when, where, how, how much, and even whether to use a cell phone, and about which cell phone and accessories to choose. These decisions are up to you but it is important that you know about the negatives as well as possible ways to prevent, or minimize, the effects of these negatives on you. The breadth and quality of coverage problems, including the growing absence of pay phones require that we research the breadth and quality of coverage of different service providers—particularly in the areas where you most often use your cell phone. Likewise, different brands and models of phones have better or more reliable reception. To help avoid explosions, you should find which phones that have good track records as far as explosions and which ones have bad histories so that you are well informed when you walk in the door of a cell phone store. You will want similar information on batteries and other accessories. Brain damage and accidents are two major problems that simply cutting down usage of cell phones or hands-free devices can help tremendously with. You can buy an this hands-free earpiece wherever you buy your phone. This gadget hooks into the phone and contains both a microphone and an earpiece. When it is all set up, it is like have a small home phone that clings to you without your having to use your hands. Finally, recognize that our cell phone decisions can have significant positive and negative consequences that will affect the rest of our lives. So please use responsibly.
Thank You very much for listening
