If cellphones DID cause cancer, could you stop using them? Posted: 5 months ago by cactushair
What if some years from now it's shown that using a cellphone for 35 years doubles, triples or quadruples your risk for brain cancer. Is it possible to go back to landlines, or are cellphones so important now (already!) to our quality of life that we'd be willing to take enormous risks to continue to use them?
Comments: 11 Score: [-] 206 [+].
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Posted: 5 months ago by stfun:
Well, cellphones just don't cause cancer.
It has been proven many times so there really is no reason to raise this question "What if they did?"
I rather raise the question: "Why waste my energy to think about "What if?""
Score: [-] 16 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by doggylives:
« stfun : Well, cellphones just don't cause cancer.
It has been proven many times so there really is no reason to raise this question "What if they did?"
I rather raise the question: "Why waste my energy to think about "What if?"" Read the article. It's more about our addiction to technology and making a comparison between cigarettes and their addiction and link to cancer and the subsequent health warnings and mobile phones.
As in, if mobile phones carried health warnings as cigarettes do, would you stop using it or is their use so ingrained in our everyday routine that we would carry on regardless of the health implications.
I personally found it a really interesting article. Very thought provoking. I myself hardly ever use a mobile phone apart from to take pictures with :) but I have a feeling the majority of people I know would carry on using their mobiles.
I seriously think that texting is going to lead to an evolutionary downward curve of the neck.
Score: [-] 63 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by stfun:
I wrote the comment after reading the artice, I did read it again after your explanaiton and you are right, the approach to the issue about the addiction to technology is interesting.
But the introducion as cellphone-cancer-scenario still does not convince me.
Score: [-] 3 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by 2manyusernames:
cell phones and cigarettes isn't a very good analogy.
Cigarettes are, of course, highly addictive.
Cell phones are convenient. If cell phones were indeed proven to greatly increase one's chance of cancer, then there would be very few people who would use them. Few enough, that most cell companies would go out of business, cell towers couldn't be placed anywhere near where people might be etc.
It just isn't the same as cigarettes. Cigarettes have the benefit of addiction and they enjoy an immense amount of political clout.
The question might be valid, but cigarettes is a very poor analogy.
Score: [-] 17 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by MeMe:
also, with technology moving the way it is, someone would come up with something else to replace the cell.
Score: [-] 0 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by roarkmeister:
« 2manyusernames:cell phones and cigarettes isn't a very good analogy.
Cigarettes are, of course, highly addictive.
Cell phones are convenient. If cell phones were indeed proven to greatly increase one's chance of cancer, then there would be very few people who would use them. Few enough, that most cell companies would go out of business, cell towers couldn't be placed anywhere near where people might be etc.
It just isn't the same as cigarettes. Cigarettes have the benefit of addiction and they enjoy an immense amount of political clout.
The question might be valid, but cigarettes is a very poor analogy. You don't think cell phones are addictive? Okay, it's not a neurological addiction to a chemical, but cell phones are very habitually addictive. The more you use your phone for (address book, calender, internet, phone, pmp etc), then the more it is gouged into your daily routine. I think that your wrong to say the cell phones aren't addictive, because I know I love mine.
Score: [-] 16 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by badbud:
Ooookay, if the magic waves from your wireless mouse and your wireless network connection and your wireless ps/xbox/wii controller was shown to cause a 25% increase in the genetic mutations that result in cancer?
I think that is the point of the article.
Now I will step away from the box...and hide in the closet with my inner child.
Score: [-] 45 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by DerAlt:
« 2manyusernames : cell phones and cigarettes isn't a very good analogy.
Cigarettes are, of course, highly addictive.
Cell phones are convenient. If cell phones were indeed proven to greatly increase one's chance of cancer, then there would be very few people who would use them. Few enough, that most cell companies would go out of business, cell towers couldn't be placed anywhere near where people might be etc.
It just isn't the same as cigarettes. Cigarettes have the benefit of addiction and they enjoy an immense amount of political clout.
The question might be valid, but cigarettes is a very poor analogy. Hello???
Cigarettes have immense political clout??
Where might that be in the US? Possibly in the Carolinas, if even there.
Taxes have raised the price to $5 a pack on many brands, you can't smoke anywhere there might non-smokers, open air stadiums are off limits and there are discussions, especially here, to outlaw smoking at the beach and other open air venues.
I can't image a legal habit that has less clout than smoking. As an ex-smoker, I resent the clout the anti-smokers have been able to muster...bordering on the ridiculous.
Score: [-] 68 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by 2manyusernames:
« DerAlt : Hello???
Cigarettes have immense political clout??
Where might that be in the US? Possibly in the Carolinas, if even there.
Taxes have raised the price to $5 a pack on many brands, you can't smoke anywhere there might non-smokers, open air stadiums are off limits and there are discussions, especially here, to outlaw smoking at the beach and other open air venues.
I can't image a legal habit that has less clout than smoking. As an ex-smoker, I resent the clout the anti-smokers have been able to muster...bordering on the ridiculous. It is certainly true they don't have anywhere near the clout they used to have (although that doesn't change my main point), but they are still relatively powerful.
Score: [-] 0 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by DerAlt:
« 2manyusernames : It is certainly true they don't have anywhere near the clout they used to have (although that doesn't change my main point), but they are still relatively powerful. But only compared to child porn providers. ;)
Score: [-] 39 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by chinook:
Cellphones cause me to rage, especially when it's someone beside me screaming "well, like, did he, like, tell you about me?." That can be almost as dangerous as cancer, so cellphone users, watch out!!
I almost never use mine. It drives my family and friends nuts, because I don't have it on. I also think I'm 500km from the nearest cellphone tower right now, too.
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