Although written during the date provided, this article was republished during 2020 by Nicolas Gorman to put it on the website. The author is unknown.

Within the last ten years, socialization has been revolutionized by the cell phone. Nowadays, everyone and their grandmother seems to have this portable device tucked away in their pocket.

It is pretty neat that we’re the first generation to use this technology, but at the same time it is a bit concerning because we are somewhat like human lab rats.

Sure, we are not being injected with an assortment of chemicals like actual lab rats, but we may be being exposed to potentially harmful radio frequencies that are emitted by cell phones. Such radio frequencies may cause cancer within the human body.

Studies on the matter are inconclusive, and experts are divided on the issue. It seems as though time will tell whether or not these devices are actually carcinogenic.

One day our generation may be plagued by cancer. However, cell phones have a small range where radio frequencies are actually transmitted, which is somewhat good news for all the hypochondriacs reading this.

The Federal Communications Commision suggests keeping a distance of at least 20 centimeters between you and your cell phone. Seems easy enough, but an unlikely solution, especially for those who are addicted to their device, and cell phone addiction is a very real thing.

We have all met people who cannot put their phones down. It gets annoying pretty quickly when you’re trying to talk to them but they seem as though they’re paying little attention to what you are actually saying. These are the type of people whose primary source of socialization comes from their cell phone.

Most often times it is these people who often neglect face to face contact, which is really important for humans. Communication skills like eye contact, hand gestures and body language help us maintain and develop meaningful relationships, so when someone tries to compact this experience into a device, things are bound to be different.

For example, you or someone that you know may send incessant “smiley” faces. The majority of the time those people aren’t actually smiling or laughing out loud (LOL).

This form of communication is innately insincere. Unlike face to face contact where you can read the other person and connect to them, cell phones allow people to hide their true emotions behind the screen.

Hunching over texting all day not only harbors bad socialization skills but can also damage a person’s body. With cell phones, people are more likely to squint and strain their eyes trying to read the small font on the screen. This can lead to computer vision syndrome, whose symptoms include dry eyes, difficulty focusing and double vision.

Texting also takes a toll on a person’s hand because it is a task that requires a person to use speed and repetition which may cause pain and inflammation in the hands. Also, there is the fact that you’re looking down which puts pressure onto your neck. This is called “text neck” and there is even an institute founded by Dr. Dean L. Fishman whose sole purpose is to treat and study repetitive stress injuries caused by mobile devices including text neck.

A cell phone in moderation serve as a useful device that has the potential to let us communicate with people all over world, but constant use can lead to unexpected consequences. Perhaps they should add a surgeon general’s warning on the device itself, like they do with alcoholic beverages.