Question

Your assignment is to read the Epidemiology research paper, “Mobile phone use and the risk of acoustic neuroma” (Lönn et al., 2004), for the next class. Te next time class meets, there will be a class discussion led by the instructor. Te questions below will help you prepare for this discussion. Questions 1. Compare the scientifc data given in the press articles with those in the scientif c paper. 2. Do you think cell phone use is hazardous to human health? 3. Based on this information, are you going to avoid using cell phones in the future?

Answer 1

1. The press articles state that the risk if acoustic neuroma increases after continuous usage of mobile phones after 10 years. However there was no empirical evidence in the scientific paper to support the claim. First of all, it was difficult to find out a large group of people who had been using mobile phones for more than 10 years and and after that got acoustic neuroma tumor. Secondly there were many cases where the people had acoustic neuroma tumors in the side of the brain opposite to the ears where the participants had been using the mobile phones. So, there was no concrete or empirical evidence found to justify the claim.

2. Yes, I personally believe that excess of anything is bad. Chronic or excessive use of cell phones could pass on radio frequency energy continuously in our ears which may cause some form of damage to the ears or brain or cause some kinds of cancer in the future. Though there is no scientific evidence to justify the claim, still then I believe that excessive use of anything including cell phones are hazardous to health.

3. Yes, I would be using cell phones in the future but only to the extent of the required need. I will not use it excessively.