RightHealth Daily Dose » cellphone

Cyberbullying On The Rise

Steven — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:36:38 +0000

Approximately 10% of all adolescents in grades 7 through 9 are victims of internet bullying, also known as cyberbullying. “Cyberbullying occurs when new technologies such as computers and mobile phones are used to harass or bully somebody. The perpetrators often use SMS, e-mail, chat rooms and Facebook to spread their message,” says Ann Frisen, Professor of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg and a part of an EU network of researchers studying the phenomenon. Although cyberbullying doesn’t confer any direct physical harm, it can be more emotionally and mentally damaging because the victims have little refuge. Cyberbullying can occur during and after school hours, and the harassment can spread across the internet very quickly. Research shows that the perpetrator is almost always from the same school as the victim, and can be smaller or younger than the victim since cyberbullies are able to act anonymously. So as childhood moves further into cyberspace, so must parenthood. Parents, and authority figures alike, should be aware of cyberbullying in order to successfully confront this rising trend. [via Medical News Today]

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Cellphones Still A Concern For Brain Cancer

Steven — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:01:33 +0000

A report was released yesterday by the International EMF Collaborative entitled “Cellphones and Brain Tumors: 15 Reasons for Concern, Science, Spin and the Truth Behind Interphone.” Interphone was a multinational, government and industry-funded study that began in 1999 to determine whether cellphone usage increases a user’s risk of brain cancer. According to this current report, the Interphone study greatly underestimated brain tumor risk due to design flaws that included the exclusion of children and young adults in the study (the most vulnerable population), exclusion of those who died or were too ill to be interviewed due to their brain cancers, as well as the exclusion of many types of brain cancers. US Scientists that have endorsed this viewpoint, that the Interphone study had serious design flaws, include faculty at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Columbia University, and the University at Albany. This report was sent to government leaders today by the International EMF Collaborative, who is urging all to take a second look at the public health implications of cellphone usage. [via Business Week]

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Scientists To US Congress: Beware Of Cell Phones

Steven — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:00:43 +0000

Scientists testified yesterday to the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform regarding the dangers of cell phone electromagnetic radiation. The warning is that we must not ignore the potential dangers of cell phones in causing cancer. They cited studies showing an increased risk of acoustic (hearing) nerve and salivary gland tumors on the side of the head to which a cell phone is most often set against. Very importantly, a new British study has found that children less than 20 years old were 5 times more likely to develop brain cancer at the age of 29 than those who didn’t use a cell phone. This is because electromagnetic radiation is able to penetrate deeper into the brains of a child, compared to an adult. Funding for cell phone studies in the US have been scant, and much larger trials are needed. Despite this, leading scientists say there is enough potential danger that we cannot afford to delay warnings, comparing the public health risks to smoking and lung cancer. Read more. Share your opinion.

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