SmartPhones: Not So Smart?

While Smartphones may be “ingenious”, are they really a smart choice?

A Smartphone, like the popular Blackberry, iPhone, Palm Pre and the Android, is a mobile phone that offers advanced capabilities. They are, virtually, a mini computer with a built-in phone. With the press of a button, a flip of a thumb, or a touch of a screen, Smartphones can deliver instant access to the world-wide web, send a message to a friend, download a whole book, or (merely) place a phone call. Not only that, according to whatever “app” you install, (instantly) you can pretty much do anything you want, from learning to play the mandolin to perfectly navigating any city in the world.

Before you all start clamoring, “I want one!”… you might do well to ask: “What’s the catch?”

The catch is: they are getting more popular. That means they are generating ever-increasing cellular transmissions and more Wi-Fi hotspots than you can shake a stick at. The consequence: thicker and thicker electrosmog. And for some of us, if not (eventually) all of us, that means getting sicker and sicker. Already, radiation from cell phones (the regular kind) is responsible for a host of serious illnesses a mile long, most notably: brain cancers.

Booming Smartphone Demand

A recent study done by a telecommunications marketing analysis group showed statistics that indicated there are over 45.5 million Smartphone owners, just in the U.S. alone. Smartphones have more powerful processors, bigger memory, larger screens, open operating systems and most importantly, with increased popularity and continuity of use, a larger contribution to electromagnetic radiation into the environment.

There is a mushrooming demand for the Smartphone that threatens to include baby boomers and not just Generation X’ers. Even President Obama, who refused to part with his Blackberry when he took office, can’t do without a Smartphone. My only hope is that baby boomers will have the good sense to refrain from following the telecommunication phenomenon further down the garden path. *

These tech toys are now proudly being referred to as “mobile multimedia ecosystems”. Ecosystems? Hardly.

An ecosystem is a combination of components made up of both physical and biological elements and is generally understood to exist within nature. I guess human technology is attempting to imitate nature. The only problem is that we humans tend to get greedy, sloppy and make a mess of things…like the environment.

So, not only are CO2 emissions raising Cain with our eco-sphere, now we have “Smart” phones cluttering up our airways with more and more electro smog to accommodate more and more telecommunicative activity.

Some of the newest Smartphone models have the highest levels of radiation emissions and are at questionable limits of radiofrequency safety set by the Federal Communications Commission.**

Recent research into the phenomenon of the newer model Smartphones, revealed new trends in consumer behavior. The market research was ostensibly conducted to determine whether banner ads across the mini screens on Smartphones are effective. Apparently, they have a high click ratio with a low annoyance value—ideal for marketers. Not so ideal for electrosmog density. Mobiles ads are apparently five times more effective than online Internet ads. Given this trend, and given advertising’s tenacious grip on public media, we will certainly be seeing more activity on our mobile devices. Again, this will lead to EMF multiplication and accumulation.

Smartphones: Method of Choice for Social Media Posts

In the 18 to 34 year old age demographic, texting to each other while in the same room is a growing phenomenon. Social Media sites like Twitter and Facebook and MySpace are being connected to via cell phone at increasing rates as well. And ads that take advantage of this new and promising channel are penetrating the market. Advertising through mobile phones is yet another way that our airways are being polluted.

And…as strange as it may sound to some of us, watching videos on Smartphones while sitting in front of a computer is the newest rage.***

I wonder, provided we haven’t all expired from microwave radiation at levels approaching stealth weaponry, if we will look back in a few years and wonder what ever happened to the lovely walk in nature by a clear stream, or a good book by the fireplace on a winter’s night, or the warm family dinner round the table. Will we be asking ourselves, “What ever happened to the simple life?”

References: * Chen, E., Will Babyboomers Adopt SmartPhones?, StartUp Musings, accessed: May 5^th, 2010, http://startupmusings.com/2010/03/11/will-baby-boomers-adopt-smartphones/

**Hot new Smart Phones Push the Edge for Radiation, Environmental Working Group, accessed May 10, 2010 http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/newsrelease

***Mobile Phone Consumer Research Reveals New Trends, Mobile Beyond, accessed May 11, 2010, http://mobilebeyond.net/mobile-phone-consumer-research-reveals-new-trends/#more-3049

Radiation threats: The 10 most potentially hazardous smartphones accessed May 12, 2010, http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/hiner/?p=2888