cause and effect essay on cell phones

How Smartphones Are Affecting Our Relationships

• Personality/Social
• Perspectives on Psychological Science
• Relationship Quality
• Relationships
• Social Media

Whether at the supermarket, in the doctor’s office, or in bed at night, it can be tempting to pick up the device and start scrolling through social media or text messages at any moment. But anyone who has done so in the presence of a close friend, family member, or romantic partner may have left that person feeling ignored, annoyed, or even pushed away. That’s according to a growing body of research on “technoference,” or the potential interference smartphones and other technologies can have in our face-to-face social interactions.

In a  review paper in Perspectives on Psychological Science , University of Arizona psychology professor David Sbarra and his collaborators at Wayne State University in Detroit examine existing research on technoference. They propose an explanation for why humans are so drawn to their smartphones, even when the devices take us out of the moment in our close relationships. It’s because of our evolutionary history, they say.

Humans are hard-wired to connect with others, Sbarra and his colleagues argue. In the course of evolutionary history, we have relied on close relationships with small networks of family and friends for survival as individuals and as a species. These relationships were based on trust and cooperation, which is built when people disclose personal information about themselves and are responsive to others.

Smartphones, and the constant access they provide to text messaging and social media, make it easier than ever for people to disclose personal information and respond to others in their social networks. And these networks are much larger and more far-flung than those of our ancestors.

“The draw or pull of a smartphone is connected to very old modules in the brain that were critical to our survival, and central to the ways we connect with others are self-disclosure and responsiveness,” Sbarra said. “Evolution shaped self-disclosure and responsiveness in the context of small kin networks, and we now see these behaviors being cued more or less constantly by social networking sites and through our phones. We now have the outer-most edges of our social network cue us for responsiveness. Look no further than the next person you see scrolling through Facebook and mindlessly hitting the ‘like’ button while his kid is trying to tell him a story.”

In their paper, Sbarra and his coauthors go beyond the idea that technology is simply attention-grabbing to suggest that there may be an evolutionary mismatch between smartphones and the social behaviors that help form and maintain close social relationships.

“Smartphones and their affordances create new contexts for disclosing information about who we are and for being responsive to others, and these virtual connections may have downstream unwanted effects on our current relationships,” Sbarra said. “When you are distracted into or by the device, then your attention is divided, and being responsive to our partners – an essential ingredient for building intimacy – requires attention in the here and now.”

Divided attention, Sbarra and his colleagues say, may lead to relationship conflict. For example, the review paper cites a study of 143 married women, more than 70 percent of whom reported that mobile phones frequently interfere in their relationships.

Sbarra doesn’t believe smartphones are all bad. In fact, he and his coauthors acknowledge that the devices offer several benefits for health and well-being, and texting provides many couples a route for connecting in a meaningful way. But they say more research is needed to fully understand the impact that virtual connections may have on our real-world relationships and the ways in which the pull of our phones may diminish immediate interactions and lead to conflict.

“We stay away from the question of whether social networking sites and smartphone use are good or bad, per se,” Sbarra said. “Technology is everywhere, and it’s not going away, nor should it. In this paper, we are interested in answering two basic questions: Why do the devices seem to have such a powerful pull on us? And, what is the state of the science on the effects of being pulled away from our in-person interactions and into the virtual world?” 

From there, the authors outline a research agenda they hope can guide future studies. Those studies will be increasingly important as new technologies evolve and become more integrated in our daily lives, Sbarra said.

“Between 2000 and 2018, we’ve seen the largest technological advances, arguably, at any point in the last 100 years,” he said. “We are interested in understanding the role of social relationships in human well-being. We can understand this from the level of what individuals do in relationships, but we can also understand it at the level of societal changes and societal forces that may push on relationships.”

Smartphones have ruined children’s play time and adult’s special time under the sheets! Can’t even go to a bar to have a chill drink without GF having the damn phone on the bar and in her hand half the time. Maybe I should take a hint! Long live the flip phone MOT V600!

I do believe technology devices and media can get in the way of a relationship but technology device and social media isn’t the problem. The couple shall notice the problem and fix. Put off certain time for the phone and use communication, affection with their partner. If the love each other the media they scroll on should be deleted then the problem is solved most likely.

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For a copy of the research article and access to other Perspectives on Psychological Science research findings, please contact: - 202.293.9300

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Best Technology Essay Examples

Cause and effect of smart phones.

561 words | 2 page(s)

Technology has been progressing at an unbelievable pace. Just two decades ago, having a cell phone was a social status symbol even though they could do little more than making calls without any geographical constraint. But when we look at smart phones today, they look more like portable computers that fit in our hands than merely communication devices. Smart phones have affected both our personal and professional lives. While most of the effects of smart phones have been positive, irresponsible use of smart phone may impose cost on both the individual and the society.

Smart phones help individuals improve productivity and efficiency in both personal and professional matters. Smart phones do not only enable instant communication due to both verbal and non-verbal communication capabilities but also enable us to take advantage of the information resources on the internet. Similarly, smart phones allow professionals to conduct many tasks on the road, thus, increasing time resources on their disposal. But smart phone may also lead to distraction and waste of time resources. Students may use smart phone to pass time during class lectures and similarly, workers may use smart phone for personal affairs during work hours. This poses challenge for instructors and managers at work because while they want to encourage productive use of digital devices like smart phones, they also want to prevent waste of precious time resources in unproductive activities.

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Smart phones may strengthen or weaken personal relationships, depending upon the users’ habits. Smart phones allow individuals to efficiently stay in touch with family members, friends, and other acquaintance, especially now that they have powerful social media capabilities. But smart phone addiction sometimes hurts face-to face interaction. It is not uncommon for parents to complain their children are glued to their smart phones even when the family is together or they are eating meals together. Similarly, friends may be socializing together yet most of them would frequently check their smart phones for messages and/or social media updates. It is important for smart phone users to understand that face-to-face interaction has its own benefits that cannot be replicated through digital communication.

Smart phones may encourage higher levels of consumption. It could be said that smart phones have been a blessing for marketers who can now reach consumers round-the-clock. In addition, a number of smart phone apps have emerged that encourage consumption by awarding points for visiting sponsors’ locations. Similarly, marketers now often send online coupons to consumers which they can redeem using their smart phones. Smart phones may also encourage online shopping because many commercial websites are optimized for browsing through portable devices like smart phones. Thus, many users randomly browse through their favorite shopping websites on their smart phones. It is logical to assume the more a consumer browse a shopping website, the more he/she is likely to order items.

Smart phones have been an amazing invention by any measure and could almost be called portable computers. They help improve both personal and professional productivity. But smart phones may also lead to precious waste of time resources if students in the class or workers at their work places use smart phones for wasteful activities. While smart phones improve communication, they may also hurt relationships due to potential of distraction. In addition, smart phones may encourage higher levels of consumption because they make it easier for marketers to reach consumers.

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Smartphone impacts on teenagers: Positive and negative

“sometimes kids can’t make the clarification between what is real and what isn’t real.".

Olivia Johnson and her friends are typical teenagers. They’re involved in extracurricular activities at school, have part-time jobs to make spending money, enjoy each other’s company and use a smartphone to stay in the loop.

“For most kids, I think we probably could live without our phone. But we prefer not to,” said Johnson, a senior at Bemidji (Minnesota) High School. “I enjoy looking at pictures and reading. I also text, use Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. For me, and for my friends, having a phone is a positive and not a negative. But I don’t know if it is that way for everyone.”

Grown up with them

Shawn Whiting, the clinical supervisor of behavioral health at Sanford Health in Bemidji , said the smartphone has changed how people communicate.

“(Today’s) kids have had cellphones their whole lives. This is the technology that has been present and they don’t know anything else,” he said. “They use their phones and social media to connect with their peers, but what they can lose are the human interactions that people, as social animals, need.”

Find a provider: Behavioral health at Sanford

On a day that offers an open schedule, Johnson estimates that she and her friends would spend four to five hours on their phones texting and talking. With more than 100 contacts, Johnson do esn’t lack a friend to talk to.

Among her contacts are mom, dad, her brother and sister, her cousins, plus her aunts and uncles, so those close to her are fully aware of what Johnson is posting and receiving.

“I know who her friends are on social media,” said her mother, Tracy Johnson. “I am one of her contacts and there are many other relatives who can serve as checks and balances on her phone. Olivia is willing to be part of the broader family group and, because of that, we don’t worry about her phone use. We know what she is doing.”

Know what they’re doing

Whiting believes that sort of arrangement among the family members and the teenager would benefit everyone.

“What I tell parents is, if your child is going to have a smartphone and be on social media, have a relationship that enables you to know what your child is doing and who the child is communicating with,” Whiting said. “Smartphones (can be) great tools for the parents to check on their kids and know where they are.”

Like any other tool, when used properly, a smartphone can significantly add to someone’s knowledge and enjoyment. But it can also cause pain and embarrassment.

“The adult brain doesn’t fully develop until a person is 24 or 25 years old, and the rational part of the brain is the last to develop, so kids can be impacted by peer pressure on social media,” Whiting said. “Sometimes kids can’t make the clarification between what is real and what isn’t real. When that happens it can have a negative impact on self-esteem.

Learn more: When media changes adolescent moods & anxiety

“There also is a lot of cyber-bullying going on. And, unfortunately, there have been some kids who have committed suicide because of cyber-bullying. We have to find ways to manage (smartphone use). Parents, school administrators, and the kids themselves need to ask ‘what is appropriate smartphone use and what is too much.’”

Know the signs

People who spend time with kids also need to be able to identify the signs that indicate that a child is struggling or may be depressed.

“The tricky part is determining what is normal adolescent development and what isn’t,” Whiting said. “It can be tough for a parent to know that, but that is what we (behavioral health specialists) are trained to do. Developmentally, kids at this age are moving away from parents and their peers become a bigger influence than the parents are. That’s (part of the normal) development process. But, generally speaking, if the child isn’t acting normally, I would ask some questions.”

Warning signs include:

• More isolation than usual
• Difficulty sleeping, or falling asleep at inappropriate times
• Mood swings
• Feeling down
• Lacking interest

What to do for at-risk kids

Based on those indicators, Olivia Johnson sees kids every day who may be at risk.

“I don’t see much bullying at school, but sometimes I see it online,” she said. “And I would say that 20 to 25 percent of the kids I see at school don’t have many social skills and hang around mostly by themselves. But my friends are in extracurricular activities and I think those activities help develop social skills.”

If parents notice that their child is demonstrating some of those signs, Whiting said it is time for them to start or extend the communication process.

“Try to talk with the child. Try to see what is going on,” he advises. “If you are noticing something bigger (you can) talk with the school teachers and the school counselors and see if they are noticing anything different. And from there, maybe a mental health referral (would be warranted).

“And sooner is better than later.”

More stories

• Childhood suicide: Bullying, ADHD and relationships
• Parenting tips: How to talk about tragedies with your kids
• Best ways to communicate with your child

Posted In Behavioral Health , Children's , Health Information , Healthy Living

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Effects of Mobile Use on Subjective Sleep Quality

Nazish rafique.

1 Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Lubna Ibrahim Al-Asoom

Ahmed abdulrahman alsunni, farhat nadeem saudagar, latifah almulhim.

2 College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Gaeda Alkaltham

Associated data.

• Patel N. Cell phone radiations and its effects in public health - Comparative review study. MOJ Public Health . 2018;7(2):14–17. doi: 10.15406/Mojph.2018.07.00197 [ CrossRef ]

The objective of this study was to find out the association between mobile use and physiological parameters of poor sleep quality. It also aimed to find out the prevalence of mobile-related sleep risk factors (MRSRF) and their effects on sleep in mobile users.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1925 students (aged 17–23yrs) from multiple Colleges of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The study tools used were Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and MRSRF online questionnaires.

The mean age (±SD) of participants was 19.91 ± 2.55 years. Average mobile screen usage time was 8.57±4.59/24 hours, whereas average mobile screen usage time in the bed after the lights have been turned off was 38.17±11.7 minutes. Only 19.7% of subjects used airplane mode, while 70% kept the mobile near the pillow while sleeping. The blue light filter feature was used by only 4.2% of the participants. “Screen usage time of ≥8 hours” was positively correlated with sleep disturbances and decrease in the length of actual sleeping time (p =0.023 and 0.022). “Using the mobile for at least 30 minutes (without blue light filter) after the lights have been turned off” showed positive correlation with poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency (p= 0.003, 0.004 and 0.001). “Keeping the mobile near the pillow while sleeping” was also positively correlated with daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency (p =0.003, 0.004 and 0.001).

This study concludes that using mobile screen ≥8 hours/24 hours, using the mobile for at least 30 minutes before sleeping after the lights have been turned off and keeping the mobile near the pillow are positively associated with poor sleep quality. Moreover, we observed that MRSRF were highly prevalent amongst the mobile users.

Introduction

Sleep is a physiological state of unawareness which is regulated homeostatically. 1 Almost one-third of our lives are spent while sleeping. 2 Sleep plays an important role in cognitive and physical functions, cellular toxin removal, disease prevention and restoration of both mind and body. 3 – 5 A major decline in the sleep hours and its strong correlation with obesity, diabetes, and other chronic debilitating diseases have been documented in the past 20–30 years. 5 , 6

Proper sleep is especially important for children and adolescents. 6 Lack of sleep in adolescents is becoming an important health issue worldwide. 7 Many factors can affect sleep hygiene 8 but the role of mobile use in causing sleep problems in adolescence has gained huge attention in the past few years. 9 A recent review by Sohn et al reported that one in every four children and young people are suffering from Problematic cell phone use (PSU), which is linked to depression, anxiety and poor sleep quality. 10 Current metaanalysis by Carter et al showed that bedtime use of media devices was positively associated with poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness. 11

Mobile use at bedtime (after the lights have been turned off), can cause poor sleep quality (PSQ) by various mechanisms. 12 Due to technology revolution, most of the mobile phone users now have smartphones which enable them to access internet and social networks, watching videos, online chatting and playing games. 13 This results in exposure to stimulating content, mobile phone overuse and phone addiction thus contributing to hyper arousal in pre bedtime period and poor sleep quality. 14

A major factor which can contribute to PSQ is the blue light emitted by screens of mobile phones. 15 This blue light can decrease the production of melatonin, the hormone which controls the sleep/wake cycle or circadian rhythm. Reduction in melatonin makes it difficult to fall and stay asleep. 16 Some studies have found that exposure to blue light increases brain alertness 17 and can stimulate cognitive functions, which in turn can lead to PSQ. 18

Moreover, the mobile phones receive and transmit the signals through radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs). 19 It is well documented that RF-EMFs can pass through the skull, and reach the brain. 20 Therefore, this technology may pose dangers for human health, of particular interest are its effects on sleep parameters and sleep electroencephalogram (EEG). 21 Some studies have reported that RF-EMFs exposure can result in changes in EEG during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, non-REM sleep, and sleep latency. 22 – 24 All these findings further strengthen the role of mobile in causing PSQ.

Limited availability of the data regarding the “Prevalence of mobile use and its association with sleep quality in the Saudi population” compelled us to design this project. To our knowledge, the current study recruited the largest number of samples of young Saudi population for investigating the link between mobile phone use and sleep quality. We hypothesize that a positive association exists between mobile use and poor sleep quality. We also aimed to find out the prevalence of mobile-related sleep risk factors (MRSRF) in mobile users and their effects on sleep, ie, using mobile before sleeping after the lights have been turned off, not enabling airplane mode on mobiles, putting the mobiles near or below the pillows and bedside while sleeping. As no previous studies are available to highlight these important findings.

This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2018 till August 2019 on 1925 students (aged 17–23yrs) from multiple colleges of Imam AbdulRahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam (IAU).

Sample size calculation was done by using open source epidemiologic statistics for public health tools software (accessed at: http://epitools.ausvet.com.au/content.php?page=1Proportion&Proportion ). The calculation was based on estimated prevalence of poor sleep quality in mobile users in a target population of 5000 students and desired precision as 0.02 (2%), confidence interval as 0.95 (95%). The calculated sample size was 2017.

The study tool included two questionnaires: mobile-related sleep risk factors Questionnaire (MRSRF) and Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI) ( Supplementary material ).

Identification of Mobile-Related Sleep Risk Factors (MRSRF)

This online questionnaire (generated by using Google forms) was designed by the authors based on relevant required information, extracted from few previous studies. 8 , 13 , 14 , 21 The face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by professors of physiology and respiratory therapy at IAU, whereas test retest technique was used to verify the reliability (interval of three weeks) with a group of 30 students (P = 0.002; r = 0.84).

MRSRF Questionnaire includes seven items which focus on the following areas: Total duration of mobile use/day, using mobile while in the bed when the lights have been turned off, using blue light filters on mobile, keeping the mobile under pillow, keeping the mobile 2 meters away from the bed and putting the mobile on airplane mode while sleeping.

Identification of Sleep Quality

The pittsburgh sleep quality index (psqi).

Various questionnaires are used to identify the sleep quality. But PSQI has been found to be most effective in terms of reliability and validity. It includes 19 self-rated items, which focus on seven main areas including: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency (time taken to fall asleep), sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency (the ratio of total sleep time to time in bed), sleep disturbances, the use of sleep-inducing medicines and daytime dysfunction. 25

PSQI Scoring

The PSQI includes a scoring key for calculating a patient’s seven subscores, each of which ranges from 0 to 3.

• A score of 0 indicates no difficulty.
• A score of 3 indicates severe difficulty.

The 7 component scores are then added to make a global score with a range of 0–21.

• A score of 0 means no difficulty.
• A score of 5 or more indicates poor sleep quality.
• A score of 21 means severe difficulties in all areas.
• (The higher the score, the worse the quality).

Data Collection

Data were collected by convenience sampling technique, and response rate was 38.5%, as 1925 out of 5000 students volunteered and completed the questionnaire. A five minutes briefing session was given in the class to explain the rational of study and terminologies used in the questionnaire (Average strength of students/class was 50). The online questionnaire was shared with each class on their WhatsApp groups, and a time of 8 minutes was provided to the students to fill the questionnaire. The students were assured about the confidentiality of their personal information.

Inclusion Criteria

• The students between 17 and 26 years who were willing to participate in the study.
• The students who use mobile phone daily, even if they use it for a brief moment.

Exclusion Criteria

The students suffering from

• Any diagnosed sleep disorder.
• Any diagnosed chronic respiratory problem (including nasal congestion, chest infections, asthma, adenoids, allergic rhinitis)
• Any chronic physical or mental illness, affecting their sleep.
• Using any prescription medication for at least last 3 months.

Finally, 156 students were excluded, and 1925 were selected.

Ethical approval of the study was taken by Deanship of Scientific Research College of Medicine (IAU).

Statistical Analysis

The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows, Version 20.0. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the demographic data.

Comparison of sleep quality and sleep parameters in the participants with various “Mobile-related sleep risk factors” (MRSRF) was done by using Cross tab Chi square test for nominal variables, and independent t test for qualitative data. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Correlation of Poor sleep quality and various sleep parameters with MRSRF was done by using Pearson and Spearman tests.

Binary regression analysis test was run using the quality of sleep (poor PSQI>5 versus good PSQI<5) as the dependent variable and the following variables were the independent factors: age, gender, screen usage time >8 hours, using the mobile phone during two hours before sleep, using mobile in bed after lights are turned off, duration of cell phone use after the lights are turned off (minutes), keeping the mobile phone near the pillow while sleeping.

A shapiro-Wilk’s test (p>0.05) and visual inspection of histogram showed that the data were approximately normally distributed.

The mean age (±SD) of participants was 19.91 ± 2.55 years. Number of female participants was 1502 (77%), whereas the number of male participants was 423 (21%). 98% of the participants owned smart phones. Average screen usage time was 8.57±4.59/24 hours, and 38% of the participants reported of using mobile for more than 8/24 hours. Almost 88.7%of the subjects were using the mobile after the lights have been turned off with an average screen usage time of 38.17±11.7 minutes. Out of these 88.7% subjects, 84.5% were not using the blue light filters on their mobiles. Average time spent on watching videos was 1.8±1.74 hours. Poor sleep quality was seen in 33% of males and 37% of females. Comparison of these parameters between male and female subjects is given in Table 1 .

Comparison of Screen and Sleep-Related Parameters, Between Male and Female Subjects

Note: P value <0.05 is considered statistically significant.

Prevalence of mobile usage, and various MRSRF are shown in Table 2 . Only 19.7% of subjects used airplane mode, while 70% kept the mobile near the pillow while sleeping. The blue light filter feature was used by only 4.2% of the participants. It was observed that the greater number of females as compared to males keep the mobiles near their pillow while sleeping (p = 0.029). Whereas the number of females who use airplane mode on their mobiles while sleeping was greater than the number of males using this function (p = 0.021).

Prevalence of Mobile Usage and “Mobile-Related Sleep Risk Factors” in Study Participants

Abbreviation: MRSRF, mobile-related sleep risk factors.

Comparison of sleep quality in the participants with various MRSRF is shown in Table 3 . Data indicated that the subjects who use the mobile after the lights have been turned off for at least 30 minutes (without a blue light filter in mobile), and who put the mobile near their pillow while sleeping have a statistically significant poor sleep quality (P=0.001, 0.001) respectively.

Comparison of Sleep Quality in the Participants with Various “Mobile-Related Sleep Risk Factors”

Further analysis revealed a strong positive correlation of poor sleep quality with Using Mobile for at least 30 minutes after the lights are turned off (without a blue light filter in mobile) (p=0.018) Table 4 .

Correlation of Poor Sleep Quality with Various “Mobile-Related Sleep Risk Factors”

Correlation of various sleep parameters with MRSRF is highlighted in Table 5 . Screen usage time of >8 hours was positively but weakly correlated with sleep disturbances and decrease in the length of actual sleeping time (P value 0.023 and 0.022, respectively). Using the mobile after the lights have been turned off for at least 30 minutes (without a blue light filter in mobile) showed positive but weak correlation with daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency (p= 0.003, 0.004 and 0.001). Keeping the mobile near the pillow while sleeping was also positively but weakly correlated with daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency (p =0.003, 0.004 and 0.001).

Correlation of Various Sleep Parameters with “Mobile-Related Sleep Risk Factors”

Our study showed a high prevalence and prolonged duration of mobile use in young adults. Average mobile screen usage time was 8.57±4.59/24 hours, and 38% of the participants reported of using mobile for more than 8/24 hours. Almost similar results have been demonstrated by other authors, Rideout et al and Strasburger found that school-aged children and adolescents spend almost a 7 hours/day in front of a screen. 26 , 27 Moreover, a recent review of literature reported that one in every four children and young people are suffering from (PSU). 28

Using Mobile after the lights have been turned off was reported by 88.7% of the subjects (average duration 38 minutes). About 75% of study participants of Munezawa et al reported of using mobile after lights out. Whereas a large study conducted on 90,000 young participants showed that only 17% of their subject use mobile after the lights have been turned off. This difference may be due to the reason that their study population included younger subjects from grades 7 to 12 only, who are under strict supervision of their parents as compared to the older adults. 29

One supreme finding of this study was that using mobile for at least 30 minutes after the lights have been turned off (without a blue light filter in mobile) correlates with poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency. A study on 844 Flemish subjects (18–94 years old) also revealed that using mobile after lights out negatively affects PSQI scores, sleep latency, sleep efficiency and causes more sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction. 30 Almost similar results were reported by a Japanese study on younger subjects (aged 13 to 19 years). 29 But these studies did not mention the exact duration of mobile use; moreover, they have not specified that either or not their subjects were using a blue light filter mode on their mobiles. The data regarding the use of blue light filers on mobile screens are scarce, but our study indicated that only 4.4% of the subjects are using this filter. So we can assume that most of the participants in the above-mentioned studies were also using their mobiles without a blue light filter.

Some recent studies have indicated that the blue light emitted by the mobile screens is the major culprit behind the PSQ in late night mobile users. As most of the mobile screens emit blue light in wave length between 400−495 nm and blue light in the range of 460–480 nm can cause a phase-shifting in human circadian clock by decreasing the production of melatonin. 31 , 32 Reduced melatonin levels have been linked to prolonged sleep latency and sleep disturbances. 16 Moreover, exposure to blue light increases brain alertness and stimulates cognitive functions, resulting in PSQ. 17 , 18 Our study findings were also supportive of the above-mentioned facts, we observed that participants who “used the mobile for at least 30 minutes after the lights have been turned off (without a blue light filter),” showed strong positive correlation with poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency. Moreover, a comparative study of Mortazavi et al found that using amber blue light filter in the mobiles, significantly improves the sleep quality, but this study used a small sample size of 43 participants only. 33 We therefore recommend further case control and experimental studies with larger sample size to confirm these findings.

In addition to the blue light effects of mobile screen, using mobile in pre bed time, ie, surfing the web, playing a game, seeing something exciting on facebook, or reading a negative email can also cause physical and psychological hyperexcitability contributing to hyper arousal state and PSQ. 13 , 14

Another important finding of this study was that putting the mobile near pillow while sleeping caused increased sleep latency, sleep disturbances and daytime sleepiness. These effects may be caused by; a continuous urge to see notifications and updates on the nearly placed phone, 14 disturbance created by the vibrations from receiving notifications and messages, heat generated by charging phones and RF-EMF exposure from the mobile phone. RF-EMF exposure can cause changes in EEG during REM and non-REM sleep. 21 – 24 During the sleep time, when the mobile phones are not in use, they still emit RF-EMFs; however, the levels are much lower than that of a phone call. Moreover, the smart phones are constantly scanning for signals, text updates, emails, and software updates. Even notifications that we receive through apps require a certain level of radiation to be released. 34 , 35 These RF-EMFs can cross the skull and reach the brain 20 causing neuronal hyper-excitability resulting in various sleep problems. 36 The above-mentioned findings may be the underlying reason of the sleep problems (daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency) seen in our study subjects who placed their mobiles near their pillows while sleeping. But further experimental and case control studies are required to confirm this causal relationship.

To our knowledge, this is the first study which also aimed to find out the prevalence of MRSRF in mobile users. To our surprise, there was limited awareness about the possible hazardous effects of the mobile phone on human health, especially on sleep. As 88.7% of the subjects mentioned that they used mobile for at least 30 minutes after the lights are turned off, blue light filter feature was used by only 4.2% of the participants. Only 19.7% of the subjects used airplane mode, whereas 70% kept the mobile near their pillow while sleeping. Although we consider smartphone use to be a source of PSQ, many adolescents mistakenly believe that these media facilitate them to sleep. 37 It is therefore strongly recommended that health authorities should conduct seminars and awareness sessions in schools, colleges and universities. And students should be educated about the “hazardous effects of mobile phone use on sleep” and should be encouraged to implement the safety practices to prevent these effects.

This study incorporated a large sample size and showed a positive association between bedtime mobile use and poor sleep quality. It also provided an insight into the causal relationship between mobile use and poor sleep quality, ie, hazardous effects of RF-EMFs and blue light emitted from the mobiles phones on sleep. But due to study limitations, and lack of objective measures we were not able to measure these effects directly. So we recommend further experimental and case control studies to probe the role of these causal factors, especially (RF-EMF and Blue light emitted from mobile screens), in causing poor sleep quality.

Conclusions

This study concludes that

• “Using the mobile for at least 30 minutes (without blue light filter) after the lights have been turned off” results in poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency.
• “Keeping the mobile near the pillow while sleeping” positively correlates with daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbances and increased sleep latency.
• Mobile-related sleep risk factors (MRSRF), ie, “using mobile before sleeping after the lights have been turned off, not using blue light filter, not using airplane mode, putting the mobile near the pillow while sleeping” were highly prevalent amongst the mobile users.

Acknowledgment

The authors are thankful to Dr. Afzal Haq Asif, Dr. Faisal Fahad Essa Alousi, Dr. Hina Khan, Saira Saeed, and Dr. Samina Bashir for their help in data collection.

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Cell Phones and Cancer Risk

Why has there been concern that cell phones may cause cancer.

There are two main reasons why people are concerned that cell (or mobile) phones might have the potential to cause certain types of cancer or other health problems: Cell phones emit radiation (in the form of radiofrequency radiation , or radio waves ), and cell phone use is widespread. Even a small increase in cancer risk from cell phones would be of concern given how many people use them.

Brain and central nervous system cancers have been of particular concern because hand-held phones are used close to the head and because ionizing radiation—a higher energy form of radiation than what cell phones emit—has been found to cause some brain cancers. Many different kinds of studies have been carried out to try to investigate whether cell phone use is dangerous to human health.

However, the evidence to date suggests that cell phone use does not cause brain or other kinds of cancer in humans.

Is the radiation from cell phones harmful?

Cell phones emit radiation in the radiofrequency region of the electromagnetic spectrum . Second-, third-, and fourth-generation cell phones (2G, 3G, 4G) emit radiofrequency in the frequency range of 0.7–2.7 GHz. Fifth-generation (5G) cell phones are anticipated to use the frequency spectrum up to 80 GHz. 

These frequencies all fall in the nonionizing range of the spectrum, which is low frequency and low energy. The energy is too low to damage DNA. By contrast, ionizing radiation , which includes x-rays , radon , and cosmic rays, is high frequency and high energy. Energy from ionizing radiation can damage DNA. DNA damage can cause changes to genes that may increase the risk of cancer.

The NCI fact sheet Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer lists sources of radiofrequency radiation . More information about ionizing radiation can be found on the Radiation page.

The human body does absorb energy from devices that emit radiofrequency radiation. The only consistently recognized biological effect of radiofrequency radiation absorption in humans that the general public might encounter is heating to the area of the body where a cell phone is held (e.g., the ear and head). However, that heating is not sufficient to measurably increase core body temperature. There are no other clearly established dangerous health effects on the human body from radiofrequency radiation.

Has the incidence of brain and central nervous system cancers changed during the time cell phone use increased?

No. Investigators have studied whether the incidence of brain or other central nervous system cancers (that is, the number of new cases of these cancers diagnosed each year) has changed during the time that cell phone use increased dramatically. These studies found:

• stable incidence rates for adult gliomas in the United States ( 1 ), Nordic countries ( 2 ) and Australia ( 3 ) during the past several decades
• stable incidence rates for pediatric brain tumors in the United States during 1993–2013 ( 4 )
• stable incidence rates for acoustic neuroma ( 5 ), which are nonmalignant tumors , and meningioma ( 6 ), which are usually nonmalignant, among US adults since 2009 

In addition, studies using cancer incidence data have tested different scenarios (simulations) determining whether the incidence trends are in line with various levels of risk as reported in studies of cell phone use and brain tumors between 1979 and 2008 ( 7 , 8 ). These simulations showed that many risk changes reported in case–control studies  were not consistent with incidence data, implying that biases  and errors in the study may have distorted the findings.

Because these studies examine cancer incidence trends over time in populations rather than comparing risk in people who do and don’t use cell phones, their ability to observe potential small differences in risk among heavy users or susceptible populations is limited. Observational/epidemiologic studies—including case–control and cohort studies  (described below)—are designed to measure individual exposure to cell phone radiation and ascertain specific health outcomes.

How is radiofrequency radiation exposure measured in studies of groups of people?

Epidemiologic  studies use information from several sources, including questionnaires and data from cell phone service providers, to estimate radiofrequency radiation exposure in groups of people. Direct measurements are not yet possible outside of a laboratory setting. Estimates from studies reported to date take into account the following:

• How regularly study participants use cell phones (the number of calls per week or month)
• The age and the year when study participants first used a cell phone and the age and the year of last use (allows calculation of the duration of use and time since the start of use)
• The average number of cell phone calls per day, week, or month (frequency)
• The average length of a typical cell phone call
• The total hours of lifetime use, calculated from the length of typical call times, the frequency of use, and the duration of use

What has research shown about the link between cell phone use and cancer risk?

Researchers have carried out several types of population studies to investigate the possibility of a relationship between cell phone use and the risk of tumors, both malignant (cancerous) and nonmalignant (not cancer). Epidemiologic  studies (also called observational studies ) are research studies in which investigators observe groups of individuals (populations) and collect information about them but do not try to change anything about the groups. 

Two main types of epidemiologic studies— cohort studies  and case–control studies —have been used to examine associations between cell phone use and cancer risk. In a case–control study, cell phone use is compared between people who have tumors and people who don’t. In a cohort study, a large group of people who do not have cancer at the beginning of the study is followed over time and tumor development in people who did and didn’t use cell phones is compared. Cohort studies are limited by the fact that they may only be able to look at cell phone subscribers, who are not necessarily the cell phone users.

The tumors that have been investigated in epidemiologic studies include malignant brain tumors, such as gliomas , as well as nonmalignant tumors, such as acoustic neuroma (tumors in the cells of the nerve responsible for hearing that are also known as vestibular schwannomas), meningiomas (usually nonmalignant tumors in the membranes that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord ), parotid gland tumors (tumors in the salivary glands ), skin cancer, and thyroid gland tumors.

Four large epidemiologic studies have examined the possible association between cell phone use and cancer: Interphone, a case–control study, and three cohort studies, the Danish Study, the Million Women Study, and the Cohort Study on Mobile Phones and Health (COSMOS). The findings of these studies are mixed, but overall, they do not show an association between cell phone use and cancer ( 9 – 23 ).

Interphone Case–Control Study

How the study was done: This is the largest case–control study of cell phone use and the risk of head and neck tumors. It was conducted by a consortium of researchers from 13 countries. The data came from questionnaires that were completed by study participants in Europe, Israel, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

What the study showed: Most published analyses from this study have shown no increases overall in brain or other central nervous system cancers (glioma and meningioma) related to higher amounts of cell phone use. One analysis showed a statistically significant , although small, increase in the risk of glioma among study participants who spent the most total time on cell phone calls. However, for a variety of reasons the researchers considered this finding inconclusive ( 11 – 13 ).

An analysis of data from all 13 countries reported a statistically significant association between intracranial distribution of tumors within the brain and self-reported location of the phone ( 14 ). However, the authors of this study noted that it is not possible to draw firm conclusions about cause and effect based on their findings.

An analysis of data from five Northern European countries showed an increased risk of acoustic neuroma in those who had used a cell phone for 10 or more years ( 15 ). 

In subsequent analyses of Interphone data, investigators investigated whether tumors were more likely to form in areas of the brain with the highest exposure. One analysis showed no relationship between tumor location and level of radiation ( 16 ). However, another found evidence that glioma and, to a lesser extent, meningioma were more likely to develop where exposure was highest ( 17 ).

Danish Cohort Study

How the study was done: This cohort study linked billing information from more than 358,000 cell phone subscribers with brain tumor incidence data from the Danish Cancer Registry.

What the study showed: No association was observed between cell phone use and the incidence of glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma, even among people who had been cell phone subscribers for 13 or more years ( 18 – 20 ).

Million Women Cohort Study

How the study was done: This prospective cohort study conducted in the United Kingdom used data obtained from questionnaires that were completed by study participants.

What the study showed: Self-reported cell phone use was not associated with an increased risk of glioma, meningioma, or non-central nervous system tumors. Although the original published findings reported an association with an increased risk of acoustic neuroma ( 21 ), it was not observed with additional years of follow-up of the cohort ( 22) .

Cohort Study of Mobile Phones and Health (COSMOS)

How the study was done: This large prospective cohort study conducted in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom used data on health, lifestyle, and current and past cell phone use obtained from a questionnaire completed by participants when they joined the study. That information was supplemented with cancer occurrence data obtained from linkage to national cancer registries and cell phone records obtained from mobile network operators. 

What the study showed: Among 264,574 participants with a median follow-up of just over 7 years, the cumulative amount of mobile phone call-time was not associated with the risk of developing glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma ( 23 ). No associations with cancer risk were seen in the heaviest mobile phone users or among among those with the longest history of mobile phone use (15 or more years).

Other Epidemiologic Studies

In addition to these four large studies, other, smaller epidemiologic studies have looked for associations between cell phone use and individual cancers in both adults and children. These include:

• Two NCI-sponsored case–control studies, each conducted in multiple US academic medical centers or hospitals between 1994 and 1998 that used data from questionnaires ( 24) or computer-assisted personal interviews ( 25 ). Neither study showed a relationship between cell phone use and the risk of glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma in adults.
• The CERENAT study, another case–control study conducted in multiple areas in France from 2004 to 2006 using data collected in face-to-face interviews using standardized questionnaires ( 26 ). This study found no association for either gliomas or meningiomas when comparing adults who were regular cell phone users with non-users. However, the heaviest users had significantly increased risks of both gliomas and meningiomas.
• A pooled analysis of two case–control studies conducted in Sweden that reported statistically significant trends of increasing brain cancer risk for the total amount of cell phone use and the years of use among people who began using cell phones before age 20 ( 27 ).
• Another case–control study in Sweden, part of the Interphone pooled studies, did not find an increased risk of brain cancer among long-term cell phone users between the ages of 20 and 69 ( 28 ).
• The CEFALO study, an international case–control study of children diagnosed with brain cancer between ages 7 and 19, found no relationship between their cell phone use and risk for brain cancer ( 29 ).
• The MOBI-Kids study, a large international case–control study of young people ages 10 to 24 years diagnosed with brain tumors, found no evidence of an association between wireless phone use and the risk of brain tumors ( 30 ). 
• A population-based case–control study conducted in Connecticut found no association between cell phone use and the risk of thyroid cancer ( 31 ).

What are the findings from studies of the human body?

Researchers have carried out several kinds of studies to investigate possible effects of cell phone use on the human body. In 2011, two small studies were published that examined brain glucose metabolism in people after they had used cell phones. The results were inconsistent. One study showed increased glucose metabolism in the region of the brain close to the antenna compared with tissues on the opposite side of the brain ( 32 ); the other study ( 33 ) found reduced glucose metabolism on the side of the brain where the phone was used.

The authors of these studies noted that the results were preliminary and that possible health outcomes from changes in glucose metabolism in humans were unknown. Such inconsistent findings are not uncommon in experimental studies of the physiological effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation in people ( 11 ). Some factors that can contribute to inconsistencies across such studies include assumptions used to estimate doses, failure to consider temperature effects, and investigators not being blinded to exposure status.

Another study investigated blood flow in the brain of people exposed to radiofrequency radiation from cell phones and found no evidence of an effect on blood flow in the brain ( 34 ).

What are the findings from experiments in laboratory animals?

Early studies involving laboratory animals showed no evidence that radiofrequency radiation increased cancer risk or enhanced the cancer-causing effects of known chemical carcinogens ( 35 – 38 ).

Because of inconsistent findings from epidemiologic studies in humans and the lack of clear data from previous experimental studies in animals, in 1999 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nominated radiofrequency radiation exposure associated with cell phone exposures for study in animal models by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP). NTP is an interagency program that coordinates toxicology research and testing across the US Department of Health and Human Services and is headquartered at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of NIH.

The NTP studied radiofrequency radiation (2G and 3G frequencies) in rats and mice ( 39 , 40 ). This large project was conducted in highly specialized labs. The rodents experienced whole-body exposures of 3, 6, or 9 watts per kilogram of body weight for 5 or 7 days per week for 18 hours per day in cycles of 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off. A research overview of the rodent studies , with links to the peer-review summary, is available on the NTP website. The primary outcomes observed were a small number of cancers of Schwann cells  in the heart and non-cancerous changes ( hyperplasia ) in the same tissues for male rats, but not female rats, nor in mice overall.

These experimental findings raise new questions because cancers in the heart are extremely rare in humans. Schwann cells of the heart in rodents are similar to the kind of cells in humans that give rise to acoustic neuromas (also known as vestibular schwannomas), which some studies have suggested are increased in people who reported the heaviest use of cell phones. The NTP plans to continue to study radiofrequency exposure in animal models to provide insights into the biological changes that might explain the outcomes observed in their study.

Another animal study, in which rats were exposed 7 days per week for 19 hours per day to radiofrequency radiation at 0.001, 0.03, and 0.1 watts per kilogram of body weight was reported by investigators at the Italian Ramazzini Institute ( 41 ). Among the rats with the highest exposure levels, the researchers noted an increase in heart schwannomas in male rats and nonmalignant Schwann cell growth in the heart in male and female rats. However, key details necessary for interpretation of the results were missing: exposure methods, other standard operating procedures, and nutritional/feeding aspects. The gaps in the report from the study raise questions that have not been resolved.

ICNIRP (an independent nonprofit organization that provides scientific advice and guidance on the health and environmental effects of nonionizing radiation) critically evaluated both studies. It concluded that both followed good laboratory practice, including using more animals than earlier research and exposing the animals to radiofrequency radiation throughout their lifetimes. However, it also identified what it considered major weaknesses in how the studies were conducted and statistically analyzed and concluded that these limitations prevent drawing conclusions about the ability of radiofrequency exposures to cause cancer ( 42 ).

Why are the findings from different studies of cell phone use and cancer risk inconsistent?

A few studies have shown some evidence of statistical association of cell phone use and brain tumor risks in humans, but most studies have found no association. Reasons for these discrepancies include the following:

• Recall bias , which can occur when data about prior habits and exposures are collected from study participants using questionnaires administered after diagnosis of a disease in some of the participants. Study participants who have brain tumors, for example, may remember their cell phone use differently from individuals without brain tumors.
• Inaccurate reporting , which can happen when people say that something has happened more often or less often than it actually did. For example, people may not remember how much they used cell phones in a given time period.
• Morbidity and mortality among study participants who have brain cancer. Gliomas are particularly difficult to study because of their high death rate and the short survival of people who develop these tumors. Patients who survive initial treatment are often impaired, which may affect their responses to questions.
• Participation bias , which can happen when people who are diagnosed with brain tumors are more likely than healthy people (known as controls) to enroll in a research study.
• Changing technology. Older studies evaluated radiofrequency radiation exposure from analog cell phones. Today, cell phones use digital technology, which operates at a different frequency and a lower power level than analog phones, and cellular technology continues to change ( 43 ). 
• Exposure assessment limitations. Different studies measure exposure differently, which makes it difficult to compare the results of different studies ( 44 ). Investigations of sources and levels of exposure, particularly in children, are ongoing ( 45 ).
• Insufficient follow-up of highly exposed populations. It may take a very long time to develop symptoms after exposure to radiofrequency radiation, and current studies may not yet have followed participants long enough.
• Inadequate statistical power and methods to detect very small risks or risks that affect small subgroups of people specifically 
• Chance as an explanation of apparent effects may not have been considered.

What are other possible health effects from cell phone use?

The most consistent health risk associated with cell phone use is distracted driving and vehicle accidents ( 46 , 47 ). Several other potential health effects have been reported with cell phone use. Neurologic effects are of particular concern in young persons. However, studies of memory, learning, and cognitive function have generally produced inconsistent results ( 48 – 51 ).

What have expert organizations said about the cancer risk from cell phone use?

In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) , a component of the World Health Organization, appointed an expert working group to review all available evidence on the use of cell phones. The working group classified cell phone use as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” based on limited evidence from human studies, limited evidence from studies of radiofrequency radiation and cancer in rodents, and inconsistent evidence from mechanistic studies ( 11 ).

The working group indicated that, although the human studies were susceptible to bias, the findings could not be dismissed as reflecting bias alone, and that a causal interpretation could not be excluded. The working group noted that any interpretation of the evidence should also consider that the observed associations could reflect chance, bias, or confounding variables rather than an underlying causal effect. In addition, the working group stated that the investigation of brain cancer risk associated with cell phone use poses complex research challenges.

The American Cancer Society’s cell phones page states “It is not clear at this time that RF (radiofrequency) waves from cell phones cause dangerous health effects in people, but studies now being done should give a clearer picture of the possible health effects in the future.” 

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) states that the weight of the current scientific evidence has not conclusively linked cell phone use with any adverse health problems, but more research is needed.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that studies reporting biological changes associated with radiofrequency radiation have failed to be replicated and that the majority of human epidemiologic studies have failed to show a relationship between exposure to radiofrequency radiation from cell phones and health problems. FDA, which originally nominated this exposure for review by the NTP in 1999, issued a statement on the draft NTP reports released in February 2018, saying “based on this current information, we believe the current safety limits for cell phones are acceptable for protecting the public health.” FDA and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) share responsibility for regulating cell phone technologies.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that no scientific evidence definitively answers whether cell phone use causes cancer.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concludes that currently no scientific evidence establishes a definite link between wireless device use and cancer or other illnesses.

In 2015, the European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks concluded that, overall, the epidemiologic studies on cell phone radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation exposure do not show an increased risk of brain tumors or of other cancers of the head and neck region ( 9 ). The committee also stated that epidemiologic studies do not indicate increased risk for other malignant diseases, including childhood cancer ( 9 ).

Has radiofrequency radiation from cell phone use been associated with cancer risk in children?

There are theoretical considerations as to why the potential health effects of cell phone use should be investigated separately in children. Their nervous systems are still developing and, therefore, more vulnerable to factors that may cause cancer. Their heads are smaller than those of adults and consequently have a greater proportional exposure to radiation emitted by cell phones. And, children have the potential of accumulating more years of cell phone exposure than adults.

Thus far, the data from studies of children with cancer do not suggest that children are at increased risk of developing cancer from cell phone use. The first published analysis came from a large case–control study called CEFALO, which was conducted in Europe. The study included 352 children who were diagnosed with brain tumors between 2004 and 2008 at the ages of 7 to 19 years. They were matched by age, sex, and geographical region with 646 young people randomly selected from population registries. Researchers did not find an association between cell phone use and brain tumor risk by amount of use or by the location of the tumor ( 29 ).

The largest case–control study among children, a 14-country study known as MOBI-Kids, included 899 young people ages 10 to 24 years who were diagnosed with brain tumors between 2010 and 2015. They were matched by sex, age, and region with 1,910 young people who were undergoing surgery for appendicitis. Researchers found no evidence of an association between wireless phone use and brain tumors in young people ( 30 ).

Which US federal agencies have a role in evaluating the effects of or regulating cell phones?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Cancer Institute (NCI), conducts research on cell phone use and the risks of cancer and other diseases.

FDA and FCC share regulatory responsibilities for cell phones. FDA is responsible for testing and evaluating electronic product radiation and providing information for the public about the radiofrequency energy emitted by cell phones. FCC sets limits on the emissions of radiofrequency energy by cell phones and similar wireless products.

Where can I find more information about radiofrequency radiation from my cell phone?

The dose of the energy that people absorb from any source of radiation is estimated using a measure called the specific absorption rate (SAR), which is expressed in watts per kilogram of body weight ( 52 ). The SAR decreases very quickly as the distance to the exposure source increases. For cell phone users who hold their phones next to their head during voice calls, the highest exposure is to the brain, acoustic nerve, salivary gland, and thyroid.

The FCC provides information about the SAR of cell phones produced and marketed within the previous 1 to 2 years. Consumers can access this information using the phone’s FCC ID number, which is usually located on the case of the phone, and the FCC’s ID search form . SARs for older phones can be found by checking the phone settings or by contacting the manufacturer.

What can cell phone users do to reduce their exposure to radiofrequency radiation?

FDA has suggested some steps that concerned cell phone users can take to reduce their exposure to radiofrequency radiation :

• Reduce the amount of time spent using your cell phone.
• Use speaker mode, head phones, or ear buds to place more distance between your head and the cell phone.
• Avoid making calls when the signal is weak as this causes cell phones to boost RF transmission power.
• Consider texting rather than talking, but don’t text while you are driving. 

Use of wired or wireless headsets reduces the amount of radiofrequency radiation exposure to the head because the phone is not placed against the head ( 53 ). Exposures decline dramatically when cell phones are used hands-free. For example, wireless (Bluetooth) devices (such as headphones and earbuds) use short-range signals that typically transmit radiofrequency waves at power levels 10–400 times lower than cell phones ( 54 ).

Essay on Effects Of Mobile Phones On Students

Students are often asked to write an essay on Effects Of Mobile Phones On Students in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Effects Of Mobile Phones On Students

Introduction.

Mobile phones, once a luxury, have now become a necessity for everyone, including students. While they offer several benefits, they also pose significant challenges. Let’s explore their effects on students.

Learning Tool

Mobile phones can be great learning tools. They provide access to a vast amount of information on the internet. Students can use educational apps, watch educational videos, and even take online courses. This makes learning more interactive and fun.

Communication

Mobile phones make communication easier. Students can connect with their teachers, classmates, and parents anytime, anywhere. This helps in sharing information, discussing projects, and seeking help when needed.

Distraction

On the flip side, mobile phones can be a major source of distraction. Students might spend excessive time on social media, games, and entertainment apps, leading to reduced study time and lower academic performance.

Health Issues

Excessive use of mobile phones can lead to health issues. Staring at the screen for long hours can cause eye strain. Also, it can lead to poor posture and sleep disorders, impacting a student’s overall health.

In conclusion, mobile phones have both positive and negative impacts on students. They can enhance learning and communication but can also lead to distraction and health issues. It’s important for students to use them wisely.

250 Words Essay on Effects Of Mobile Phones On Students

Mobile phones are a big part of our lives today. Most students use them for different things like playing games, chatting with friends, or studying. They can be helpful but also have some bad effects on students.

Positive Effects

Mobile phones can be really useful for students. They can use them to find information on the internet, use educational apps, and even take notes in class. This makes learning easier and more fun. Also, students can stay in touch with their friends and family, which is good for their social life.

Negative Effects

Even though mobile phones can be helpful, they can also cause problems. Students can get addicted to games or social media, which can make them spend less time on their studies. This can lead to poor grades. Also, spending too much time on the phone can lead to health problems like eye strain or poor sleep.

In conclusion, mobile phones have both good and bad effects on students. They can help with learning and staying connected, but can also lead to addiction and health problems. It’s important for students to use their phones wisely. They should try to balance their time between using their phone and doing other important things like studying and spending time with family.

500 Words Essay on Effects Of Mobile Phones On Students

Mobile phones have become an important part of our lives. They are used by people of all ages, including students. Mobile phones have both positive and negative effects on students. This essay will discuss these effects.

One positive effect of mobile phones on students is that they can be used as learning tools. There are many educational apps and websites that students can access on their phones. These can help them understand difficult subjects, practice skills, and learn new things. For example, language learning apps can help students practice a new language. Also, there are apps for math, science, history, and many other subjects. These resources make learning more interesting and fun for students.

Mobile phones also make it easy for students to communicate with their friends, family, and teachers. They can send messages, make calls, and even have video chats. This can be very helpful, especially when students need help with their homework or projects. They can easily reach out to their classmates or teachers for assistance.

Organization

Mobile phones can also help students stay organized. They can use their phones to set reminders for assignments, tests, and other important dates. They can also use them to take notes and keep track of their tasks. This can help students manage their time better and stay on top of their schoolwork.

On the other hand, mobile phones can also have negative effects on students. One of these is distraction. Many students spend a lot of time on their phones, playing games, chatting with friends, or browsing social media. This can take away time from their studies and can lead to poor academic performance.

Another negative effect of mobile phones is health issues. Spending too much time on a phone can lead to problems like eye strain, poor posture, and even sleep disorders. These can affect a student’s health and well-being.

In conclusion, mobile phones have both positive and negative effects on students. They can be great tools for learning, communication, and organization. But they can also cause distraction and health issues. It’s important for students to use their phones wisely and in a balanced way. This will help them get the most benefits from their phones while avoiding the negative effects.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Opinion: Influences of mobile phones on people’s lives

Nowadays, mobile phones are seen in people’s daily lives. As people live in the technological world, the devices have become a necessity in every human being. Just like the surroundings around people, such as friends, mobile devices have both positive and negative effects in people’s lives.

Have you ever taken the time to think of those effects? Throughout this article, a detailed analysis of cell phone usage will be presented, and this will be achieved by conveying both the positive and negative lights of it.

There are various ways mobile phones can impact people: from entertainment to emergencies. People cannot live without one action: enjoyment. Thanks to mobile devices, people are entertained from morning to night with posts on social media, communication from texting, and records on games. Furthermore, mobile phones are the best way to communicate anywhere and at anytime. For instance, people can easily keep in touch with loved ones and long-distance relatives and friends.

The entertaining aspect of mobile phones is not quality distant from our community.

“I entertain myself by reading on my phone, watching movies and TV shows, playing games, listening to music, and communicating with others,” Ami Min, a senior at Central High School said.

Not only are entertainment opportunities appealing to mobile phones but also another aspect that captivates many people’s attention is saving lives. Imagine you find yourself in an emergency situation where you need to reach the police department as quickly as possible. What will be the first item you take out? Using mobile phones is the most preferable option in situations because you can immediately dial 911 to call for help.

After reading these beneficial effects of mobile phones, you may seem very thankful to have them in your life, but be ready to face the non-beneficial effects of what your portable device is doing to you. Mobile phones have various disadvantages on people’s lives, from distractions to health issues.

There are countless number of accidents caused by the usage of mobile phones. The temptation to pick up even a trivial call or text when driving can be fatal. According to the DMV in 2015, cell phone usage brought to 3,477 total deaths, 3,196 fatal car wrecks, and 391,000 injuries in the year alone.

In addition, mobile phones create a huge impact on teenagers. As teenagers become addicted to their cell phones for talking, messaging, and playing games, they forget the real usage of the device and waste their time through useless interactions over their mobile device.

The pejorative effects are intimate and have spread into our everyday lives, affecting a great number of our community.

“The notifications and social applications on my phone prevent me from finishing my homework. Sometimes I am on my phone for a couple of hours without noticing the time flying by,” Maya Preciado, a freshman at Golden Valley High School said.

Moreover, the frequent use of a mobile phone can damage one’s eyesight, increase stress level, cause headaches or brain tumors, and cause certain types of cancer. The negative impacts do not end here; additionally, mobile phone usage can distract people from driving and working.

As society and technology develop, cell phones become more and more important in people’s daily lives. The more important cell phones become, the more prominent their setbacks appear to the ordinary person. It may be true that mobile phones have conquered a part of our life that renders it to be unproductive and inefficient in terms of time management and personal health regulation issues.

However, we should not be discouraged by this temporary drawback. Certainly, cell phones can be integrated into our daily lives as an important and helpful tool rather than a weapon used against us. All in all, in order to achieve this, an individual effort is essential with proper time regulation being the most salient example.

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Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East Qualitative Research

Research design, study participants, data collected, sampling procedures, validity and reliability of the data collection tools.

The research design for this research study will be the mixed-method research approach (qualitative and quantitative research). According to Mertler & Charles, 2011, qualitative research relies on narrative data while quantitative research relies on numerical data.

The survey research design will generate case-specific data that is necessary to investigate the research objective of this research as outlined above. Survey research designs involve data collection from a specified sample size in order to arrive at an accurate assessment of the whole population regarding specific variables that the study intends to find out.

As such survey research study are most suitable in studies that involve investigation of opinions, behaviors, attitudes, perceptions, culture orientation and so on which is similar to what we shall be investigating in this research study.

Survey research study is especially suited to this type of study since it is possible to customize the research study to focus on key areas of interest. In this case I will use a questionnaire that would be used to collect data of key variables for the research study such as how often students engage with their phone, percentage of students with cell phones and amount of units used on cell phones per student and so on.

The idea is to capture all relevant data needed for investigating the research questions for this research study. This information will be analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively and a final report written.

The study will be conducted in Al Ittihad Model School targeting all the male students in the school. A stratified random sampling will be used to divide the classes into strata from which a simple random sample of 20 students will then be selected from each class following the respective classes’ register which contains all the population of the study.

Thus, because this research study is based on males using cell phones at Al Ittihad Model School the study participants/population are therefore male students at this school. The sample size which is the actual group that will be investigated will be obtained from this study population mentioned above.

Both primary and secondary data will be used in the study whereby primary data will be obtained through questionnaires administered to the students and observations where applicable. The questionnaires will have both open ended and closed questions.

On the other hand, secondary information will be obtained from reports, the internet, journals and magazines. From the data collected, qualitative and quantitative data will be extracted, analyzed and interpreted to answer the research questions of the study as outlined previously.

Questionnaires will be used to collect the primary data since the study concerns some variables that cannot be directly observed such as opinions, perceptions and feelings of respondents. Such implicit feelings will only be collected through writing, and questionnaire will be the best tool to collect detailed information. The questionnaire will contain both structured and semi-structured questions.

This will allow the respondents to give their own views. The questionnaire will be in two parts. The first part will seek information on the background of the respondents and the next part will obtain specific information on use of cell phones by the respondents under study.

The quantitative data will finally be analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data will be done using frequencies and inferential statistics at 5% (0.05) level of significance and presented using tables, pie charts and graphs.

The study will be conducted at Al Ittihad Model School targeting all the male students in the school. A stratified random sampling will be used to divide the classes into strata from which a simple random sample of 20 students will then be selected from each class following the respective classes’ register.

Since we have already determined our population of interest to be male students enrolled in Al Ittihad Model School all that we now need to do is come up with a method that objectively selects required cases from this population.

The type of sampling method that is used must be based on a scientific theory backed with a rationale of choosing that particular method which should be relevant to the type of research study. Therefore for this research study I will use simple random sampling because it is a technique that ensures there is no bias in selecting cases from the population. At the end of this process I intend to have finished selecting the students that I will base this research on who will have been randomly selected from a population of all the students being studied.

Simple random sampling is a sampling technique that relies on a simple probability method of choosing desired sample size by random selection (Salant and Dillman, 1994). Ideally, simple random sampling involves assigning all cases of the population with numbers; once this is done the required study cases are then determined.

The study population will be the sample size which is randomly picked by selecting cases from a list of numbers that were assigned to the population and then matching these selected numbers to specific cases that would make up the sample population (Newman, 1994). For instance, in order to select 100 cases from a population of let’s say 2000 male students enrolled at school Y will require assigning numerical numbers to all the cases as the first step.

The second step is randomly selecting 100 numbers from the total list of 2000 numbers which represent the whole population, probably by blindly picking tags with numbers from a basket. The last step is matching the chosen 200 numbers with the population cases which will now be our sample size.

Content validity will be based on the adequacy with which the items in an instrument will measure the attributes of the study whereas reliability is the extent to which any measuring procedure yields the same results on experiments done several times (Nye and Null, 2001).

Questionnaires were administered for pilot study to assess the reliability of the data collecting instrument, however data collected was not part of the study but only to assess the validity of the instrument. Apart from pre-test, questionnaires will be submitted to the supervisor for approval before being administered.

To ensure there is no misinterpretation, unclear concepts and expressions used will be avoided and structure and sequencing of the questions in the questionnaires will be addressed. Since some of the study respondents are students using cell phone which is against rules of school, the researcher will therefore assure the respondents of confidentiality through anonymity in answering the questionnaires.

Because this research study involves use of questionnaires I intend to guarantee the privacy of respondent and their feedback in accordance with the international standards of research studies. The researcher will also acknowledge the fact that participation in research will be voluntary to those who will be willing to participate in the study.

This research study will conform with relevant laws that governs all form of research studies in UAE at both local and international levels. I intend to apply for permits and inform relevant authorities on my plan to undertake this research beforehand so as to obtain their consent well on time.

Mertler, C.A. & Charles, C.M. (2011). Introduction to Educational Research 7 th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Newman, L. (1994). Social Research Methods . Boston; Allys & Bacons.

Nye, H. & Null, H. (2001). SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences . Boston; Brown & Company.

Salant, P. & Dillman, A. (1994). How to conduct your own Survey . California; John Wiley & Sons.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, December 30). Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cause-and-effect-of-cell-phone-usage-among-high-school-students-from-u-s-and-middle-east/

"Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East." IvyPanda , 30 Dec. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/cause-and-effect-of-cell-phone-usage-among-high-school-students-from-u-s-and-middle-east/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East'. 30 December.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East." December 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cause-and-effect-of-cell-phone-usage-among-high-school-students-from-u-s-and-middle-east/.

1. IvyPanda . "Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East." December 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cause-and-effect-of-cell-phone-usage-among-high-school-students-from-u-s-and-middle-east/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East." December 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cause-and-effect-of-cell-phone-usage-among-high-school-students-from-u-s-and-middle-east/.

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• Causes and effects of using mobile phones

Causes and effects of using mobile phones - Essay Example

• Subject: Technology
• Type: Essay
• Level: Masters
• Pages: 1 (250 words)
• Downloads: 16
• Author: bergearmando

Extract of sample "Causes and effects of using mobile phones"

Causes and effects of using too much of mobile phones With the advent of technology and the endeavor to bring out the best in technology is becominga threat for the individuals. Without giving the slightest hint it has some adverse effects as well as some uses too. The mobile phones or smart phones are the product of this technology that has paved its way in to the lives of every individual. Not only adults but many youngsters own this device and cherish the moments without realizing that they are wasting most of their time.

No doubt this device has many uses. It helps to keep track of your work. In the business world it is considered impossible to work without cell phones, it helps to determine the location of your dear ones and many more. But still it carries many negative effects that can endanger the lives of individuals.It decreases the social interaction and people find it awkward to initiate any discussion because they are too busy with their cell phones. It has completely taken away the ability of humans to talk face to face.

University of Essex in U.K conducted this research in which 37 pairs of strangers were seated in the secluded area and were asked to talk about recent events. Half of them were given mobiles while the other half were without it. The results showed that who had mobiles exhibited negative vibes while the result was vice versa with those who did not have themobiles (Borreli). So this shows that the absence of mobiles can improve the social behavior of people.It increases the stress level. A lot of people will oppose this statement but this is true.

The vibration, ringtone, reminders and alarms work to increase the stress level. The anticipation makes it a lot worse and results in the increase in stress level. It affects digestive system, can lead to depression, heart disease, weight problems and sleep disturbance. In this state the body fails to function properly. It also affects your vision. The continuous use of mobile and the screen can damage the vision. It can cause severe headache that can lead to the long-sightedness or short-sightedness.

So it can be seen that mobiles have more negative effects than positive. An excessive use of this device can lead to the number of problems. So make the minimal use of this device in order to prevent yourself from danger. Any sort of impairment can lead to lifetime regret. The users must realize the importance of the world that exists outside the phones. So use them when you are in dire need otherwise rely on the sources that existed before this invention. ReferenceBorreli, Lizette. "5 Reasons Why Cellphones Are Bad For Your Health.

"Medical Daily. 12 July 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

• if there were no mobile phones
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