Thirty years ago no one would have considered safety issues when talking on the phone. As long as you didnt get wrapped up in the cord there wasnt really an issue. The most that was recommended then was to have a phone line available for emergency calls or, when in town, have a dime in your pocket! With cellular service things have changed. Now phone safety is a popular topic of discussion on the evening news or even in social circles. The issues have to do with the cellular service itself or with how people use their phones.

While cellular service providers dont like to promote the idea of dangers being associated with their products, if you look closely enough youll see that even they are concerned. This isnt to say cell phones are dangerous, but read the fine print for those just in case scenarios.

With the waves coming in and out of your cell phone there is a lot of talk about it being unsafe for the brain. Even the instructions subtly advise you to exercise caution when talking for too long. Good tips offered are to always extend the antenna, when available, and point the receiving and transmitting end of the phone away from your body whenever possible. Further, holding it up to your head for too long is never a good thing; how much time is too long is open for debate.

Minor safety issues are more arthritic in nature. Though damage to the fingers is more associated with types of PDAs these days, too much typing on any cellular service device can be harmful. Using the hands free features more often and refraining from constant text messaging is always a safe idea. If the hands free dialing just isnt doing it for you, then some recommend the simple fix of sharing the button pushing between fingers.

The biggest safety concerns with cellular service use, of course, are mostly associated with driving. While cities and states across the country are toying with, or already have in place, laws to restrict the use of cellular service for drivers, the technology has advanced to the point where people should no longer be having problems. For very little money and effort people can get devices to make their cell phones virtually non-distractive when behind the wheel.

Cellular service providers consistently recommend bluetooth headseats to people who will be driving while on the phone. This frees up both hands and keeps obstructions away from the eyes. Peripheral vision is incredibly important in the car and a hand and a cell phone can get in the way of many obstacles. While these devices were once thought to be uncomfortable by a lot of users, they have improved significantly. Current hands free accessories are small, wireless and attach to the person in several different wayseven through sunglasses!

So its a new era of phone use. Talk smart and talk careful.