In many countries, people have cell phones and don’t hesitate to use them as frequently as possible. Selfies, journey reports, cooking experiments, inter-continental messages, non-stop communication… To many users, mobiles make as essential part of their daily routine as breathing, eating and sleeping. But few wonder if such trend is that good for our health? If used properly, cell phones are your best allies, but too many people abuse these devices, which eventually results in many minor and major troubles. 

1. Facing germs

According to scientific data, your most used device has 10 times more germs on it than a toilet seat. This happens because you rarely bother to clean your phone (admit it finally). And now think of all that cases when people cook, clean the house, walk a dog and (dear Lord!) use the restroom and straight jump into texting without washing their hands. Believe, it happens more often than you can imagine. Researchers say that phones can host E. coli bacteria able to cause fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. Scary, isn’t it? However, there is one way to avoid spreading germs and it’s not rocket science to figure it out: wash your hands with soap and water (at least after using the restroom) and regularly clean your phone with an antibacterial wipe.

2.  Seeking the perfect shot

The statistics of deaths caused by dumb cell phone usage is terrifying. Earlier this summer, a German tourist died after posting a photo in Machu Picchu because he went into a dangerous restricted area to make the perfect snap. He ignored safety signs and plunged over the edge of a cliff. Another tourist, Colleen Burns, was in the middle of capturing the Grand Canyon when she tripped on her own feet and fell backward into the canyon. A South Korean resident died in the Amazon rain forest after falling off the Gocta waterfall, and a Japanese tourist died while taking a selfie at the Taj Mahal after not handling gravitation.

Unfortunately, these incidents aren’t isolated, and tons of people break the law and risk their health and life to get the perfect shot. The moral of their stories is obvious: watch where you take selfies and mind that no image is worth your life.

3.  Risking to contract cancer

Scientists are yet to discover whether cell phone use causes cancer, but you shouldn’t ignore this possibility. The electronic pulses this device uses for operation may damage your body, a brain in particular, plus, cell phones emit radio waves, which also seem suspicious to users. Though the evidence of that this type of energy is harmful needs to be investigated further, try to reduce cell phone use overall, especially when it comes to children.

4. Talking and texting while driving

Though it may sound strange to you, but cell phones are responsible for 1.6 million auto crashes each year, which result in a half million injuries and 6.000 deaths. Unless you want to be 23 more times likely to crash your car, stop texting and making selfies when you’re at the wheel. Do yourself and your traffic companions a favor by going hands-free when driving. It could save your life and lives of passengers you happen to transport.

5.  Struggling with vision

Doctors, eye specialists, in particular, have been ringing the alarm for a long time warning that cell phones, tablets, computers and television cause eye strain and other vision problems. About one-third of adults reportedly use electronic devices up to six hours a day, which eventually leads to eye redness or irritation, dry eyes, blurred vision, back pain, neck pain, and headaches. So, the strategy you need to opt for to let your eyes stay sharp longer is to stop staring at a screen too closely.