What are the advantages and disadvantages of modern gadgets?

A gadget is a device or appliance having a unique purpose and

function. At the time of invention, a gadget is often way
ahead of its peers in terms of novelty and uniqueness. This
is what makes them, so desirable and 'cool'!
The top ten gadgets that changed the world are debatable.
Nevertheless, popular choices would be the television, telephone,
camera, movie camera, microwave oven, video cassette player
and recorder, video gaming consoles, Sony's Walkman, IBM's
personal computer or PC and the first cell phone released in 1996,
by Motorola. The latest gadgets include superior versions of DVDs,
smart phones, camcorders, laptops, iPods, iPhones, the
Blackberry, PCs, computer notebooks, pedometers etc.

That modern gadgets have changed the world, is a gross

understatement. No one wants to go back to the days of no
television, no washing machines and certainly, no cell phone. Hi-
tech gadgets are proliferating by the dozen, as companies vie with
each other to catch the eyes of gadget freaks or just time-pinched
consumers.

Yet, rising from the din of MP3 players, DVD film premiers and pod
casts is an ever increasing evidence, braced by scientific work, of
the ill-health effects of modern gadgets.

The study done by Carnegie Mellon University found that spending

one hour a week on the Net led to an average increase of 1
percent on depression scale, a loss of 2.7 members of the Net
users social circle and increase of 0.4% on the loneliness scale.

Intel Apple computer along with Hawlett Packard has kick-started

US 1.5 million US dollar- study on the effects of Internet on
society. According to a spokesperson of the companies, 'People
who use the Net lose more of their friends, are lonelier and more
inclined to depression than non-Net users. Greater use of the Net
is associated with a decline in size of the social circle, social
contact and family communication'.

A brief outline of how these gadgets and their hazards to

health are described below:

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs)

Almost all modern gadgets produce electromagnetic fields or

EMFs, be they powered by electric, electronic or battery sources.
 Method

According to scientists, EMR (electromagnetic radiation) from

EMFs, can be disruptive to the human body's own natural energy
fields. Like x-rays, these waves are not blocked or weakened by
objects in their way. They pass into our bodies upsetting normal
cellular function and biological processes. EMR can cause
headaches, tiredness and even immune system disorders.
Scientists believe that appliances such as electric hair dryers,
shavers and bedside digital alarms are more dangerous due to
their proximity to the human head.

According to the World Health Organization, 'electronic smog',

created by electricity is 'one of the most common and fastest
growing environmental influences'. New evidence has linked
'electropollution' with a rise in cancer, birth defects, fibromyalgia,
Alzheimer's disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, depression,
learning disabilities and even Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Some persons like Kathleen Lucas, of Glasgow are so sensitive to

electromagnetic fields that they are actually incapacitated by
modern gadgets.
Lucas, 55, could not go anywhere near a microwave oven, cell phone,
iPod, etc., without getting sick. Confined to her home for decades
as a result of this, an EMF-shielding costume sold by an innovative
company, Hitek, finally came to her rescue. The suit contained a
silver thread, which helped conduct electricity away. For Lucas it
was a lifeline from years of suffering with brain fog, digestive
problems and extreme fatigue.
According to scientist and EMF expert, the late Dr. George Yao, the
typical American is hit by electromagnetic radiation up to 200
million times more intense than what his ancestors absorbed from
the sun, stars, and other natural sources.

Cell Phones- Can 'Fry Your Brains'

For those who believe in the perils of the mobile phone, the fact
that graver side-effects like cancer take years to show up after
exposure to cell phone radiation, is solely responsible for the free
run of these gadgets.

A recent study by Finnish scientists found a 40 percent increase in

the risks of brain tumor for those who use these phones for more
than 10 years. The brain tumor was most likely to be located on
the side of the head where the phone was held. In addition, a
Swedish study has found that brain cells could be destroyed by
mobile phone radiation, which means that the present generation
of teenagers run the risk of going senile before their middle-age!
In India and the US, clinical trials have raised the possibility that
men who use mobile phones very frequently have reduced sperm
counts.

Obviously there is also some media hype on some of these issues.

However there is no question about the ill-effects of EMF and
especially the radiation released by cell phones and their effects
on the brain of children. The scientists are to some extent
underplaying its ill-effects. At present most scientists are
agreeable that children under eight should not be permitted to use
mobile phones; a warning sidestepped by most lawmakers.

Stress at home, at work

Hi-tech gadgets created to supposedly reduce stress, often result

in the opposite. Jarring ring tones, high-decibel tunes on iPods
and headsets, as well as blaring music from the television's pricey
sound systems account for noise pollution, which in turn cause
headaches and hearing loss.

Like the ear, the eye too gets hit badly by modern gadgets. Hours
of computer work or computer play such as games have created a
boom time for optometrists and eye ware stores.

Slouching in front of the television or any screen for that matter,

coupled with the continuous use of computer keyboards or phone
keys for text messaging has brought about its own share
of orthopedic problems.

All these problems result in bodies beginning to function less and

less efficiently, in the process causing more stress.

Meanwhile, manufacturers are trying to create ergonomically

better-designed gadgets which cause less health problems and
which can accomplish more functions in a lesser time. Sadly, this
ultimately backfires in the form of more workload per worker.
More work translates into more sedentary lifestyle, less recreation
and exercise and ultimately, more stress.

Safety Hazards

Modern gadgets come with many risks. As most are electrical or

electronic, there are chances of electricity leaking causing minor
shocks, burns and even electrocution. Faulty appliances can even
set off electric fires. Toddlers with their inane curiosity are
especially vulnerable to electric hazards.

Battery-operated devices such as mobiles phones can also be

dangerous. A battery can overheat or explode resulting in third-
degree burns or even start a fire. Nokia has recalled 46 million of
the BL-5C batteries manufactured between December 2005 and
November 2006 by the Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd for
this very reason. They recorded approximately 100 incidents of
over heating globally but reported no serious injuries or property
damage.

(For a list of phones with such recalls go to medindia blogs)

Modern gadgets can also compromise road safety. Hi-tech gadgets

or gizmos like iPods, iPhones and cell phones etc come with
multimedia facilities. This means that users can jive to their
favorite tunes, watch movies or even browse the Internet all while
answering a call or even, driving. Unfortunately the human body
may not always be that efficient. This multitasking can translate
into car accidents or even distracted pedestrians walking right
into oncoming traffic.

Social Repercussions

Gadgets like the Internet-enabled PC, satellite TV and mobile

phone have created a unified international audience. Though the
benefits are many, technology has grabbed its pound of flesh too.

For one, it is now easier for anti-social elements and crime to

spread its tentacles. Anti-social lyrics in popular songs, which spill
out of ear phones and headsets, can subtly bring about a rise in
racial differences and hate-crimes. The young, impressionable
mind can get influenced by the lyrics and this can lead to
alteration in their outlook and lifestyle. The hard rock and metal
music is often criticized for this very reason.

The television, Internet and gaming consoles can leave their

addicts strapped to the screens for countless hours, creating a
host of personal and social problems. One such is loss of
communication in families. In addition to the wave of
consumerism and materialism created by hi-tech gadgets, the
obsessive desire to possess these gadgets has boosted the
incidents of thefts and crimes.

Gadget Disposal

Hi-tech gadgets have come with the added burden of their

disposal. Modern appliances such as PCs, laptops, mobile phones,
fax machines, TVs etc., dumped into landfills are creating
mountains of electronic waste or e-waste. Every year 2.2 million
PCs, 3 million fax machines and over 6.5 million telephones, both
fixed and mobile are discarded

Most of these devices contain lead, platinum and other heavy

metals. They pollute the environment and create the increased
risk to the health of all living organism as most of the pollutants
creep into drinking water, crops and affect the food pyramid.

The search for safe and eco-friendly methods of e-waste disposal

and recycling still remain one of the major challenge of the
millennium.

Hazards to the Ecosystem

Humans are not the only victims of hi-tech gadgets, which

modernization has let loose.
One vivid example is the mysterious 'colony collapse' of
honeybees rampant now in US and continental Europe.

According to concerned scientists, clinical trials with mobile phone

handsets have proved their theory that the radiation given off by
hi-tech gadgets and cell phones disrupt the navigation systems of
the honeybees. This would prevent the inhabitants of the hive
from being able to return to it.

Now, what makes this ill effect of the modern gadget so scary is
that bees are indispensable to the pollination of crops, and hence
the production of food for human consumption. Albert Einstein
once quoted "If the bees disappear, man would have only four
years of life left'.

Lifestyle Disorders

Modern gadgets have quietly taken away the 'spring in our steps.'
For one we hardly need to step-out for any of our wants and a
modern fully equipped apartment can do away with almost any
chore mentionable.

As these gadgets lure us with more rest and less stress, we pay
for it with lifestyle disorders such as obesity, diabetes, heart
ailments, hypertension and infertility problems to name a few.

For in his attempt to create a more convenient world, man is

unwittingly paying the highest price - his health