Some researchers and consumers have raised a question about if wearable computers can be considered harmful for humans if used for a long period of time.
Cellphones discharge low levels of radiation, and scientists said, in some studies, that the extended use could lead to cancer, brain tumors and other health problems. In the same time, huge corporations like Samsung or Apple are selling gadgets that are meant to be used all day long.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an organization under the World Health Organization that formed a team of 31 scientists from 14 countries, concluded in 2011 that cellphones were “possibly carcinogenic”. According to the study, smartphones and other mobile devices could be as harmful as pesticides or certain dry-cleaning chemicals.
The team stated that the closer the gadget is held to the head, the higher the risk. Making calls was discovered to be less harmful than texting.
A separate study, carried out European researchers and led by Dr. Lennart Hardell, a professor at Orebro University Hospital in Sweden, revealed that talking on a mobile phone for long periods could triple the risk of a certain type of brain cancer.
Other research, partly founded by communication companies, did not found links between an increase in the risk of brain tumors and mobile phone use.
The question that arises in present times is how harmful can a gadget like the new Apple Watch can be?
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a physician who focuses on alternative medicine, the harmful effects of such a device are minimal as long as it does not have a 3G connection.
“The radiation really comes from the 3G connection on a cellphone, so devices like the Apple Watch should be O.K.,” Dr. Mercola, according to the New York Times, who warned that a watch with a cellular chip is as harmful as a cellular phone.
The new Apple Watch uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to receive data. Until now, researchers have not proved that those frequencies have a negative effect on the human body. On the other hand, the Samsung Gear S has 3G connections, which could be more harmful.
Scientists are also concerned that the presence of powerful batteries very close to the body could be detrimental to the human body if used for extended periods of time.
Image Source: Wired
