Mobile phones can get you killed but prevent cancer
By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 18 November 2009, 15:37 IST   |    1 Comments
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Mobile phones can get you killed but prevent cancer
Bangalore: People who receive text messages reminding them to use sunscreen are more likely to use it, which can prevent skin cancer, according to the research by Boffin Watch. However, worrying results from a separate study implies that this positive effect could be negated by an increased likelihood of you being hit by a car, according to The Register. Research from the University of California has stated that "People who received daily text messages reminding them to apply sunscreen were nearly twice as likely to apply it as those who did not receive such messages." It is hoped that the study into alternative health care practice could lead to adaptations of other consumer technology for healthcare use. Quoting statistics from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, the study states that around one million new cases of non-melanoma and 70,000 new cases of melanoma are reported each year. Given that the risk of developing skin cancer is directly linked to ultraviolet (UV) exposure, Dr. April Armstrong and her team wanted to develop a way of increasing sunscreen usage. Dr. April states, "Cell phones are a smart way to communicate regularly with patients, because people take them everywhere." Participants of the study were given bottles of surveillance-equipped sunscreen. While the study shows that clever phone usage may help to cut your risk of skin cancer, another study shows that it can make you more prone to road traffic accidents. Results from a virtual street crossing study - where users were placed on a treadmill and asked to cross a road in a virtual reality environment - showed that talking on a phone made pedestrians more uncertain and increased the chances of being hit by a car. Music-listeners as well as the average unencumbered pedestrian were able to navigate traffic . Users of hands-free cell phones, however, took longer to cross the same street under the same conditions and were more likely to get run over. Older cell-phone users, especially those unsteady on their feet to begin with, were even more likely to become traffic casualties.

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