Hold the Phone How Your Android or IPhone Could Be Hurting Your Health ...

Resist the temptation to check your phone before you go to sleep, or you could be waking early - or lying awake for hours wishing you could get to sleep in the first place! Experts suggest that the tendency to use tablets and other screens in your bedroom upsets your sleep patterns, because of the light they emit. Avoid using any such devices for an hour before going to bed.

Another common issue with cell phone use is eye problems. If you're constantly squinting at a small screen, it's going to cause eye strain. Try to limit your cell phone use. Wherever possible, wait until you can use a larger screen - it will be less of an effort for your eyes to focus on it.

Do you ever hold your cell phone between your shoulder and your ear so that your hands are free? That's going to cause neck strain, and could also have a knock-on effect on your shoulders and back. Be conscious of the position you're holding your head and shoulders in while you talk on your phone, and try to keep your head upright and your shoulders straight.

Think about how often we touch our phones. Your phone may look clean, but there could be some nasty bacteria lurking on it. There could be even more bacteria than in the average bathroom! Some of those are pretty nasty and could make you very ill. Keep your hands and your phone clean.

It's not yet clear whether or not cell phone use will have a long-term effect on our health - they haven't been around long enough to be studied in depth. But it's advisable to use a headset if you talk a lot on your phone, to be safe. And children shouldn't use their phone for long.

If I counted how many people I see every day walking along, more absorbed in their phones than in what's going on around them, I'd soon lose count. People really don't pay attention to where they're going. If you really need to look at something on your phone, stop - don't keep walking without looking ahead. Otherwise, you risk tripping, crashing into someone - or worse. Phones can be replaced - you can't.

Finally, consider if your cell phone is detrimental to your mental health and well-being. How often do we sit around looking at our phones rather than talking to our friends? If we allow our phones to take over our lives, rather than just being a useful tool, we risk missing out on the more important things in life.

Cell phones are fun and can be very useful, but you shouldn't let them cause any health issues. Do you love your phone, or wish they'd never been invented?