Pokemon Go and mobile phone radiation

You can’t have failed to notice the phenomenon that is Pokemon Go. The massively popular mobile game has taken the globe by storm in just a few weeks.

Whether you are a fan or you keep running into groups of players crowding the pavements, the impact cannot be denied. Credited with getting people out of the house, exercising, exploring their local area and socialising more, it seems less a game and more a way of life.

There have been downsides too. Unpleasant discoveries, muggings, trespassing, accidents and an illegal border crossing are just a few of the misadventures players have got themselves into.

Aside from the minor bruising and embarrassment of walking into lampposts could there be a greater health danger for players?

Because the game involves exploring to find new Pokemon and tracking distances it needs to always be on, the app open, constantly broadcasting and receiving signals. Many players will be active for hours at a time, walking with their phones in their hands or in a pocket, waiting for a vibration to signal something is near.

We know from many studies that there is a link between mobile phone use and male infertility. As many as one in five young men may have fertility issues and these are exactly the main Pokemon Go audience.

The phone does not have to be used for calls and texts for this to be a problem. Data from games and the internet also uses the phone’s electromagnetic field. In Pokemon Go the phone is constantly transmitting and the player is constantly surrounded by mobile phone radiation.

Mobile phone radiation that has consistently been shown to damage developing sperm and contribute to male infertility.

This does not mean the party is over though. Players can still enjoy the game, as well as carry their phone in safety the rest of the time, with a WaveWall anti-radiation phone case. It blocks 85% of the radiation from a mobile phone from reaching the body, while leaving the phone working as usual. Now if only you could connect to Niantic’s servers…

Do you worry about mobile phone radiation when playing mobile games? 

Share your thoughts in the comments below!