“Technology is the devil, your phone listens to your every conversation, and the singularity is upon us!”
Okay, buddy, time to step away from the sci-fi novel… or your Twitter feed. If you’re prone to doom scrolling, you’ve probably heard a lot of smartphone myths that sound scary or confusing. We promise that the telecommunications industry is not out to get you, and your new smartphone can’t read your thoughts!
The best mobile phones out there can make your life considerably easier, not harder. If you’re worried about what you’ve been hearing in the news, this guide is for you.
Keep reading to learn more about the most common smartphone myths, and why they’re nothing to worry about.
Your Phone Cannot Cook an Egg
Members of the digital generation are getting better and better at using software to create hoax videos. You might have seen a video of an egg cooking as it sits between two cellphones. This video is not real.
While cellphones do emit a small amount of radiation, it’s not enough to cook anything. If you’re concerned, consider using a headset or your phone’s speaker function.
Nobody Is Tracking You or Listening to You
Unless you are a person of interest, nobody needs to track your phone. Law enforcement does have that capability, but it’s only to keep you safe. If there’s a murderer on the loose, don’t you want the cops to have their exact coordinates before they get to your street?
If you do need law enforcement, consider a helpful app like premier CPR.
Nobody is accessing your microphone to listen to you, either. Yes, even if an ad for cat food popped up on your social media after discussing cats with the neighbor. Your phone uses a combination of specific data inputs to choose those ads – and it’s good at it.
Your neighbor might have purchased cat food in bulk online. Your location data most likely showed that you were nearby. Thus, the algorithm guessed that you might be in the market for some fancy feast.
You Won’t Crash a Plane With Your Phone
To date, a cellphone has never been responsible for crashing an airplane. When phones were very new, transit authorities chose a cautious approach. A stray phone signal might be annoying, but it has never been deadly.
In essence, the reason we turn off our phones on planes is “better safe than sorry!”
The reason “airplane mode” exists is to prevent your phone’s signal from jumping from cell tower to cell tower. This could drain your battery and prevent you from doing much of anything on your phone.
Smartphone Myths: Debunked!
Now that you know that you won’t get irradiated or tracked by a government spy, you can relax and enjoy all types of smartphones again! Even the best smartphones are becoming safer and more secure every day. The smartphone myths you’ve internalized are only myths, so you can resume your Words With Friends habit without shame!
You can also use your smartphone to read blog posts! Check out the rest of the blog for more tech posts that can help put your mind at ease!
Amanda Byers is a graduate of Columbia, where she played volleyball and annoyed a lot of professors. Now as Zobuz’s entertainment and Lifestyle Editor, she enjoys writing about delicious BBQ, outrageous style trends and all things Buzz worthy.
