The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Is the Internet interfering with your family life?

Americans spend 32.7 hours a week online.

As a result, they’re spending less time with their families.

In a survey, 28 percent of Americans said they’ve been spending less time with members of their households, the Annenberg Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California reports. That's nearly triple the 11 percent who said that in 2006.

A 10-year-old girl told how her dad spends a lot of the little time he has at home on the computer, on the NPR program “Daddy, What’s a Facebook?” She described how her little brother throws tantrums to get his dad’s attention when he’s using the computer so long.
 
What’s happening in your home? Are your family relationships being affected negatively by computer use? Is the problem worse since Facebook and Twitter have become so popular?

Do you have limits on how much teens can use the computer? Do your teens have their own laptops?

Write a comment below and let me know if soaring Internet use is causing squabbles in your home.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Samsung ‘Jitterbug’ cell phones

About 160,000 Samsung "Jitterbug" cell phones are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Manufactured by Samsung Telecommunications America, of Richardson, Texas, and distributed by GreatCall d/b/a Jitterbug, of San Diego, Calif., the recalled cell phones that are in a no-service area and display an "out of range, try again later" message could fail to connect to emergency 911.

This recall involves Jitterbug cell phones model numbers SPH-a110 and SPH-a120 with standard key pads and version BB14 software.

No other Samsung wireless phones or software versions are included in this recall, the commission advised.

 

Manufactured in Korea, the cell phones were sold directly to consumers through targeted national advertisements and publications, at electronics and drug stores nationwide, and on the Web at www.jitterbug.com from March 2008 through May 2009 for about $150.

Samsung and Jitterbug are directly contacting consumers to schedule a free software upgrade. Consumers should call Samsung if they haven’t already been contacted.

For additional information, call Samsung toll-free at 866-304-4980 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT Monday through Friday and on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.samsung.com.

For more information on recent recalls, visit www.Recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide recall of the week: Certain ‘Spyder’ cell phones

About 30,000 LG 830 “Spyder” cell phones, manufactured in Korea and imported by LG Electronics MobileComm USA Inc. of San Diego, Calif., are being recalled because they can have difficulty sustaining a connection or have poor voice quality on calls to emergency 911.

The firm has received one report of a motorist in a disabled car who was able to dial 911, but the call was dropped because the network had difficulty establishing a GPS lock on the phone. No injuries have been reported.

The recall involves LG 830 “Spyder” touch-screen slider cell phones with software versions T83LGV03 and T83LGV04, which were sold for use with the following regional wireless carriers: Cellular South, Cellcom, Bluegrass Cellular, Centennial de Puerto Rico, Appalachian Wireless, Illinois Valley Cellular, Northwest Missouri Cellular, Inland Cellular, Leaco, Golden State Cellular, Thumb Cellular, Silver Star Communications, and Nex-Tech Wireless.

The cell phone model number can be found underneath the battery. The software version can be verified by going into the menu of the cell phone, selecting “Settings” then “Phone Information” then “Version.” No other LG cell phones, software versions, or wireless carriers are included in this recall.

The phones were sold at various cellular dealers in Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Washington state, and Wisconsin from September 2008 through November 2008 for about $200.

Consumers have been or are being contacted by their wireless carrier or LG Electronics MobileComm to schedule a free software upgrade. Please contact your wireless carrier if you haven’t been contacted yet.

For additional information, contact your wireless carrier or LG Electronics MobileComm at 800-793-8896 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at mobilephones.us.lge.com.

For more information on recent recalls, see www.Recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What President Obama and Congress need to do for American consumers

In my last post, I looked at what President Obama said in his Inaugural address about consumer issues and discussed the challenges he faces in corralling the country’s strong special interests.

Here’s what I think Obama, working with Congress, needs to accomplish for American consumers:

• Find a solution to the country’s massive financial problems.

• Help consumers who are facing foreclosure of their homes.

• Find effective ways to create jobs.

• Establish a health care system that works and provides coverage for all Americans.

• Curb the excesses of the pharmaceutical industry by putting a lid on their profits, investigating the harmful side effects of prescription drugs that are injuring and killing people, and fostering the use of less harmful alternative medicine techniques.

• Act quickly to halt the excessive fees and interest rates being charged by banks and credit card companies.

• Stop poor lending practices by banks and mortgage companies.

• Establish better regulation of financial services.

• Fund nonindustry-sponsored research on approaches for clean energy and implement programs based on the research.

• Reestablish the White House Special assistant for consumer affairs and/or create a federal consumer protection agency.

• Restore the budgets of federal regulatory agencies including the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

• Enhance the regulatory functions of these agencies so that our food, consumer products, and drugs are safe.

• Develop creative and effective ways for citizens to be involved in the decision-making of these agencies.

• Restore trust in the work of the federal government and its processes.

• Insist on transparency in all the work of the federal government including the regulatory agencies and White House staff.

• Ban the direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs on television, in magazines, and on the Internet.

• Ban, establish a moratorium, or least require the labeling of genetically modified food.

• Require irradiated food to be labeled.

• Work with Congress to develop regulatory processes that will prevent the excesses under the George W. Bush administration that caused the collapse of the housing market and the stock market.

• Enhance environmental protections.

• Adequately fund programs for seniors including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

• Assist local and state governments in preparing for the needs of baby boomers as they age.

• Work to eliminate poverty and homelessness.

• End the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so that money will be available for domestic programs.

• Support a congressional investigation of the crimes of the George W. Bush administration that will lead to the filing of charges against those who broke the law.

• Review recent telecommunication laws in terms of how they meet the needs of consumers.

• Figure out whether cell phones are safe to use and, if they’re found to be harmful, mandate that they be safe.

• Improve mass transportation throughout the nation.

• Work with local governments and the states to create compact, walkable communities so that Americans can walk to work and shopping areas.

I know this is a huge agenda, but American consumers are in need of drastic assistance after the gutting of consumer and environmental protections during the George W. Bush administrations.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Cancer institute director urges people to limit cell phone use to reduce cancer risks

Ronald H. Herberman, M.D., director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, sent a memo recently to students and faculty members at the university urging everyone to limit their cell phone use to avoid increasing their risk of developing cancer.

Herberman believes that a solid connection between cell phone use and cancer is years away, but he still cautions people to keep their cell phone use to a minimum to decrease the risk of future health complications, including brain cancer.

“We shouldn’t wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later,” he said in an article on Blogger News Network.

In his memo, Herberman stressed the importance of keeping cell phones away from the head and using the speakerphone or hands-free speaker when possible. Cell phones emit electromagnetic radiation, which some scientists claim can lead to cancerous brain tumors. He also stated that children should restrict their cell phone use to emergencies only, as their brains are still developing.

Devra Lee Davis, M.D., director of the university’s Center for Environmental Oncology, agreed with Herberman’s warnings.

For details on Herberman's recommendations, see the article “Do Cell Phones Cause  Cancer? University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Expert Says ‘Yes.'”

For more information on the dangers of cell phones use, see my article "Is Your Cell Phone Safe?"

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Be polite about cell phone usage

When I was in Miami on a recent vacation, two people using the library had to be told not to talk on their cell phones.

When one woman was asked to stop a conversation that had gone on for five minutes or more, she said that she had turned down the volume on her phone. However, that didn’t fix the problem, she said, because her friend had a very loud voice.

I explained to her that it more than her friend’s loud voice that was the problem. It was that her taking on her cell phone in a library was disturbing us.

When I returned home, I went to the post office to pick up my mail. I always sort it there so I don’t have so much stuff to bring home.

While I was sorting, two different women had long cell phone conversations while they waited in line to buy stamps or mail packages using a machine.

What’s happened to respecting the quiet space people want to have that’s just theirs?

Here are tips on cell phone use, “Cell Phone Etiquette: 10 Dos and Don'ts," from the Microsoft Small Business Center.

Don’ts

1. Never take a personal mobile call during a business meeting. This includes interviews and meetings with coworkers or subordinates.
2. Maintain at least a 10-foot zone from anyone while talking.
3. Never talk in elevators, libraries, museums, restaurants, cemeteries, theaters, dentist or doctor waiting rooms, places of worship, auditoriums, or other enclosed public spaces, such as hospital emergency rooms or buses. And don't have any emotional conversations in public.
4. Don't use loud and annoying ring tones that destroy concentration and eardrums.
5. Never "multi-task" by making calls while shopping, banking, waiting in line, or conducting other personal business.

Dos

1. Keep all cellular conversations brief and to the point.
2. Use an earpiece in high-traffic or noisy locations. That lets you hear the amplification, or how loud you sound at the other end, so you can modulate your voice.
3. Tell callers when you're talking on a mobile, so they can anticipate distractions or disconnections.
4. Demand "quiet zones" and "phone-free areas" at work and in public venues, like the quiet cars on the Amtrak Metroliner.
5. Inform everyone in your mobile address book that you've adopted the new rules for mobile manners. Ask them to do likewise.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Do you favor use of cell phones on airplanes?

If no safety issues exist, would you approve of the use of cell phones on airplanes?

More middle aged people supported the idea than opposed it in a 2007 survey by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

About 40 percent of those age 35 to 64 said cell phone use on airplanes definitely should or probably should be allowed. Just over 35 percent said it definitely shouldn't or probably shouldn't be allowed. About 14 percent weren't sure.

People 65-plus were less inclined to like the cell-phone-on-airplanes idea with 57 percent indicating it definitely or probably shouldn't be allowed.

More younger people, age 18-34, in the survey gave a thumbs up to the idea with 47.7 percent responding it definitely or probably should be allowed.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

More state requiring hands-free cell phone use

On July 1, 2008, drivers in Washington state, where I live, will be prohibited from using handheld mobile phones while driving. Text messaging while driving was prohibited as of Jan. 1, 2008.

Washington state will join Connecticut, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, and some local jurisdictions in the requirement.

Also on July 1, California joins in the group. In addition, the California Wireless Telephone Automobile Safety Act prohibits drivers under the age of 18 from using cellular phones while operating a motor vehicle, even if equipped with a hands-free device.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Is your cell phone safe?

For years, I’ve been concerned about cell phone safety. What are the health effects of putting a radio transmitter one-quarter inch from your brain? In the same spot? For hours at a time?
 
When I wrote about this in 2000, the cell phone industry indicated there weren’t any risks and federal regulators reported they didn’t know. They said:

• There is overwhelming evidence no link exists between cell phones and health effects. - The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association

• Further studies are needed because there isn’t enough information to assure the public that there are, or are not, any low incident health problems associated with the use of cell phones. - The Federal Communications Commission, the agency that regulates cell phones

What’s new in the great cell phone safety debate?
 
I was disappointed to read the federal Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communication Commission’s Web site called “Cell Phone Facts – Consumer Information on Wireless Phones." Federal agencies continue to dodge this important issue. The Web site states:

Do wireless phones pose a health hazard? The available scientific evidence does not show that any health problems are associated with using wireless phones. There is no proof, however, that wireless phones are absolutely safe. Wireless phones emit low levels of radio-frequency energy (RF) in the microwave range while being used. They also emit very low levels of RF when in the stand-by mode. Whereas high levels of RF can produce health effects (by heating tissue), exposure to low-level RF that does not produce heating effects causes no known adverse health effects. Many studies of low-level RF exposures have not found any biological effects. Some studies have suggested that some biological effects may occur, but such findings have not been confirmed by additional research. In some cases, other researchers have had difficulty in reproducing those studies, or in determining the reasons for inconsistent results.

CNN’s Larry King Live offered an informative program last week on “How Safe Are Cell Phones?” It was helpful to have the issues about cell phones discussed on such a prominent national program.
 
On the program, advice was given to follow the recommendations of federal agencies and your cell phone company regarding safety when using your cell phone.
 
The FDA and FCC recommend:

If there is a risk from these products – and at this point we do not know that there is – it is probably very small. But if you are concerned about avoiding even potential risks, you can take a few simple steps to minimize your exposure to radio-frequency energy (RF). Since time is a key factor in how much exposure a person receives, reducing the amount of time spent using a wireless phone will reduce RF exposure.

If you must conduct extended conversations by wireless phone every day, you could place more distance between your body and the source of the RF, since the exposure level drops off dramatically with distance. For example, you could use a headset and carry the wireless phone away from your body or use a wireless phone connected to a remote antenna.

Meanwhile, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association continues to ignore the concerns about cell phone safety.

When I checked the association's Web site today, I learned National Wireless Safety Week is June 2-6. The focus of the week is to "remind the more than 250 million wireless subscribers in the U.S. to not only act responsibly when using their wireless device, but to take responsibility and use their phones to help someone else in need.”

Today an awards dinner honored eight wireless samaritans who used wireless technology to save lives or fight crime. Industry leaders, members of Congress, FCC leadership, and key Capital Hill staff were recognized for their efforts in promoting wireless technology as a vital safety tool.

It's discouraging that the industry continues to ignore cell phone safety concerns and sponsors a National Wireless Safety Week as a public relations tool to promote wireless technology.

Here is some information for you to consider on cell phone safety:
 
“Cell Phones” – Food and Drug Administration
 
“Report Identifies Research to Bolster Knowledge of Any Potential Health Effects of Wireless Communication Devices” – National Academies

“Study: Cell Phone Users Have Lower Sperm Count” – Consumeraffairs.com

"A Phone Safe Enough For The Kids?” -- Business Week

“Hands-Free Mobiles Increase Radiation Risk” – Cell Phone Radiation News Bureau

“Dr. George Carlo’s Interview” – Electropollution

"Cell Phones: Invisible Hazards in the Wireless Age" by George Carlo, Ph.D. – Carroll and Graf Publishers

Tomorrow's post on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide will discuss More States Requiring Hands-Free Cell Phone Use.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist