PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY & HYGIENE

You love your cell phone. You use it everyday. It's probably the first, last and most touched item you come in contact with everyday. And it gets dirty. "Practice good mobile hygiene", clean your cell phone.

These handy gadgets can now do anything from allow physicians to review patient records on-the-go, to alert drivers in San Francisco of nearby parking spaces while looking for spot, in addition to the texting, surfing and calling on many of today's phones.

So it makes sense that germs build up on cell phones as we use them throughout the day. It was a few years ago when we learned that computer keyboards and mouses can be quite dirty, especially public ones, but also the ones at our home or office. Now imagine pressing something that dirty against your face several times a day. That's going on right now.

Most cell phones are used by just one person, although many aren't. Either way, can you imagine how dirty a doctor's cell phone may be after a busy shift of checking patient records while traversing the hospital?

It's important for all of us to be aware of new health risks that new products, and new behaviors can introduce, specifically, in this case, virus and bacteria accumulation on cell phones and smartphones.

New products can induce new behavior, and new behavior can introduce new risks that we should all be aware of. This tied to the ubiquitousness of cell phones and personal usage expected to rise, give greater importance to raising awareness about good mobile hygiene.

We encourage healthier use of cell phones and smartphones, and like many forecast a continued surge in wireless usage among the 3.3 billion mobile phones throughout the world.

Our message is to the tune of: go on and check your voicemails while sunbathing at the beach. Snap a picture of friends while camping with your cell phone. And by all means enjoy your phone’s mp3 player while on a crowded subway commute or at the gym.

But if you’re going to use that same phone to a send text message from dinner, or browsing the web during a lunch break, clean it first, or at least once in a while...and with more than your shirt! Can you imagine how dirty a heavy users cell phone can get after a month of use without cleaning it?

We embrace a healthy growing with personal mobile technology and aim to raise awareness that there is an issue here, it is serious, and it can be easily addressed.

Bacteria build-up on cell phones is a problem that affects every mobile user with varying degrees. If you wash your hands you should also be mindful of the germs on your cell phone that come in contact with your hands and other surfaces, then your face at spontaneous moments thoughout the day (whenever it rings).

Health experts suggest to clean your phone once in a while, and tell close ones around you to do the same. Help raise awareness by guiding them here, or bring this topic to their attention.