Ownership of mobile phones have risen dramatically in recent years despite the potentially harmful effects they may have on our health and on society. Governments should introduce measures to restrict ownership of mobile phones to those who need them for their work. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

In many

countries mobile phones

Suggestion

countries, mobile phones

have become a normal part of daily life for almost everyone, from professionals,

such

as doctors and lawyers, to young children. Some people,

however

, would like to see

ownership

Suggestion

an ownership

restricted because of the possible risks these phones pose to our health and the negative impact they are already having on society. But should

such

restrictions be imposed? There are some persuasive arguments in favour of restricting

ownership

.

Firstly

, radio wave emissions from mobile phones are known to affect brain activity and some scientists are worried about the effects

this

may have on the health of children who use

such

phones. It is claimed that fewer people would be exposed to these risks if restrictions were imposed.

Furthermore

, it is generally agreed that

such

measures would reduce the number of traffic accidents caused by people talking on their mobile phones. There is

also

the social impact to consider. It is now common for a concert, a theatrical performance or even a quiet meal in a restaurant to be disrupted by an inconsiderate mobile phone user. It is sometimes said that none of

this

would be the case if the government restricted

ownership

to professional use only.

On the other hand

, there are strong arguments against

such

measures.

Firstly

, it is widely believed that mobile phones are indispensable in the case of accidents, or when other difficult situations arise, and that everyone should have the right to the protection they offer.

Secondly

, it is argued that if phone companies did more to raise public awareness of the risks posed by radio wave emissions, people would only make short calls from their phones and these risks would

then

be reduced.

Finally

, it is often pointed out that there will always be a minority of inconsiderate people and that restrictions on

ownership

would unfairly penalise the majority of considerate users. To sum up, I believe that some restrictions on

ownership

to protect young people's health would probably be a good thing.

However

, adults should have the right to use mobile phones if they wish, for both personal and professional purposes.