• According to Time Magazine, 270 million Americans use cell phones every day.Cell phone image by Elzbieta Sekowska from Fotolia.com
  
  The use of mobile phones has exploded in the last two decades. Cell phones began as tools for business professionals, and they were large and difficult to carry. Today, cell phones are small and sleek, and nearly every adult has one. While cell phones offer a variety of advantages, including the ability to get information and contact emergency services from just about anywhere, there are several important disadvantages to cell phone use.
  
  

Brain Damage

• While the safety risks of cell phone use have not been conclusively established, it is known that all cell phones emit at least a small amount of radiation. The New York Times reports that some brain surgeons always use speakerphones or headsets in order to avoid putting phones to their ears.
  
  

Male Infertility

• Again, the data linking health effects and cell phone use is inconclusive according to the FDA. Nonetheless, ControlYourImpact.com reports that some studies have shown that storing a cell phone near the testes can result in a decrease in semen quality.
  
  

Talking While Driving

• There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the use of cell phones while driving, but almost everyone agrees that using a phone while driving is a distraction to some degree. Several states have established laws banning the use of cell phones while driving, while others require that drivers use handsfree devices. Opponents of these laws contend that cell phone use is no more distracting than a conversation with a passenger in the car, and that other activities like eating, reading and putting on makeup are far more distracting than cell phone use.