Mobile phones 'have not increased brain cancers'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8393884.stm
Joelyn Timoner blog #3

This article was in the BBC website. It was about a study by the Danish Cancer Society. They looked at 20 to 79 year olds and the rate of brain tumors. The study found that trends in cancer rates were not significant. They do mention that there should be a follow-up study, but one would think that with the progression and evolution of cell phones, studies that are trying to find out if there is a link between cell phones and brain tumors would need to constantly do follow ups. The woman in charge of the study hypothesizes that "the lack of a detectable increase in tumor rates... may suggest that the time it takes for cancer to develop from mobile phone use is longer than 10 years of exposure."

This is an example of social control in the media because there have been many claims that cell phone use increases the chance of brain tumors. The beginning of this claim could be an example of risk management. If people are paranoid enough to immediately believe what the media tells them, they will decrease the time that they use on cell phones and use land lines more often. The media has an important role in society, this role is to inform people of risks, where the risks are and how to prevent them. With increasing technology, the claims of cell phones leading to brain tumors could be perpetuated through advertisers like Quest and AT&T. Once their clientele decreases, their purpose to advertise is useless and no longer needed. This is all speculation but the media is a who-knows-whom, who-needs-whom to survive business.