Disadvatages of Buying new Phones

This Christmas season, everybody is busy in organizing their schedules and thoughts on what to do this Christmas. On top of each person's list is what gifts will be bought for relatives, friends or even officemates or classmates. Next on the list is what to prepare for Christmas Eve and finally, one of the most important is what to buy to reward yourself after a year of hard work and saving.

A Christmas wishlist differs depending on one's priorities. For example, if you are a parent, maybe majority of your priorities are things to buy for the house or for the kids. If you are a single and career oriented person, a new car, laptop or any gadget to help make your job easier will probably be a priority. If you are a business person or a student, one of the most common purchases this holiday season will most probably be a new mobile or cellphone.

Buying a new cellphone we assume doesn't bring harm to anyone. We actually think that we are helping telephone and network companies in their business which in turn provides jobs, opportunities and income. What we don't know is the harmful effects of owning one and changing phones regularly once, twice or maybe several times a year. I recently read an article about the disadvatages of buying new mobile phones in Haribon Foundation's Multiply site and it was a learning experience for me. To read the full article, please click on this link.

To summarize the article, here are a few facts:

1. Every second 35 mobile phones are produced globally
2. 2 years ago, 1 billion mobile phones have already been produced to meet the world's demand
3. Materials needed to produce mobile phones came from mining companies which in one way or another affect the environment or locations they mine
4. Hundreds of hectares of forest has been cleared to give way to mining activities
5. Mining has affected the drinking water, ground water habitat of wild animals
6. Poor labor conditions has affected the lives of miners and their families around the world
7. Irresponsible dumping of e-wastes has affected the lives of hundreds of families as well.

So, what can we do to help? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Try to limit yourself to one mobile phone unit. For business people, I know you need 2 or 3 units for different networks but can you at least sacrifice for the greater good?
2. Try to avoid cellphone buying frenzy. New models offer good services and better performance, but do we really use our phones more than just calling or sending a text message?
3. Try to dispose cellphone units to proper places. A lot of recycling companies are looking for old batteries and mobile units to recycle the usable components inside.
4. Avoid buying cellphones for children. Kids do not really need these gadgets. If you need to communicate with your child regularly, just buy one unit that will last long and avoid the fad.
5. Take care of your unit. When was the last time you had your mobile phone for more than a year? Try to buy protective cases/bags to protect your phones from accidents.

Can you add any more tips? I appreciate if you do.....