Comparative Rhetoric Analysis: Cellphones and Cancer Risk

Cell phones over the past years have become devices of so much importance in the day-to-day activities of human life. Despite their great importance and contribution to the society, they are believed to cause cancer to human beings. In a post by CBC News, (2016) Cellphones and cancer risk: what to keep in mind the author tries to explain the effects of radiation and how they cause cancer to humans. However, according to Hsua, et al., (2013), in the article "The incidence rate and mortality of malignant brain tumors after 10 years of intensive cell phone use in Taiwan". The article is seeking to convince the cellphone users using statistics that the cell phones have no effect in malignant brain tumor. Both of this pieces they are using different research methods on trying to convince their audiences. Hsua, et al., article is more convincing in their paper considering on the data they give in relation to how mobile phones used in the society over the past years. On the other hand, CBC News articles do not give factual information rather the article base its argument on a rat-based experiment. This experiment proved not to be reliable on the basis that it is not easy to interpret the rat experiment findings and how the results relate to human beings.

Hsua et al use statistics to show that cell phone users are not at risk of getting a brain tumor as a result of using cell phones. The article provides tables that show the number of deaths and incidences of malignant neoplasm of the brain. In order to support their argument, they show a number of cell phone users in the same years where these incidences were reported in Taiwan. To give a brief summary about the tables is that, the number of deaths and incidences do not decrease as the number of mobile phones user's increases. It is evident that the cell phones are not associated with any cause of brain cancer. This is because if they did, the cases would be much higher than before but instead, the cases remain still despite the increase of mobile phone users. On the other hand, looking at CBC News article, the whole experiment revolves around using a rat for cell phone radiation. Despite the other previous experiments showing the relationship between rats and human have been successful this can be an exception. The results of the experiment are hard to manipulate and very challenging for interpretation. An example, is when the rats exposed to radiation lived a longer life than those that were not exposed. This contradicted the expected results since the ones exposed were supposed to die earlier because of glioma brain cancer from cell phone radiation.

The authors in these two writings use different expert opinions and providing context that enhances the relevance of the content in the article. Unlike the experts in CNC News article who argue that the experiment is not effective and cannot be used in defining cancer and cell phones in humans. An outsider reviewer, a deputy director of National Institutes of Health said. I am unable to accept the conclusions of the author. He adds that I suspect that the experiment is substantially underpowered and the results which are positive were just false findings. With such remarks from an expert, this shows that the article is not reliable and the readers should not feel threatened by using cell phones. Looking at Hsua et al the information from the expert is relevant contributing in making the article information more reliable. These experts provide information from their articles that is accurate and helped in the writing.

These two writings have their target audiences mostly as the parents and youths. The author's main concern it is who uses the mobiles most frequently in their daily life. However, Hsua et al use this relationship to explain their findings. They come up with an assumption stating that Assuming that younger generations are using their cell phones more frequently there is an expectation that median age patient death should reduce if the phones caused malignant brain tumors. The CBC News only cautions the parents who have bought cell phones to their children rather than giving a detail response on why to avoid giving children cell phones.

References

CBC News, (206). Cellphones and cancer risk: what to keep in mind.

Hsua, M, Syed-Abdulb, S, Schollf, J. Lid, Y. (2013). The incidence rate and mortality of malignant brain tumors after 10 years of intensive cell phone use in Taiwan. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.