Long before Stephen King wrote his bestseller 'The Cell', the seemingly innocuous cell phone had already become an object of hushed and hysterical discussion.

They said cell phones could be used to remotely detonate a bomb.

They said cell phones distracted drivers from the wheel and caused mangled highway pile-ups.

They said cell phones make men sterile and their heads go bald.

They even talked about this guy whose cell phone burst into flames while in his pocket and how he ended up burning more than just his pride.

But most of all, there was one thing being said more often than others -- The thing about cell phones 'doing things to us'. About them 'turning us into something'. About them causing us 'brain cancer'.

Someone yelled 'lawsuits' and promptly dragged the executives and manufacturers to court.

The jury is still out on this one, and for good reason: Nobody knows for sure.

There's a theory that says you could be in harm's way if you live somewhere near a cell phone tower (base station) -- than if you're merely using your cell phone to converse. That may sound plausible as the strength of electromagnetic fields are stronger at the base station than within the low-energy confines of your cell phone.

Fact is everything from your television, to your microwave oven, to your alarm clock emits some sort of radiation. You're constantly moving into, out of, and through the radiation fields of all the devices that surround you.

You go for a simple x-ray or MRI, and that's some more of the stuff you can't see, but know is there.

Are all those biological hazards? Depends on what you define as a hazard and what, among all the information, you choose to believe.

But then human fears being the exploitable market that they are, there are companies that have taken this paranoia to a whole new level. They have combined the desire to look fashionable with the need to stay protected. So what do they come up with? Trendy scarves, hats and waistcoats that supposedly shield (and protect) you from cell phone radiation!

It's questionable whether or not the feeble electromagnetic radiation from your cell phone is really as harmful as it's perceived to be. But on the other hand, it doesn't hurt to be careful, does it?

If you use cell phones on a constant basis to make/receive calls, make it a point to pull yourself away from it once a while. Given the size of those PDA / smartphone screens, and the fact that they are emitters, it may as well be a good idea.

Also, try shifting, if possible, to hands-free bluetooth devices to minimize the risk of direct, extended contact with your phone's earpiece and antenna.

Lastly, try to find out if your cell phone has been measured for radiation -- and if so, what is its Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). Obviously, lower the SAR, lower the quantity of radiofrequency energy that would be absorbed by the body.

It has been reliably reported that the current generation of phones from LG, Motorola, and (especially) Samsung have the lowest radiation ratings in the United States.