Ooredoo Offers Advice for Safe and Healthy Mobile Use

Mobilk - As people across Oman spend more and more time connecting to the digital world through their smart devices, Ooredoo is reaching out to subscribers to share advice on safe use of their mobiles.

“Keeping us connected, entertained and more wherever we are, at any time of day, our mobiles are a major part of our lives. But to make sure this wonderful resource doesn’t become a liability, we wanted to highlight some sensible health and safety guidelines when staying connected,” explained Raed Dawood, Director of Government Relations and Corporate Affairs at Ooredoo.

“First of all we’d like to recommend some good habits when it comes to charging mobile devices. It is important to always buy an approved charger as cheaper copies can be a fire hazard. But even genuine chargers should be turned off at the socket when not in use for the same reason. It is important to note too that phones should never be charged in the bathroom, or near water, to avoid electric shocks and damage to phones. Charging phones under your pillow is also no-go. Phones have been known to catch fire in such situations, leading to serious injuries for the sleeping owner”

“Phones and devices can also harbour germs that can cause infection or skin rashes. Because of this we recommend that people wipe their phones regularly with a sanitising cloth. This applies to headsets too. And prolonged staring at your phone can cause eyestrain, dry eyes, and even dizziness. To help avoid this we urge following the 20-20-20 rule. This means looking away from your screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds, ideally at something at least 20 feet away.”

Dawood went on to suggest limiting the amount of screen time before bed and turning phones off before lights out to avoid sleep disruption, a factor that can negatively impact health.  He added that using a mobile in the car is by far the biggest risk of all to health and safety and that it is illegal to use a handheld phone while driving or using a motorbike. Pedestrians should also be aware, added Dawood, as it is easy to not look where you are going and not be aware of traffic or other obstacles while walking and fixating on their screens.  

Ooredoo’s dedication to its customers is not only about the value-packed services, offers and promotions it provides, the excellence of its customer care, its Contact Centre, app, stores, and social media but also extends to its relentless work to safeguard all members of the Ooredoo family.