Back in the day, I had a huge, bulky sliding Windows Mobile smartphone. I don't remember the make or the model, but I do remember that it could play Heroes of Might and Magic 1 and X-COM. Those games were the only reason I had that phone; otherwise it was a pain in the ass. Its giant size meant that it could not comfortably fit into a normal pocket. I was forced to wear a holster.

Back then, I thought the only negative consequence of wearing a cell phone holster was looking like a gigantic nerd. Now I know that I was wrong. A recent study published in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery (via Gizmodo) suggests that there may be a link between those goofy-ass holsters and reduced hip bone density. Holy shit!

At first I figured the damage would be done by that uncomfortable holster wearing against your hip, but no. The cellphone emits electromagnetic fields that have a deleterious effect on bone density. Your mobile could be eating away at your bones while it sits there, strapped awkwardly to your hip.

The thing to take away from this study-and from all other similar studies, is that cell phones should be kept away from your body when not in use. This is easy for ladies, since they have purses. If you're a guy who carries his laptop case with him, try sticking your phone in there. When you wear a coat, put your phone in the coat pockets in order to minimize contact with your body. Take a little extra care until the scientists get finished quibbling over whether or not these things are bad for us.