[media-credit name=’Associated Press’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]

To those of you who are paranoid about the heightened TSA measures: calm down. It’s not 1984.

Although the much-talked about body scanners may be somewhat of an annoyance as you pass through airport security, these machines do not function solely to strip passengers of their personal liberties as some might suggest. And while Big Brother may be watching as you throw your hands up in the air while the camera undresses you, the only question that should come to mind is, “Who cares”?

To clarify, many airports now require passengers to pass through additional security by entering a device known as a “body scanner,” which is like an x-ray that can see through your clothing to detect whether or not you are stowing explosives or other weapons in your underpants.

Although passengers can opt-out in favor of a good old fashioned pat-down, the new devices sparked controversy once they were introduced, leading some to believe their individual rights are now at stake.

First of all, if you’re worried about nude pictures of yourself circulating, then maybe you should take a look at the images body scanners actually generate. Then end result is anything but sexy. Think metal Mario from Nintendo 64 meets a hostage of a bank hold-up. Even if TSA did keep a catalog of every body scan – they claim they don’t – it is unlikely that a leak of this information would be useful or even attractive to anyone.

For me, I would be much more worried about other information circulating on the internet such as your Social Security number or credit card information. In a criminal’s hands, this information can actually ruin your life. Conversely, if someone gets hold of an image of your body scan they would a) probably not be able to tell it’s you and b) soon toss it aside because there is nothing provocative about it, even for blackmail purposes.

Those who are not concerned about the virtual strip-down may still worry about the risks of exposure to radiation. To you, I say again: calm down. Reports show the machines produce .005 to .01 millirems of radiation, which is an extremely low dose when you consider the danger threshold of 10,000 millirems.

Furthermore, the report also points out that you are likely to encounter higher (but still non-lethal) doses of radiation everyday from unexpected sources such as drinking water and stone buildings. In other words, body scanners pose little to no physical threat to you as an individual.

Perhaps the most convincing argument for body scanners is that they subject all passengers equally to scrutiny rather than relying on racial profiling to investigate terrorist threats. Many of those who are vehemently opposed to body scans have probably never been singled out based on their race, ethnicity or gender.

Although TSA claims it does not practice racial profiling, many of us who have been to airports have seen it in action and know it exists. Rather than pulling people aside because they “look” like terrorists, a mandatory body scan for all ensures that no one is discriminated against based on appearance. So while you may feel some discomfort knowing your airport experience just got a little bit more intimate, consider those who can finally go through security without worrying that their dignity is at stake.

The biggest threat when it comes to body scanners has nothing to do with robbing passengers of their individual freedoms. Rather, it is economic – if the scanners fail to stop the next act of terrorism in the sky, they will prove to be a colossal waste of money.

We can only hope that does not happen. In the meantime, I plan on smiling for the camera when I leave to go abroad next semester.

Holly Hartung ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism and communication arts.