Whenever a new magnetic invention is revealed on the market, consumers often have questions about whether their existing electronics will be affected by the magnetic field generated by these products. This is a natural question to ask and the effects of the magnets depend on the type of technology that interacts with magnets. However, the danger magnets pose in causing damage or loss of data to electronics is largely a misconception.

Here are your questions about magnets and electronics asked and answered:

PCs

• Are they affected by magnets? Usually no, but computers with old monitors might be. 
• Why not? PCs that are older are more susceptible to damage from magnets because of the components of their hard drives. Newer computers with LCD/LED monitors are generally not affected by magnets. Cathode-ray tube (CRTs) monitors, however, do depend on a magnetic field to bend beams. Placing a magnet on CRT monitors generates an almost kaleidoscopic effect with the screen changing colors in response to the magnet and could damage the monitors for the long-term.

Smartphones

• Are they affected by magnets? No, but the magnet might interfere with your phone's built-in compass.
• Why not: Your smartphone holds magnets and magnetic sensors to enhance the device's functionality, which includes navigating and locating your position from everywhere on the planet by detecting the Earth's magnetic field. When you have strong magnets close to your smartphone, the magnetic field from the magnets could affect your mobile's magnetometer and cause the built-in compass not to work properly.

Hard drives

• Are they affected by magnets? No.
• Why not: Typically, magnets do not impact hard drives. These devices already hold powerful magnets. However, MagnetMod – the manufacturer of magnetic flashes for cameras – recommended consumers should be careful when using magnets around computers with optical hard drives. The company said the optical hard drives contain magnets that are used to write ones and zeros on the disk platters.

Camera flashes

• Are they affected by magnets? No.
• Why not: MagnetMod states that camera flashes will not be harmed by magnets. In fact, you could even use magnets to make it easier to take out batteries from your camera's flash without doing any damage to the flash itself.

Memory cards/flash drives

• Are they affected by magnets? No, unless the magnets are extremely powerful.
• Why not: MakeUseOf said regular magnets could not destroy the data on an SD memory card. Additionally, MagnetMod also said flash drives are not impacted by magnetic forces.

Credit cards

• Are they affected by magnets? In some cases, yes, according to CreditCards.com.
• Why sometimes: Magnetic fields have the potential to erase the data on the magnetic strips of a credit card. However, this depends on the strength of the magnetic field and the magnet affecting the credit card. "Any magnetic field can erase a credit card," Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, professor of physics at University of Texas at Dallas, told CreditCards.com. "The bigger the magnetic field, the more likely that you're going to erase the data. Cell phones do have a magnetic field, but it's pretty low."

Cables

• Are they affected by magnets? Yes.
• Why yes: When an unshielded cable interacts with a magnet, this could cause interference. This interference could come in the form of data corruption or lowered performance, according to How to Geek.

Since many common electronic devices are not vulnerable to the magnetic forces given off by magnets, consumers usually have nothing to worry about when letting magnets near this technology. For magnets to actually impact these devices, they will have to very powerful like neodymium magnets – the strongest magnets in the world. Knowing this, consumers can rest easy and go ahead and store new magnetic devices near their valuable electronics.