Journo123:
To cut to the chase, and to point you (hopefully) in the right direction, without swaying you one way or the other, there's a couple of things you should know:
(i) Mobile phones being allowed on aircraft isn't a contradiction of the safety regulations. That's because of the advances in 'picocell' technology which effectively allows the phone to operate in the cabin on reduced power - thereby cutting the risk of interference. I have no idea what would happen if the picocell malfunctions, however.
(ii) The truth is that the jury is still out on the level of risk to flights. While there's no record (as far as I know) of an accident attributed to passenger electronic devices, it's certainly true that mobile phones create interference - which at the very least is irritating. And studies (by the UK CAA for example) on the effects phones have on avionics have demonstrated that there is enough doubt to warrant erring on the safe side - ergo, you can't use your phone.
Perhaps the most interesting evidence I've come across is the anecdotal stuff reported to NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (you can download a whole batch of the most recent electronic device interference incidents from the website - asrs.arc.nasa.gov). Some of these reports are certainly food for thought for anyone who wonders whether there's any real reason for concern.