Are tablets a fun way for kids to learn, or a dangerous health risk?
The president of Environmental Health Trust, Dr. Devra Davis, says microwave radiation from our wireless devices pose significant risks to children (City News, 2014). “The radiation from a cellphone, which is a two-way microwave radio, gets twice as deep into the head of a child as an adult. There is ten times more absorption into the bone marrow of the skull of a child,” she says. Those who start using cellphones before the age of 20 have four to eight times more brain cancer 10 years later. In addition, the World Health Organization has classified frequencies from our wireless devices as possible class-2 carcinogens—the same as lead, DDT and chloroform.
Be more aware of your use of wireless devices in the home
Most of us, whether we have families with young children or not, are constantly in close proximity to multiple wireless devices and a wireless router, and many of us never disconnect or turn these devices off—even when they are not in use. It has become habit to keep them on. But just because we cannot see harm being done, does not mean these devices are safe for continual exposure, especially for young children. Turning on airplane mode on any of your devices can help to reduce your child’s exposure if they often play with a wireless device, such as a tablet.
Doctors are concerned
Doctors are expressing concerns about the amount of radio wave frequency exposure kids get in school as well, where wifi technology now goes hand in hand with learning. But by limiting the amount of time a router runs, and using wired computers when possible, these risks can be managed. Doctors and scientists also warn about women who sleep with their cellphone or run with it tucked into their bra. Apple recommends keeping your cell phone 5 mm from your body—a warning many are not aware of, although it is included by law inside each and every phone we purchase.
References:
News Staff (2014). “Tablets could be harming kids’ health, study says”. City News. Retrieved from: http://toronto.citynews.ca/2014/09/16/tablets-could-be-harming-kids-health-study-says/
