WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF MOBILE PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES?

The Following Research Was Collated From Publications By The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), And Various Research Scientists, Engineers and Doctors.  A copy of  references is available on request.

 

What Are Symptoms My Child Might Display After Exposure To Electromagnetic Fields (EMF)?

Everyone is affected by EMF but symptoms vary greatly from person to person.  Symptoms include Headaches, Sore Eyes, Dark Rings Under Eyes, Vision Difficulties, Dizziness, Nausea, Fatigue, Tiredness, Withdrawals; Memory, Concentration And Learning Difficulties; Skin Problems, Rashes, Eczema; Aggression, Agitation, Restlessness, Trouble Sleeping; Behavioural Problems; Breathing Problems, Heart Palpitations.

 

Would You Allow Your Child To Be Exposed To Lead, Petrol Fumes Or The Banned Pesticide DDT?

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) classifies these and more than 250 other agents as Class 2B carcinogens.  Also on this list are Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields.  Sources include mobile phones, Wi-Fi devices, televisions and microwave ovens.  What is your school doing to protect your children’s health from fields generated by these devices?

 

Does Your Home Or School Have Wireless Internet (WI-FI)?

Research on the health effects indicates that among other effects Wireless Technologies may cause Immune Dysfunction, Increased Risk Of Brain Tumours, Childhood Cancer, Breast Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Geno Toxicity and Retarded Learning.

 

Does Your Child’s Classroom Have Fluorescent Lights?

Fluorescent lights emit high electromagnetic fields and UV radiation.  People who sit under fluoro lights for long periods have a far higher rate of malignant melanomas.  The UV radiation emitted can also increase an individual’s exposure to carcinogenic radiation by 10 to 30 per cent per year.

 

Would  You Allow A Chain Smoker In The Classroom Every Day?

Many Health Researchers believe that the evidence on EMF exposure shows that it is far more destructive than the dangers of passive smoking.

 

Children Absorb Up To 60% More Radiation Than Adults, Penetrating Deeper Into Their Thinner Skulls.

Instead of asking what level of risk is acceptable, a more sensible and precautionary approach asks,

How Much Risk Can Be Avoided?

 

A Seriously Concerning Fact About Electro Magnetic Fields Is That Once Damage To Body Cells Occurs The Damage Is Irreversible And Inherited Unchanged From Generation To Generation

Soft Tissue Such As The Brain, Is Particularly Susceptible To  Damage

 

STRATEGIES FOR MANAGEMENT – WHAT CAN WE DO TO MINIMISE THE DAMAGE?

All electronic devices emit electromagnetic fields. These fields have been scientifically proven to be harmful to health.  The further away from the device you are, the lower the field that’s affecting you.

 

Computers, Laptops, Tablets, ipads Etcetera 

Turn screens, computers, projectors and devices off when not in use.

Put screens, computers and projectors on Sleep Mode. When not in use the device will turn off. It will restart the instant the mouse is moved or keyboard keys are touched.

Sleep Mode uses zero electricity!

Turning screens off in classrooms when not in use minimises student distraction.

Limit use in the younger grades where possible.

Turn other devices like mobiles off or place on Flight Mode when not in use

Turn Wi-Fi on your device off when not in use

 

Wi-Fi

Always choose corded over wireless options.

Turn WI-FI off when not in use.

Think of smarter ways to use technology, eg. if an App needs to be downloaded, download  it then turn WI-FI off.

Try to use Apps that can be used offline.

Schools and councils all over the world are recognising the harm from WI-FI and many are refusing it or going back to wired connections.

 

Mobile Phones

Turn off or place on Flight Mode when not in use

Don’t let children use them for games, unless on Flight Mode.

If being used only to take video, photos or play games, put on Flight Mode to minimise EMF.

Research shows that just two minutes of Mobile Phone Radiation can open the Blood-Brain Barrier allowing toxins in the bloodstream to attack brain cells.

 

Lights

Turn lights off when not needed, for example, on sunny days or when students are elsewhere.

An electrician with 20 years of school installation experience, and a lighting specialist recommend an average classroom would approximately require 9 to 12 fluorescent lights.  If you think a classroom has more lights than needed, see if some can be taken out.

Switch fluoro’s to LED tubes without transformers.  They are more expensive to buy but last longer and use less electricity.  Over their lifespan, they are cheaper to use and have lower EMF.

Fluorescent lights are controlled by an electric ballast, that pulses on and off really fast.  To most people, it is so fast that it looks like it is constantly on.  In addition to EMF damage, flicker can cause headaches, migraines, eye strain, stress, anxiety and confusion.  It can also trigger electrical hyper-sensitivity and increase anti-social behaviour.

Is There Evidence To Show Educational Benefits From Using Technology In The Classroom?

In a National Geographic article, researchers exposed children to three different learning modes.  One group had face-to-face tutors, the other two learnt from multimedia.  The researchers expected the children who’d learnt from multimedia to show the same kind of learning as the kids tutored face-to-face.  Instead, they found a huge difference.  Children exposed to learning through human interaction actually learnt.  The groups exposed to multimedia technology showed 

no learning whatsoever.  The researcher stated, ‘We were blown away.  It changed our fundamental thinking about the brain’.

Clearly some multimedia may be educationally beneficial to learning, but this shock test result shows that not all technology based learning is useful.  We should be very selective in choosing Apps and other multimedia for learning.

 

Is Your Local School Or Childcare Facility Fulfilling Their Duty Of Care?

What are the health standards for new technology?  No long term studies have been done to understand the health effects of new technology which is being rushed into the marketplace.  Our children and us are  guinea pigs. Inadequate testing is done on each new device.  What testing has been done on combinations of multiple devices?  What are the health effects on children spending each day in classrooms with too many Fluorescent Lights, Computers, Wi-Fi, Teacher’s Mobile Phones, Projectors, ipads etc.

 

Once school principals, teachers and staff become aware of any significant danger to child welfare they have a legal and moral responsibility to mitigate any danger to children.

 

Are Tablets And Ipads Computers?

Yes. They contain computer chips and emit electromagnetic fields including Wi Fi signals.

 

SO… WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HEALTH EFFECTS OF MOBILE PHONES AND OTHER DEVICES?

As it turns out we know very little… and sadly most of what we know shows it may be very unhealthy…

 

 

 

Research Document (excluding images) Copyright (c) 2015-2018, Melissa Kendrick and John Kendrick B. Eng (Elect), Dip Ed (post grad)