Once upon a time, if you asked a child what they wanted for Christmas, they were likely to mention a popular toy or game. Now, they are mostly likely to ask for the latest smartphone or tablet computer.
When SodaHead.com, a discussion community with more than 10 million visitors a month, polled youngsters about their holiday desires, 65 percent placed cell phones and iPads at the top of their wish lists.
“What harm could it do to youngsters to have such a cool, hot gadget—especially one with which they can learn to read, see movies, or just play Angry Birds? The answer is: plenty,” advises Dr. Devra Davis of the Environmental Health Trust.
Read the fine print
Davis says few people appreciate that all of these wireless devices come with manufacturers’ fine print warnings not to hold them next to an adult body, or that controlled studies show that microwave radiation from cell phones weaken the brain’s protective barrier and produce fewer and more damaged offspring and sperm.
And parents should consider this: all safety warnings for cell phones (e.g., “keep 0.98 inches from the body”) were designed to protect a less-than-typical user: namely, a large fellow with a big head who talks on his phone for less than half an hour a day.
According to a recently published scientific report from EHT, children’s heads absorb twice as much microwave radiation from cell phones as adults. Radiation from cell phones carried in shirts or pants pockets of adults is four to seven times higher than the guidelines set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. For the smaller bodies of children, of course, levels would be even much greater.
Safety standards modeled on a big guy
The reason for the discrepancy, EHT says, is that the process to determine radiation from cell phones is modeled on a 6-foot 2-inch tall, 220-pound man, with an eleven-pound head. Because this large skull represents only about three percent of the population, the test cannot accurately predict the radiation exposure of the other 97 percent, including children, nor does it even try to estimate exposures from pocket use.
“The standard for cell phones has been developed based on old science, old models and old assumptions about how we use cell phones, and that’s why they need to change and protect our children and grandchildren,” said Davis said.
iPad drawbacks
What about an iPad or other tablet? That seems harmless enough. After all, it's a computer.
Yes, but it too is a device that connects using radio waves. And Davis points to another iPad fine print warning that states, “a small percentage of people may be susceptible to blackouts or seizures (even if they have never had one before) when exposed to flashing lights or light patterns such as when playing games or watching videos... Discontinue use of iPad and consult a physician if you experience headaches, blackouts, seizures, convulsion, eye or muscle twitching, loss of awareness, involuntary movement, or disorientation. To reduce risk of headaches, blackouts, seizures and eyestrain, avoid prolonged use, hold iPad some distance from your eyes, use iPad in a well-lit room, and take frequent breaks.”
"There's no denying these gadgets are fun; my kids love them too," said Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Executive Director and CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World. "But these technologies are developing faster than our ability to understand potential health impacts. We're not asking parents to not buy or use them, we're simply asking them to take precautions. It's better to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to our children's health."
