Are mobile phones, wifi, baby monitors and all wave gizmos harmful to the he alth of our children?
They have invited themselves into our homes, our daily lives, at work and in the subway. Radio frequencies (or electromagnetic waves) are there, invisible and omnipresent. If the spectrum of dangerousness relative to their use has been hanging for a long time, no study to date has been able to prove that they are harmful to the he alth of children.
In June 2016, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational He alth Safety (ANSES) revealed the results of a study whose primary objective was to analyze the consequences of exposure to radiofrequencies on the he alth of children.
In the general population, children are the most exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. Their small size, developing organs and physiological functions make them vulnerable. Tablets, mobile phones, wifi, monitors, radio-controlled toys, walkie-talkies, children are bombarded, constantly. However, it is not so much the quantity of waves emitted as the multitude and the nature of the sources of exposure that representa problem.
Mental He alth and Wellness
According to the ANSES study, it is unlikely that the use of mobile phones, tablets or WiFi is responsible for the onset of cancer. Current data also do not allow us to conclude on the negative effects of their use on behavior, hearing, the reproductive system, the immune system and systemic toxicity. On the other hand, they would have a significant impact on mental he alth and general well-being (depression, sleep, etc.), coordination, memory and attention.
Thus, the use of new technologies must be “moderate and supervised”, says the report. Olivier Merkel, head of risk assessment related to new technologies at ANSES, makes some recommendations to minimize the known and potential risks associated with the use of radio frequencies.
- Put your tablets and mobile phones on airplane mode as soon as possible
- Download movies and don't stream them
- Do not place monitor in bed or near baby's head
- Using the hands-free function for telephone conversations
- If you don't put your mobile devices on airplane mode, leave them outside the bedroom for the night
Small gestures, yes, but could make a big difference in the end. Without being alarmist, we must keep in mind that our children will be the first to beexposed to electromagnetic waves for a lifetime and that it is impossible to predict the long-term consequences.
