Our Kids' Health: To Wifi or Not to Wifi
by ParentCo.
January 20, 2016
The impact of lead poisoning is so widely accepted that several government programs exist to prevent lead poisoning in babies and young children, complete with an annual
National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.
But what if exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF/EMF) -- like those created by wifi -- is also a considerable risk for growing children?
Is it possible that our dependence on, and adherence to, our new digital lifestyles is blinding us to the reality of this health issue?
When the mayor of Borgofranco d'Ivrea, Italy ordered that the town's schools return to cable internet after reading about the potential dangers of wifi to children, he was met with backlash from citizens. His predecessor accused him of being short-sited, demanding:
"What's the point? We already have Wi-Fi in two of the town's squares and in our library, places where children also spend a lot of time."
It's hard to wade through the information and draw any final conclusions. Last January, Forbes published
this article positing that indeed wifi IS a health risk for kids. A week later, Forbes published
this article refuting the claims of the previous.
Before that volatile volley of opinion, there was
this Network World article unpacking the idea that, while perhaps exposure is not an issue for adults, it may be a very different kind of issue for children.
A Google search yields plenty of news alleging RF/EMF exposure to kids is not a problem. But if you dig a little deeper, you'll find a quieter minority asking what may be the most important question for parents:
If there's any question at all that this poses a serious health threat to our kids, shouldn't we take real action to understand, and possibly limit, that exposure?
Further reading:
ParentCo.
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