Cell Phones for Children at School: Learning Made Deadly

Posted by Lloyd on May 21, 2010 under Cell phone radiation danger | Read the First Comment

Lately, the subject of cellular telephones for children to use while at school is a subject of much debate. It has even been suggested that cell phones be used as a learning aid in the classroom. On the one hand, they are a boon for parents as a quick way to contact kids or for kids to check in at home. If there is an emergency, children have a readily available way to contact help or report an incident. On the other hand, cell phones in children’s hands and next to children’s heads are exceptionally dangerous in terms of the health risk.

I firmly believe that mobile phones pose significant health threats to children, as I have already said in earlier posts. Numerous scientific studies show the link with brain cancer. Children should use cell phones only in extreme emergencies.

Having kids use cell phones at school would be great if we could give them a cell phone with instructions to keep it turned off unless they absolutely had the need to call about a transportation change, to check in with parents, or in the event of an emergency. But, thinking children will observe these rules is closer to dreaming than to reasonable expectation from our youth.

Cell phones: a tool or a toy?

We all know that kids of all ages love tech gadgetry (and not just kids, I love gadgets too!). Of course, they want the newest toys on the market. There is no doubt that they face (sometimes intense) peer pressure to keep up with their friends. It is highly unrealistic to think that kids will keep their mobile phones in backpacks, turned off all day, until they need them for checking in or for emergencies.

Do you seriously think that while they’re home, they’ll refrain from texting and chatting away with their buddies. Think again, we all know what really happens.

Texting, web surfing, game playing and talking are irresistible cell phone activities for kids of all ages. Mobile phones can be of great benefit for emergency use, as a communication and informational tool, and for getting messages through. But let there be no doubt in your mind at all, the downside far outweighs the upside.**

Besides being a distraction, and besides being a way to practice detrimental social activities (e.g.: internet bullying), mobile phones and communication devices are a danger to children specifically because young ones are more vulnerable to the electromagnetic frequency radiation (EMF) that continuous use subjects them to. Kids who use cell phones have up to a five-fold increased risk of brain cancer.

Finding Alternatives to Keeping Track of Kids

There are other options for emergency communication that are available and that can be advanced by modern technology that do not put our youth at risk. I advise that we start looking at alternative ways to keep track of our children, ways that keep them safe and sound. Not ways that expose them to serious health hazards.

Cell phones at school may sound like a good idea, but check out the research, you are not doing them any favours in the long term.

References: * Walton, J., and ** Stark, A., Should Children Have Cell Phones at School?, in: Helium, Home, Education, accessed: May 17, 2010, http://www.helium.com/debates/92065-should-children-have-cell-phones-at-school/side_by_side?page=18

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/health/myFOX-Health-Cell-Phones-and-Brain-Tumors-may-18-2010

http://electricsense.com/