Updated 14/10/24
In light of the proposed ban or restricting of use of smartphones in classrooms and social media ban for children under 16, and because the government, schools, media, commentators, parents and others have made no mention of the negative health effects of radiofrequency microwave radiation from smartphones and wireless technology, here’s a reminder of just some of the many warnings, recommendations and studies regarding risks to children and young adults from mobile phones, smartphones, wifi, smart devices, for well over a decade.
Smartphones and other smart devices emit very high levels of radiation constantly, from the numerous antennas inside them sending and receiving signals back and forth to nearest wifi router, mobile phone mast and bluetooth devices, impacting not only the user but everyone nearby.
A typical smartphone has multiple antennas for wifi, for 2G, 3G and 4G (and 5G if a 5G phone), bluetooth, gps, and others. Even on standby and when not being used, smartphones and devices are emitting wireless radiation. (see video bottom of page).
Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to exposure to electromagnetic and RF microwave wireless radiation over their lifetimes, which can contribute to adverse biological, neurological, developmental and behavioural conditions.
Update: Minister Norma Foley has proposed that a staggering €9m be spent on pouches to keep student’s phones locked in while in classes. These Yondr pouches do not block signals so unless the smartphones are on airplane mode and turned off, they will still be transmitting RF microwave radiation (see video at end), as well as able to receive messages, texts, calls etc. Students will have their smartphones with them. Yondr pouches are designed to be opened with a special magnetic base only, but they are not tamper proof.
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Resolution 2011
8.3. concerning the protection of children:
8.3.1. develop within different ministries (education, environment and health) targeted information campaigns aimed at teachers, parents and children to alert them to the specific risks of early, ill-considered and prolonged use of mobiles and other devices emitting microwaves;
8.3.2. for children in general, and particularly in schools and classrooms, give preference to wired Internet connections, and strictly regulate the use of mobile phones by school children on school premises; see full text here
Bioiniative Report 2012
“Precautionary measures are of particular importance in regard to children, who are generally more biologically sensitive, may be unable to protect themselves; and for whom such exposures may carry greater life-time health risks than they do for adults.” https://bioinitiative.org/wpcontent/uploads/pdfs/sec23_2012_The_Precautionary_Principle.pdf
Research
March 2023 – Scientific Paper on Children, Wireless Technology, and Health Effects by Renowned Experts in Environmental Health https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1538544223000238?via%3Dihub
Children are more vulnerable to the damaging health effects from wireless microwave and electromagnetic radiation than adults. https://c4st.org/why-children-absorb-more-microwave-radiation-than-adults-the-consequences/
Electromagnetic Fields, Pulsed Radiofrequency Radiation, and Epigenetics: How Wireless Technologies May Affect Childhood Development https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28504324/
Research on Children’s Vulnerability to Cell Phone Radio-frequency Radiation https://ehtrust.org/research-on-childrens-vulnerability-to-cell-phone-radio-frequency-radiation/
American Academy of Pediatrics (2013) – Letter to US Government Agencies, FCC & FDA, on Health Effects of Cell Phone & Wireless Radiation on Children.
The Stewart Report UK (2000) states that children absorb more energy per Kg of body weight from an external electromagnetic field than do adults.
Microwave frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) produce widespread neuropsychiatric effects including depression – Dr Martin Pall
New Clues on Colorectal Cancer Among Young Adults https://microwavenews.com/news-center/new-clues-colorectal-cancer-among-young-adults
Professor Tom Butler, University College Cork
February 2019 – Paper on the Clear Evidence of the Risks to Children from Smartphone and WiFi Radio Frequency Radiation https://www.radiationresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/On-the-Clear-Evidence-of-the-Risks-to-Children-from-Smartphone-and-WiFi-Radio-Frequency-Radiation-Final-20201.pdf
April 2019 – Why everyday wireless technology poses a health risk to children – RTE.ie/Brainstorm
November 2019 – A Critical Review of Digital Technology in Education that should give Policy Makers and Educators Pause for Thought Digital-Technology-in-Education-Working-Paper-2019.pdf
Ireland – Department of Health & Children (2011)
June 2011 “CHILDREN should only use mobile phones “for essential purposes” as they are far more vulnerable to cancer-causing radiation, according to advice from the Department of Health” Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer https://web.archive.org/web/20110603205312/http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=19245
“We may not truly understand the health affects of mobile phones for many years. However, research does show that using mobile phones affects brain activity. There is general consensus that children are more vulnerable to radiation from mobile phones than adults. Therefore the sensible thing to do is to adopt a precautionary approach rather than wait to have the risks confirmed.” Dept of Health Press Release Chief Medical Officer
In 2011, an un-enacted Irish Mobile Phone Radiation Warning Bill 2011 indicated recognition of a need to introduce precautionary measures (especially for children and pregnant women). It was dropped by the Government Mobile Phone Bill 2011 Oireachtas.ie
The International Declaration on the Human Rights of Children in the Digital Age
https://www.thechildrensdeclaration.org/the-declaration
Recognizing:
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees nondiscrimination, devotion to the best interests of the child, the right to life, survival and development, and respect for the views of the child. Other international appeals recognize additional or supplemental rights of children, such as the European Union Action on the Rights of the Child, and the Reykjavik Appeal on Wireless Technology in Schools.
The existence of the legal rights of children is well recognized, but not adequately or uniformly enforced, especially when those rights conflict with powerful commercial interests. In this document we set out three fundamental legal rights of children regarding the deployment and use of technology: their right to be free from intentionally addictive devices, platforms and apps; their right to be free from harmful exposures to radiation; and their right to be free from commercial exploitation.
The legal duty to protect children and enforce these rights on their behalf is the obligation of all adults, particularly parents, legal guardians and others in positions of authority. This protection of children is a basic legal principle that we believe will increasingly be recognized as a part of international customary law that can be recognized and implemented by every country on Earth. https://www.thechildrensdeclaration.org/
This video shows the RF wireless radiation emitting from a smartphone while it is just on standby. Even on standby the levels are high.
The radiation levels will be much higher than this and continuous when the smartphone is being used for calls, internet access, streaming music, watching videos, whatsapping, messaging, etc.
Electromagnetic Sense Ireland 