Are Wireless Devices Safe?

Are Wireless Devices Safe? No.

Reach out to politicians to help protect our children from wireless radiation.

All devices that connect to the internet require either wired (ethernet cable) or wireless radiofrequency radiation to effectively connect to the internet. While government and the technology industry have stated 1G-4G devices and towers are safe for children, they have not extended this guarantee to 5G which is cumulative to existing devices and towers, stating much of the research to date is industry driven with inherent conflict of interest. Considerable knowledge is required to truly understand the science of radiofrequency radiation effects on developing children, as well as the pervasive negative effects of screens on vast child developmental domains including physical, mental, social, emotional and cognitive. And then there is data harvesting, infiltration of pedophiles into chat rooms, illegal drugs, harmful content, porn, violent video games, social media etc. It’s all so overwhelming. In an effort to assist with information dissemination on screen impact on children, I’ve recently updated my Reconnect Webinars Fact Sheet profiling over 700 research studies organized per subject on the impact of screen-based technologies on child development which serves as a foundation for my Reconnect Webinars. This particular article intends to shed light on wireless radiation’s impact on children and directs Canadian readers to reach out to their respective jurisdictions for political support (links below) in creating safe and sustainable futures for all children.

Despite industry and government assurances that radiofrequency wireless radiation is safe, government policies on wireless radiation clearly state their conclusion is based on weight of evidence to date e.g. there currently exists more laboratory and epidemiological research studies showing it’s safe than harmful. This thinking is obviously flawed as studies showing harm should not be weighted as equal and opposite to those showing safety. A Dec. 2022 article published in Frontiers in Public Health reviewed research on wireless impact reporting 2/3 of studies reviewed demonstrated biological harms including protein damage, biochemical changes and oxidative stress. Weight of evidence principle should not be applied to wireless radiation impact on children, as children are far more vulnerable to radiation effects due to thinner skulls, more aqueous brains and faster cell turnover. It took over 40 years after governments knew cigarettes caused cancer to enact safety measures. Do we really want to wait, or could we adopt precautions now to protect our children?

A major laboratory study in the US on wireless radiation was conducted by NIH’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) with findings released in 2018 showing “clear evidence” cancer causality from wireless radiation in rats and mice for malignant heart schwannoma and “some evidence” for malignant adrenal and brain cancers. In addition to NTP’s wireless cancer data, numerous epidemiological and other experimental studies do indicate harm to humans from wireless radiation, and cancer incidence is rising and is now the leading cause of death in children and adolescents.

As a pediatric occupational therapist and expert on impact of screens on children, 8 years ago I was asked to speak at a conference on wireless radiation in Reykjavic, Iceland in February 2017.  Along with many respected researchers and scientists who work in this field, including a professor in oncology from Sweden Dr. Lennart Hardell and professor from Estonia Dr. Tarmo Koppel, we covered the wireless radiation dilemma extensively. The presenters collectively wrote a document titled “The Reykjavic Appeal” which was subsequently signed by 127 scientists from 24 countries. Based on research and epidemiological studies to date, The Reykjavic Appeal proposed a precautionary approach and cited supportive research for the following 5 practical rules for schools concerning children and wireless technology.

• No wireless networks in preschool, kindergarten and school-based settings.
• Hard-wired direct cable connections are recommended for each classroom for the teacher to use during lessons.
• Wired telephones for personnel in preschool, kindergarten and schools.
• Cabled connection to Internet and printers in schools and turn off Wi-Fi settings in all equipment.
• Laptops and tablets that can be connected by cable to Internet.
  
  

Students should not be allowed to use cell phones in schools. They can either leave them at home or the teacher collects them in turned off mode before first lesson in the morning.

What can you do now? Frank Clegg CEO with Canadians for Safe Technology (C4ST) reports “C4ST, since its inception in 2012 has worked to educate Canadians and policy makers about the dangers of exposures to unsafe levels of radiofrequency/microwave radiation from commonly used wireless devices and cellular network antennas.” Mr. Clegg goes on to report “To that end, we have helped local residents raise concerns about cell towers in over 60 situations and to solve the issue at the national level, have met one-to-one with more than 50 Members of Parliament”.

C4ST has determined that they need a federal Member of Parliament to act as their sponsor to bring about positive change at the federal level of government. Subsequently C4ST has launched “Candidates Who Care About Canadians’ Health and the Environment” (CWC) a campaign to identify candidates running in the 2025 federal election who will commit to support efforts when elected to address concerns about:

• Screen impacts on children (including social and mental health);
• Health impacts of wireless technologies (based on recommendations made by government committee HESA in 2015);
• The lack of guidelines to protect birds, bees, other animals and trees from electromagnetic radiation exposures.