Mobile phones are an essential for all generations, but what are the effects of mobile phones on children physically and psychologically?
For so many of us, the cell/mobile phone has been one of the most useful and necessary technological devices invented in the last 30 years. As helpful as this device can be, is this little gadget harmful to our brains and bodies?
This popular essential is becoming a regular feature on so many young children’s Christmas and birthday lists. Children are growing more and more familiar with technology and are not afraid of it, but should they be? There are a number of pros and cons around the topic of young children having their own mobile phones. Both sides of the argument need to be considered before allowing your child to have their own phone.
Parents often agree and believe that allowing their children to have a mobile phone is an excellent idea with regards to being able to contact them, no matter where they are.
Mobile phones allow your children to contact you when they find themselves in an emergency. As wonderful as these advantages sound, there is the growing concern that mobile phones release harmful cancer-causing radiation and that children under the age of 16 are at the greatest risk of developing cancer.
Physical Dangers
Not many people, myself included, understand how mobile phones work and the possible dangers they may have. In a test that was conducted in the United States of America, it became clear just how dangerous cell phones can be. The test was conducted to see what kind of effects mobile phone radiation had on 10 000 chicken embryos. It was found that many of these embryos developed a number of serious defects. It is believed that human embryos that are exposed to a high level of radiation will have a similar fate.
It has been said that children under the age of 10, who use mobile phones, absorb as much as double the amount of the harmful radiation. This is because young children absorb radiation across the whole brain, because their skulls are not properly developed and they are still very thin. This is very damaging for children because their cell growth and brain wave activity is still in the developing stages. It is believed that due to the radiation and microwaves that are emitted by cell phones, it could cause an underdeveloped brain to become senile in their 30’s.
Brain damage can also be brought on as a result of the radiation opening the blood-brain barrier, allowing a protein called albumin to pass into the brain. Another damaging effect that radiation has on the brain is that of causing the red blood cells to leak haemoglobin.
After almost 20 years of studying this specific topic, it is still not 100% clear as to all the dangers that are presented due to the microwaves, radiation and radio waves that are emitted from mobile phones. Radio waves are said to harm the body cells and damage DNA. These radio waves cause a number of single and double-strand DNA to break, if this break is not repaired by the cells, these destroyed cells can lead to cancer. The DNA will then carry this damaged genetic material to the future generation of cells.
Radiation, microwaves and radio waves are able to travel through glass, metal and plastic, if this is the case then these waves and signals are able to travel through human tissue. Imagine what these signals would do to your brain and other vital organs.
Mobile phones can also cause the following physical ailments:
- Heats head and brain tissue
- Disrupts regular brain activity
- Creates gas pockets in the eyes
- Reverses the cell membranes division
- Alters brain waves and brain chemistry
- Causes and speeds tumour growth
- Damages skin cells
- Sleep disorders
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Hair loss
- Lack of coordination
- Damages the developing nervous system
The scariest factor in this argument is that the mobile phone industry refuses to acknowledge these factors and dismisses these claims by suggesting that more research needs to be done.
Psychological Dangers
Mobile phones should be used as a tool to socialise with friends and keep in touch. Unfortunately children have become so dependent on their cell phones that their only socialisation is done using their phones. They spend hours on the internet, social media and sending WhatsApp messages instead of meeting friends for a play date. Some of these children can become very shy and unable to communicate normally with others.
Teachers have also noticed a definite drop in their pupil’s ability to spell and communicate properly; they have become too used to “sms and email chat”. There have been a number of different reports stating that some children have been admitted into mental asylums due to severe mobile phone addiction.
Due to WhatsApp, Facebook and other chat sites it is believed that children are at a greater risk of being kidnapped and encountering strange and dangerous characters. This is because parents more often than not, don’t know exactly what their children are getting up to.
Cyber bullying seems to be a growing trend in so many schools around the world; children receive hurtful, embarrassing and scary messages. There have been a few reported cases where children have taken their own lives due to cyber bullying.
So many children use their phones as a way of surfing the internet. Without supervision, these children can view content that is not suitable for children and can have some harmful effects.
In Conclusion
Mobile phones are a wonderful invention when you and your child find yourselves in an emergency. These mobile phones have saved so many lives, but we never stop to think of how the signals and radiation can harm our brain and body. Mobile phones offer a long list of negative effects and it is clear after much research that cell phones are simply not healthy and beneficial to growing and developing children.
