Child development and wireless

[speckytecky]

What are the thoughts on here about the article Child Development - Overview - Wiley Online Library which I'm told suggests that wireless is a danger to development. Edited February 2, 2018 by speckytecky

[elsiegee40]

How many times has this come up on EduGeek? A=Lots

 

There is a section of the population who truly believe wifi has no place in schools. They don’t seem to recognise that you cannot go anywhere* without being exposed to it. You just have to look at the list of available networks on your phone.

 

I think the problem is over-reliance on devices as a babysitter rather than the wifi itself.

 

 

* Not strictly true. Very rural locations are an exception.

[AlanD]

There may well be safety issues with WiFi. Often quoted is the Stewart Report...which looked "only" at heating effects of wireless radiation and concluded there was no significant evidence of danger associated withy it. But....and wait for it..... it specifically excluded results from young children - because there were unexplained "outlayers" in the results...and so the conclusion was that it was safe for adults ...and the unwritten bit implied that it might not be safe for young children....and I think mobile phone suppliers still carry warnings about this in their small print.

 

There are some the query the potential of danger from the electromagnet effects of the wireless...but there has never been any significant evidence of this....but then there has been limited research too...because much of the research is/was funded by wireless vendors themselves (a bit like when health effects of smoking was carried out by those that the made cigarettes)...so there is scope for concern, and there are clearly lots of concerns about low level exposures to lots of things....diesel and petrol fumes, tyre wear, etc ...which although seemingly tiny amount to significant long term problems.

 

The reality is (and perhaps this shouldn't be an excuse) is that its almost impossible to avoid wireless...from other peoples WiFi, Other phones as you walk down the street, etc. I doubt whether having wireless in the classroom adds significantly to the exposure...and like smoking ...there is a no evidence to suggest more exposure means more risk...in fact if there is evidence it is that any exposure can offer risk.