Screen Time, EMF Exposure and Impact
on Brain Health in Your Child
We are now seeing the first generations exposed to EMF exposure (electro magnetic field) at a very early age-we all have seen toddlers as young as under two years old already using iPads and cell phones and other electronic gadgets.
While this may be great to give parents a break, what is it doing to your child’s brain health?
Since screen use starting in infancy is fairly new, I expect we will see more data on this in future years, but already data is showing that these wireless devices are already changing the Brain structure of these children.
The data remains mixed and information from WHO (World Health Organization) and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) still suggests that exposure to microwave radiation is safe (from cell towers, from our devices, from smart meters on our homes). But should we rely on the information from the FCC and the WHO when microwave radiation from our devices has not been tested since 1998?
What Impact Will This Have on Your Child Later in Life?
Those of you who’s children are now adults should consider yourselves fortunate that your kids played in the dirt, made up creative games and didn’t have structure for every second of every waking moment. This type of play and free time is so critical to brain development, but we took it for granted because we didn’t have the screen issue when our kids were very young.
One of the largest long-term studies on brain development in youths in the United States, reveals that heavy electronic users had brains that looked different than those who used these devices less frequently. 11,000 children are being looked at for a decade to further see if there are brain and physiological impacts on their health. (1,2,3). In fact, Soviet and Western studies in rats have shown that the impact of the microwave exposure (from phones, smart meters) causes changes in the brain and the peripheral nervous system. Eighteen more recent studies show that phones and smart meters can cause neuropsychiatric effects. (4)
Some of the common effects from EMF exposure include: insomnia, headaches, depression, fatigue, poor attention, memory changes, dizziness, irritability, loss of appetite, anxiety, skin tingling and cardiovascular issues (4, 10). Some people are more sensitive to EMF’s. According to EMF researchers, around 35% of the population suffer from mild to moderate symptoms from EMF exposure. (10)
Already preliminary findings based on brain scans of 4,500 9-10-year old’s are showing that kids who use devices for 7 hours or more each day have premature thinning of the brain cortex. This is the outer layer of the brain that processes information from the 5 physical senses. Thinning of the cortex is part of the brains maturation process but it appears that the process is being sped up in children who have heavy screen use. (1,2,3) The full impact of this won’t be known for years to come but personally I think this is scary news for future generations.
The preliminary studies suggest that even as little as 2 hours of screen time per day may be impacting cognition, and resulting in lower scores on thinking and language tests. (1,2,3)
While two hours may seem like a normal amount of screen use, seven hours may seem like a lot and you may be thinking “there is no way my child spends that much time using devices”. But think about it. Adolescents and teens are using computers and iPads in school on a regular basis, they use social media and text on their phones, play video games at home on TV or on their devices. That 7 hours adds up quickly. They use them in the car, in school, at home, with friends. I am guilty of it too. We have gotten so attached to our devices, that we would be lost if they were not attached to us. Your teen, on average, now spends 4 ½ hours now just on her phone. (1) And a 2015 survey showed that 75% of 4-year old’s owned their own cell phone! (10)
And While the FCC says that cell phones are safe (remember I said no studies have been done since 1998), the average level of ambient electro smog in the microwave radiation range (from cell phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) has increased by a quintillion in the last 100 years! (10) And in actuality, microwave radiation from cell phones, Bluetooth Wi-Fi and cell towers has been declared a class 2B, possible carcinogen in 2011. (10)
The Mental Health Impact of Screen Time
Insomnia:
The radiation from screens can disrupt sleep. The blue light will also impact sleep and has been shown to deplete melatonin (11). Any light at night can disrupt sleep and melatonin levels but blue light suppresses melatonin for about twice as long as green light and can shift circadian rhythms by twice as much. (11)
Sleep issues are on the rise for teenagers and no wonder. It is typical for my teen clients to have sleep issues. When asked, most are using their phones up until bed time and most sleep with the phone right by their ear or right under their pillow. It’s not only the beeping from the phone that disturbs sleep but just being exposed to the EMF’s all night long is wreaking havoc on the sleep cycle.
Then it becomes a vicious cycle-once you are sleep deprived, you start to crave more sugar, more starchy carbs, eat more, and mood, attention and focus, energy levels are all impacted. The simple solution may be to get the phone out of the bed room and make a rule of no devices at all 1-2 hours prior to bed time.
If you can’t break yourself from screen time right before bed, at the very least wear blue light blocking glasses and don’t sleep with your phone right next to you.
Depression/Increased risk of suicide/Anxiety:
The more time a teen spends online, the unhappier they are, studies show. (3)
A 1997 study of 540 adults who lived near high voltage transmission lines found that the higher doses of EMF correlated with more mental distress. (5) Another study of 130,000 workers in the electric industry found more depressive symptoms correlated with higher EMF exposure. The study also showed the younger workers with recent exposure were more suicidal than the rest. (6) For reasons like this, we need to protect the developing brains of our children and even young adults!
EMF research, an independent EMF resource for public educational purposes lists 48 peer reviewed studies on EMF exposure and the link to depression and suicide. http://www.emfresearch.com/emfs-depression-suicide/
In a Kent State University survey of 500 undergrad students, those who had greater cell phone use reported higher levels of anxiety and less happiness in relation to their peers. (12) We don’t know if this is from EMF exposure or just has to do to more with the fact that heavy cell phone use is also associated with increase in isolation and less social interactions.
ADHD:
A Yale study found cellphone radiation exposure caused mice exposed prenatally to have ADHD like symptoms of hyperactivity and poor memory. (13) For this reason, some doctors recommend to pregnant women that they reduce wireless exposure to protect the developing baby’s brain.
Social Isolation:
Yes, your child may have many friends on social media. But what about in real life? Studies show that teens spend less time hanging out with friends and less face to face contact. Their social life may exist from the screen while laying on their bed instead of going out and having interactions with friends. (3)
5G (fifth Generation) and What it Means to Your Health
What this means is that cell towers are being placed approximately 500 feet apart on urban USA streets (some say even as close as 250 feet apart). 20,000 satellites will be put into orbit around the Earth to broadcast 5G microwave radiation over every square inch of our planet. (7)
This means that your Wi-Fi speed will be faster but 5G will use a much higher frequency range in the electromagnetic energy spectrum and these have not been tested for safety. Remember, safety of microwave radiation has not been tested since 1998! The FCC (Federal Communications Commission), in spite of lack of safety testing, says that no one should worry about the effects of 5G. (7) Yet, the American Academy of Pediatrics has been warning parents of the potential harm to children (9)
A 5G smart phone will broadcast and receive microwave signals that are 10 times stronger than the current 4G smartphones. Wi-fi using 5G will use microwave signals that are 150 times stronger than 4G. (8)
Still Not Convinced?
At this link there are 23 controlled scientific studies looking at the ill effects in animals, human cells and in humans. The health effects these studies have shown overall include oxidative stress, sperm damage, male infertility, neuropsychiatric changes including EEG, changes in GABA, cell death, cellular DNA damage, endocrine dysfunction, lowering of melatonin, abnormal post natal development and more.
Go to https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935118300355
How to Protect Yourself and Your Children
• Use hand free kits, text or use speaker phone instead of holding your phone up to your ear
• When speaking on the phone, hold it an inch or more away from your head
• Make only short calls
• If watching a movie on your phone, download it, then switch to airplane mode, to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure
• The weaker the signal on your phone, the harder your phone has to work and the more radiation it gives off.
• Avoid using in elevators, trains, buses, as the cell phone has to work harder to get through the metal so the power increases.
• Turn off the router at night
• Remove devices from the bedroom at bed time or at least not by your head while sleeping
• Make it a rule, no devices 1-2 hours prior to bed time.
Add in supplements that can protect you against EMF’s such as iodine, curcumin, melatonin, tryptophan, selenium, magnesium, lithium orotate and B6. (14) Also, having a healthy whole foods diet that includes protective vitamins and minerals is advised.
(9, 10, 14)
Bottom Line
Some people are more sensitive to EMF exposure and some people are using their screens more than others. The biggest concern is with children and what is happening to their developing brains. Girl’s brains tend to fully develop at a younger age than boys (18-19 years old versus 22 years old for boys and even up to 24 for boys)
Not only may EMF be contributing to your child’s health issues, but just the exposure to fast, quick, short bites of information may be contributing to shorter attention spans not to mention to lack of creativity.
Sources
1. https://www.bloombergquint.com/technology/screen-time-changes-structure-of-kids-brains-60-miute-says
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811918320123
3. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/12/27/effects-of-screen-time-on-brain-development.aspx
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26300312
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9383247
6. https://oem.bmj.com/content/57/4/258
7. http://healthimpactnews.com/2018/public-waking-up-to-the-fact-that-5g-has-not-been-proven-safe-for-human-health/
8. http://www.cellphonetaskforce.org/5g-from-blankets-to-bullets/
9. https://ehtrust.org/american-academy-pediatrics-recommendations-cell-phones-cell-towers-wireless-radiation/
10. https://s3.amazonaws.com/esrx1811/how-emfs-affect-your-patients.pdf
11. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side
12. http://emfsafetynetwork.org/cell-phones-linked-to-anxiety-lower-grades-and-unhappiness/
13. https://news.yale.edu/2012/03/15/cell-phone-use-pregnancy-may-cause-behavioral-disorders-offspring
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