Should Children Have Mobile Phones?

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

A recent survey suggests that 9 out of 10 children in the UK own a mobile phone. But many parents are concerned about the physical, emotional and psychological risks of regularly using mobile phones at a young age. So, should children be allowed to have their own mobile phones?

 

Yes – Fiona

My daughter is 13 and has had her own phone since she was 11. As a parent, it’s really reassuring to know that she is able to get hold of me anytime. It makes me feel confident that she’s safe when I can’t be with her such as when she’s walking to and from school or out playing with her friends. And if I’m running late to pick her up, I can let her know rather than leave her wondering where I am.

My son is 16 and likes to stay out late with his mates on an evening. Being able to send him a text to check he’s okay is great. It means I don’t have to embarrass him by phoning his friends’ mothers to track him down or drive round looking for him.

It can be annoying when the kids are attached to their phones all the time but to be honest, most adults are just as bad. Mobile phones aren’t going to go away – they are part of modern life now and so I think it’s good for children to learn how to use them from a young age. They also help my kids to have a good social life – they are never bored because they can always find a friend to talk to or meet up with using their phone.

 

 

No – Vikram

I think it’s really sad to see children as young as eight or nine using mobile phones. It’s just another way in which they are being forced to grow up too quickly. School-age children simply don’t need phones – their parents should know where they are without having to rely on a phone to track them down.

Of course, mobile phones do so much more than simply make phone calls these days which makes the problems worse. I’ve seen young children use their phone pretty much every waking hour – whether they are texting, playing games or checking social network websites for messages. This means that they are not engaging in other healthier past times such as playing outdoors or trying new hobbies.

Children have become obsessed with mobile phones and it makes it difficult to have conversations with them as they can’t focus for more than a few minutes withoutlooking at their phone. I’ve heard reports from parents who say that their children are constantly checking their phone at the dinner table or even using it to message their friends in the early hours of the morning.

There is of course also the worry of potential radiation caused by using mobile phones. Children’s and teenager’s bodies are still developing and it’s unclear what affect using mobile phones has on young bodies.

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Categories: Children, mobile, mobile phones, nbsp, phone, Phones, phones nbsp, young age

Should Children Have Mobile Phones?

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

A recent survey suggests that 9 out of 10 children in the UK own a mobile phone. But many parents are concerned about the physical, emotional and psychological risks of regularly using mobile phones at a young age. So, should children be allowed to have their own mobile phones?

 

Yes – Fiona

My daughter is 13 and has had her own phone since she was 11. As a parent, it’s really reassuring to know that she is able to get hold of me anytime. It makes me feel confident that she’s safe when I can’t be with her such as when she’s walking to and from school or out playing with her friends. And if I’m running late to pick her up, I can let her know rather than leave her wondering where I am.

My son is 16 and likes to stay out late with his mates on an evening. Being able to send him a text to check he’s okay is great. It means I don’t have to embarrass him by phoning his friends’ mothers to track him down or drive round looking for him.

It can be annoying when the kids are attached to their phones all the time but to be honest, most adults are just as bad. Mobile phones aren’t going to go away – they are part of modern life now and so I think it’s good for children to learn how to use them from a young age. They also help my kids to have a good social life – they are never bored because they can always find a friend to talk to or meet up with using their phone.

 

 

No – Vikram

I think it’s really sad to see children as young as eight or nine using mobile phones. It’s just another way in which they are being forced to grow up too quickly. School-age children simply don’t need phones – their parents should know where they are without having to rely on a phone to track them down.

Of course, mobile phones do so much more than simply make phone calls these days which makes the problems worse. I’ve seen young children use their phone pretty much every waking hour – whether they are texting, playing games or checking social network websites for messages. This means that they are not engaging in other healthier past times such as playing outdoors or trying new hobbies.

Children have become obsessed with mobile phones and it makes it difficult to have conversations with them as they can’t focus for more than a few minutes withoutlooking at their phone. I’ve heard reports from parents who say that their children are constantly checking their phone at the dinner table or even using it to message their friends in the early hours of the morning.

There is of course also the worry of potential radiation caused by using mobile phones. Children’s and teenager’s bodies are still developing and it’s unclear what affect using mobile phones has on young bodies.

Categories: Children, mobile, mobile phones, phone, Phones, phones nbsp, young, young age

How Does Technology Impact Our Wellbeing?

Many people worry about the effects of mobile phones on our health, as they are so widespread now – in 2011, it was estimated that around five billion people used a mobile phone. Medical research suggests that even small health risks associated with this technology could lead to significant public health concerns. In order to assess whether you’re willing to undertake these risks, you should be aware of the possible side effects that mobile phones bring. Mobiles use base stations and radio frequency radiation to communicate – if this is high enough, it can have a thermal effect, which means that it raises the body temperature. There are concerns from some people that low levels of this RF radiation emitted from mobile phones could lead to headaches and brain tumours when usage is continued over a number of years. There has been intensive research carried out which shows no conclusive evidence that mobile phones are damaging to our health in the short or long term. In May 2011, however, the World Health Organisation stated that RF radiation could be possibly carcinogenic to humans, after a study showed that there was an increased risk of glioma – a type of brain cancer. The risk of RF radiation depends on how long you use the phone, how close you hold the phone to your body, and the distance you are to the base station – if there is a weak signal from the base station, the phone will increase its radiation level to compensate.

 

There have been a number of studies into the effects of RF radiation on the body. For example, it has been shown that the radiation from a mobile has the biological effect of raising the temperature in a localised area on the brain by a fraction of a degree – this doesn’t automatically carry any risks to your health, though. The body can adjust to the variations of temperature to keep itself safe from damage. Phones have been connected to cancer scares as well, but because RF radiation is a form of non-ionising radiation it can’t affect the risk of cancer. There are a number of myths surrounding mobile phone use, but many of them are unfounded.

 

One such myth is that using a hands-free device will make you safe from the radiation that mobile phones emit – this isn’t true though, as all mobiles emit low levels of radiation so even if it isn’t pressed against your body, you will still be exposed to them. Most experts agree that keeping your phone away from your body when you can will help to reduce the risk of any health problems attributed to the technology. Using your phone sparingly and sensibly is the best course of action. This is because the longer you are exposed to the radiation, the more risks you’re taking with your health. It’s thought that taking shorter calls instead of long ones could reduce the amount of radiation you’re exposed to, but this isn’t necessarily true – there is a surge of radiation every time you dial a new number, so taking lots of short calls means that you’re exposing yourself to more. Metal-rimmed glasses, earrings and fillings can actually increase your radiation levels around the eye by up to 20pc – researchers are unsure what the health consequences might be from this though. And if you’re pregnant, some scientists think that absorbing radiation through the torso could affect your unborn baby – because of this, it’s probably best to avoid keeping your phone in your pocket or holding it near your unborn child.

Categories: mobile phones, radiation, technology