Do cell phones affect kids' developing brains?

I was accepting the fact that my 11-year-old will get her first cell phone in the next year or so, but a new warning is giving me pause.

The director of the University of Pittsburgh's Cancer Institute, Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, told his staff last week they should limit their cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer. He said children should only use cell phones for emergencies because the phones' electromagnetic radiation could affect their developing brains.

Although lots of studies have shown no link between cell phones and cancer, cell phones have not been around long enough to study their long-term effects. I have a feeling we aren't going to like what we hear 20 years from now about these toys that have become so important to us.

But it's also become almost impossible to raise a kid today without giving them a cell phone. Even if you tell them not to use it too often and to use a headset, they are going to do what they want when you're not nearby.

What kind of limits have you placed on your kids' cell phone use?

POSTED IN: Health (86), Lois Solomon (89), Pre-Teen (45), Teen (105)

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Comments

Forgive me since I have three sons, 4 grandsons and 1 grandaughter.... seems permissive "friends" of their children (instead of being parents) just go along with whatever the kids want...FORGET CELL PHONES...not just for the added costs that you cannot afford...but listen to Mr. Branson, who owns VIRGIN MOBILE who said many years ago that these things killed his best friend by giving him a brain tumor (malignant)....
Stop whining about the costs of living...get rid of your cell phones and see how much non-taxable money it will add to your revenues.

Posted by: Rich Anderson | July 30, 2008 11:05 AM

WOULD YOU STICK YOUR HEAD

IN A MICROWAVE OVEN?

EXPERT DISCUSSES CONTROVERSY
OVER CELL PHONE SAFETY.

Today there are an estimated 3 billion cell phones in the world. In Europe 80% of the population uses them, compared to 60% in the US. The US. Market is growing quickly especially among teens and children who are at the greatest risk. . All this points to one fact: cell phones are BIG business. Even though the health risks from radiation are being reported and the evidence is mounting, the industry giants continue to claim their products are safe.
Shelly Kalnitsky, an authority on cell phone issues wants to ask you three questions.
1. Do you now believe nicotine is non-addictive?
2. Do you now believe that cigarette smoking does not cause lung cancer?
3. Do the words “radiation” and “microwaves” sound like something you want going into your brain?

“The jury is still out on the extent of the long term effects of cell phones” says Kalnitsky “but we are discovering more evidence of cell phone dangers.” He points to an independent reporting site www.cprnews.com which documents hundreds of articles , studies and research on cell phone dangers under world news.
He discusses :
• How the industry suppresses negative stories.
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• Why current hands free kits are more dangerous.
• New products that can reduce the risk.
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Kalnitsky is an expert on the subject and can add insight on recent scientific findings as well as discuss protection devices such as shields, new hands free radiation free kits and safety tips that can offer a remedy for cell phone users.
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Posted by: shelly kalnitsky | July 30, 2008 6:10 PM

It should be intuitive that having a device that emits electromagnetic radiation placed withing a few centimeters of your brain is not a good idea. It should follow from this that having a cell phone within centimeters of a child's developing brain is a really bad idea. After all, our brains are electro-chemical devices.

There is no such thing as a child who needs a cell phone. I've had parents tell me that they want their child to have a cell phone so that the child can reach them in case of an emergency. I always counter with questioning whether they are allowing their children to be absent from them without their being with a responsible adult, who would respond to the emergency and inform the parents when the situation permits.

The truth is, few of us adults actually NEED a cell phone. They are convenient, yes, but they aren't a necessity. Yet I know people who seem to experience withdrawal symptoms if their cell phone isn't working. I believe this to be evidence of the pervasive and growing neurosis of the American public and we are projecting that neurosis onto our children.

Posted by: Reality | July 31, 2008 11:17 AM

Look at where some of this started:
Wrist watch faces with radium
Machine to show your feet in relation to shoes.
CRT TV and manufacturers' placement instructions.
Computer CRT and emf to the point where they must be shielded if sold in Europe.

Originally, manufacturers would remove from the market the bad stuff. Now they just calculate how much it will cost vs how much they can make. It's why the book in your glove compartment is 400 pages long: Not to help you with your car, but to prevent any liability to the manufacturer.
So: No cell phone for the kid. And you are doing what about the one you are using????

This is a subject that I have been talking about since the early 1980's. Finally some common sense filters through the manufacturers' BS.

Posted by: Dennis Nusser | August 12, 2008 3:54 PM