Cell Phones And Kids: Are They Dangerous?
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
Cell phones are as much a part of kid and teen culture as using a computer and having the most trendy clothing. Milliseconds after school bells rings in Every Town, USA, you will see kids and teens of all ages calling, texting, IM’ing and gaming on devices no larger than the palm of your hand. For the smallest of our children, you may even notice their phones hung around their necks with cute Disney characters on the front or a bee.
Indeed, cell phones are as prevalent in back packs as lunch money and books. They truly are the means of communication for kids and teens with their peers and for kids and teens with their parents.
I used to be a doubter that this was necessary until my oldest daughter entered elementary school, now 8 years ago. It didn’t take us long to realize that we didn’t have many more years before she’d be on her own and without easy access to a phone. Have you looked around lately? Public phones are absent from our community landscapes. And, school offices are often empty so quickly after the last school bell rings kids don’t know what to do if plans change. I don’t know about you but I’ve had times I’ve had to leave a message for one of my daughter’s and the school phone system was just not reliable - but their cell phone voice mailboxes was.
So, we all know our kids are using cell phones, and a lot. And, we all seem to accept this is just part of today’s culture. But, are they safe? Experts have come down on different sides of that question in the past and this week the question resurfaced as Congress gathers experts to arrive at some sort of consensus.
Good Morning America aired both sides of the issue yesterday.
The expert I found most compelling was Dr. Myrna Rosenfeld, a neuro-oncologist at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Rosenfeld made two points that echo how I feel:
1. the skull is very protective, even from cell phone radiation
2. the biggest danger from cell phone use is inattention from cell phone use while driving, walking and going about life when we should be paying attention to our surroundings.
The impact of technology on kids runs deeper than just distraction. It can cause issues in learning, peer relationships. Technology can influence how kids perceive the world, including decisions about whether to use drugs and how to spend their money. And, the use of media in kids has been linked to childhood obesity.
The real discussion we all need to have in our families and in our communities is how to combat the erosion of our basic values that the overuse of cell phones, and other portable devices, has produced. Some of the questions to consider are:
- How do we get people to stop talking on their phone while in line at a store or restaurant?
- How do we get people to stop talking on the phone, or texting, while driving?
- How do we teacher our kids to use cell phones and other high tech devises properly and judiciously?
The proliferation of “no cell phone use in this area” says it all. We have to use better discretion and remember there are other people around us before we hit “receive” if a call comes in. Last I checked, our phones do come with voice mailboxes. Perhaps that’s a feature we should all use a bit more.
If you want to make your family more “low tech”, click here. Once you and our kids experience life with a bit less clicking, you won’t go back!
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