Experts agree! Screens & little ones are not a good mix. 

The World Health Organization, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,  American Optometric Association AND Dr. Young - the world's foremost authority on screen and internet addictions - ALL have a strong stance on limiting screen time for babies and toddlers!  

All these experts are concerned for a number of reasons - it can stifle mental and emotional growth, lead to behavioral issues, have drastic physical implication and even shrink the grey matter in their brain! 

What do the experts recommend?  

I've looked at countless studies, reports and statements and here is what the majority recommend: 

• No screen time at all before the age of 2 
• No more than 1 hour of screen time until they are 5 years old (the less the better, of course!) 

 Check out the full list of recommendations at the end of this article! 

One interesting thing to note - some don't include face times and video calls with an engaging adult within that time frame! Understandably, any positive connection is better than no connection at all. So don't necessarily turn grandma and grandpa down from FaceTiming your babies! 

Take Precaution and Take Action

With all the research coming out to prove the link between tech-use and various health issues, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recent advisories, we should at least try to protect our tiny ones from the danger of too much screen time or improper usage. Right? Look at it this way: We put safety locks on our cabinets, doors, bottles, etc. to prevent harmful accidents; we do this because we know there’s danger present.

We lather gallons of sunscreen on our kids to protect them from harmful UV rays.

We feed them organic and strive for a healthy green environment. We teach them to look both ways before crossing the road and to never talk to strangers because we know the dangers that lurk. We do so many things to safeguard our tots when we know there’s danger in not doing so.

So, why should the dangers of EMF radiation and our kids be treated with less precaution?

Now, let’s make sure we’re all clear on one thing here. Ok, friends? In no way do I believe that “precaution” translates to eliminating the use of tech in our homes or with our kids. Safer Tech supports the continued SAFER Use of TECH which makes all the difference.

Avoiding Cellphone Radiation is Even More Vital for Kids!

 Listen to these important findings from Dr. Dimitris Panagopoulus. He's a biophysicist whose research into the realities of EMF is in more than 40 peer-reviewed highly influential scientific publications.  He's the real, real deal.  I first met him in London in 2018.  Before then, I learned so much from his research.  His work has been referenced more than 1800 times by other scientific journals.  When it comes to cellphone radiation, he says,

"The conductivity is a young child's brain is almost double the conductivity of an adults brain, resulting in almost double radiation absorption and SAR." 

From: Electromagetic Fields of Wireless Communications: Biological and Health Effects, 2023

EMF Scientists George Carlo, Olle JOHANSSON,and Dr. Dimitris Panagopoulus with August Brice

As we grow into adults, our bones thicken and the water content of our tissues changes which affords us a bit of protection, compared to kids, from radiation absorption.

This 3D modeling demonstrates just how much more the Power Density of EMF penetrates a younger child's brain:

Children's little bodies are different then ours. Their skulls are thinner and the fact that their body systems are rapidly developing makes them more vulnerable to microwave and magnetic EMF exposures.

This was confirmed by a new modeling study in 2018. They modeled cellphones held to the ear and virtual reality devices that sit close to the eyes and concluded:

"...young eyes and brains absorb substantially higher local radiation doses than adults’."

They even recommended that the government regulations for cellphones and other wireless devices be Age Specific--to alert adults to the importance of limiting time spent on wireless and keep devices OFF THE BODY.  Apple and all the cellphone manufacturers do tell us that too!!

Devra Davis of the Environmental Health Trust reminds us that this information is scientifically accepted. She also lead research confirming that because children’s skulls are thinner and tissues of a child’s head, including the bone marrow and the eye, absorb significantly more energy than those in an adult head. The illustration below demonstrates the greater exposure absorption for a smaller head. It's done with 3D modeling used for the Environmental Health Trust.

Wireless Radiation and Kids. So, What’s Safe?

The American Academy of Pediatrics, a professional association of 60,000+ pediatricians and pediatric specialists, recently issued their highly researched recommendations on cell phone, cell towers, and wireless radiation exposure. Published on the Academy's HealthyChild.org, it advises us to “reduce children’s exposure to cell phones and other devices that emit wireless radiation.”  

The report reminds us that,

​"Children are not just little adults; their growing minds and bodies make them uniquely vulnerable to the effects of the environment around them, including cell phone radiation. Because technology is being adopted by children at younger ages than ever before, it's even more important to investigate if cell phone usage is a health hazard."

The official position taken by the American Academy of Pediatrics is a big move, and one they’re not quiet about. In fact, they’ve sent numerous letters to government officials urging them to help tighten radiation standards for wireless devices and protect pregnant women and children from EMF radiation.

We know from thousands of studies that humans are impacted by wireless radiation. UCLA studied 13,000 children who were exposed to mobile phones either prenatally or as babies  had more behavioral problems, like hyperactivity by the time they were 7 years old.
More recently, a study of 84,000 children and their moms found again,
a trend of increasing risk of child behavioral problems, particularly hyperactivity and attention issues, the more mom's used cellphones while they were pregnant.

All the studies point out that their not sure that cellphones were the cause- but for sure moms who used cellphones while they were pregnant or around their kids when they were babies--tended to have kids with behavior problems.

The World Health Organization recommends babies not SEE a screen until they're 1 years old. We think that's an awesome idea. Babies and screens really don't go together for a couple of reasons.  One, the radiation and two, the developmental issues which we'll cover later, but for now, let's review the physical toxin aspect.

For Kids, Avoiding Screens and Wireless as Long As Possible, Makes A Ton Of Sense

Please feel free to browse the Tech Wellness Wireless and Health Guide where we detail electromagnetic energy and zero in on wireless energy specifically.  The point is, the energy has been proven without a doubt to have a biological effect. Think of it like smog or a chemical pollutant or toxin - if you could avoid being exposed to it, wouldn't you?

 Wireless Radiation is a in  Class 2B Carcinogen category by the WHO

Would you let your kids play next to device that was leaking lead, diesel fumes or DDT?

Well those are a few of the other compounds the World Health Organization has deemed “ Class 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans.) RF electromagnetic fields, aka wireless energy from your cellphone, was classified a Class 2B carcinogen by the W.H.O. in 2011.

At Tech Wellness we really like what's referred to as the Precautionary Principle. Basically, this means that because there's research saying the energy that powers our cell phones (and all wireless devices) could be causing health concerns, then we ought to take care when using our cell phones and use them mindfully.

A Good Rule of Thumb: At Least 10 Inches of Distance Between You and your Cellphone

Be aware of where the Phone is when you're near baby.  Is it in your hand? Is Baby in the other?  Cellphone radiation is strongest as the source and diminishes to much lower levels when it's about 8-10 inches away. 

Did you know that no matter what kind of cellphone you use, iPhone, Samsung Galaxy an LG--they all come with a warning.  You can find it on the phone or in the manual.  But basically they say--in order to stay within our own government safety standards, we should not let that cellphone touch our body.  It's true. 

Here's a video made by August Brice seven years ago as she was the first to share the warning of what the iPhone manual had hidden in the fine print:

 

 

Here's what we recommend for once the kids start having screen time: 

• Have them wear kids blue light blocking glasses to help with digital glare and their sleep cycles ⁠
• Their developing brains absorb more radiation than grown adults. Keep them as far from the EMF radiation as possible - no laptops on laps, tablets in hands or phones to ear - and let them play on Airplane mode with the WiFi and Bluetooth off! ⁠
• Choose games that can be played on Airplane mode! I put together a list of the top 25 Free kids games that don't need any sort of signal. The list is updated for 2022 with download links on our site⁠
• Make sure to balance screen time with LOTS of outdoor time to help prevent myopia and other eyesight issues. 

Make sure your children aren't exposed to the WIFI-especially at night. 
This simple switch makes it easy.

Safer Tech recommendations For Making Tech Safer Around Babies

• When holding baby, try to keep the cellphone powered off completely for ultimate safety.
• Airplane mode is safer than on-but there's still magnetic EMF coming from any digital screen.

•  Try keeping the phone in a cross-body case-which can help you achieve distance from the phone for your baby-but use a long strap so the phone is not right over your abdomen--the radiation plume is strongest at the source

Make sure your child wears Blue Blocking Wrap Around Glasses so the digital blue light doesn't effect their circadian rhythms. 

The AAP provides a list of safe cell phone tips for families to adopt. These include:

• Use text messaging whenever possible.
• Use cell phones in speaker mode with a hands-free kit.
• Please don't hold your phone and your baby at the same time- that radiation is just too close.
• Avoid carrying your phone against your body. (Cell phone manufacturers can’t guarantee that the amount of radiation you’re absorbing is safe.)
• Never give a child a cell phone for use as a toy or teething item.
• When your child Does play with your phone, make sure it's off, completely off.
• Always fully download movies or shows to your phone before allowing your child to watch them. When they’re watching, switch the phone to Airplane Mode.  Tech Wellness has a nice list of WiFi free games for 3 years and older.