In a bid to reduce young children’s exposure to electromagnetic wave radiation, France has banned Wifi in nurseries, schools, kindergartens and childcare centres across the nation that cater for children under the age of six.
In primary schools, which also welcome older pupils and where computers are used in lessons, Wifi points in classrooms must be disabled when not in use, national frequencies regulator, L’Agence Nationale des Fréquences (ANFR) has said.
On top of these regulations, establishments offering public Wi-Fi access will now have to display a symbol indicating the presence of electromagnetic waves.
These restrictions, that came into force earlier this year, were put in place on the back of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO), warning that exposure to these waves, especially in young children, could be “possibly carcinogenic”.
In 2011, the IARC classified mobile phones for the first time in their ‘gold-standard’ rating system. They said the devices could ‘possibly’ cause cancer in humans (group 2B), but there wasn’t enough evidence to come to a clear conclusion.
And it’s not just France that are taking precautions. A number of schools in England, France and Canada have dismantled their Wi-Fi and reverted to a wired system due to concerns raised by parents and teachers, and also due to health symptoms experienced by some children. In other countries, like Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Israel, Russia and China, decisions have been made to lower the legal exposure limit when it comes to electromagnetic wave radiation, especially in areas where children are spending time.
But before you disable the broadband and toss the smartphone, it is important to keep in mind that the findings did not conclude anything, it was just not able to rule out a risk.
And while many debate the findings (or lack of findings), one study suggest that limiting children’s exposure to Wifi radiation is absolutely a smart move, as children and fetuses absorb more microwave radiation. This, according to the authors, is because their bodies are relatively smaller, their skulls are thinner, and their brain tissue is more absorbent than in an adult.
Maybe, like Forbes have suggested, this study should not be viewed as a call to throw out all electronic devices, but should, at the very least, open up the discussion about different safety levels for adults versus children when it comes to exposure to radiation from wireless gadgets that we all possess and have in our homes today.
Are YOU concerned about the amount of time your children spend on their phones and tablets? Do you let your baby play with the iPad or your smartphone to keep them entertained? Would this make you think twice about it? Join in the conversation with us on Twitter at @Herfamilydotie
