Walking and Talking

To us, a mobile phone used to be a great clunky toy that had wheels and we pulled along on a piece of string, but now with cell phones being ubiquitous, your toddlers bedrooms are probably littered with plastic imitation phones. They just seem to accumulate much as real handsets do for adults!

The widespread take up of cell phones is a pretty recent phenomenon and the health dangers of exposure to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by phones is hotly debated.  So new is the phenomenon that only now are the first 'long term' studies into the safety of mobile phones reaching academic journals, and it could be another 10 years before we truly know whether the mobile revolution is causing us a lot of harm.

Mobile phone companies argue adamantly that their products are healthy, but then so, for a long time, did tobacco companies about their products!  That phones emit radiation is undisputed, the argument is over whether the levels are harmful or not.

Play safe, and follow some simple advice for cell phones and young kids:-

• don't let your kids play with your mobile phone; unless it is switched off and unable to respond to calls, it is still periodically emitting electromagnetic radiation
• don't allow them to talk on mobiles, if you do, make sure their chat with Granny or Auntie is brief!
• when buying a new phone, look up SAR ratings which equates to electromagnetic radiation emitted by phones - the closer to zero the rating, the better
• let your kids play with plastic handsets, flashing lights and buttons are irresistable...we're not discouraging fun, just trying to be safe!