Effects of Mobile Phones on Children's and Adolescents' Health: A Commentary

Child Development
Lennart Hardell

Abstract

The use of digital technology has grown rapidly during the last couple of decades. During use, mobile phones and cordless phones emit radiofrequency (RF) radiation. No previous generation has been exposed during childhood and adolescence to this kind of radiation. The brain is the main target organ for RF emissions from the handheld wireless phone. An evaluation of the scientific evidence on the brain tumor risk was made in May 2011 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer at World Health Organization. The scientific panel reached the conclusion that RF radiation from devices that emit nonionizing RF radiation in the frequency range 30 kHz-300 GHz is a Group 2B, that is, a "possible" human carcinogen. With respect to health implications of digital (wireless) technologies, it is of importance that neurological diseases, physiological addiction, cognition, sleep, and behavioral problems are considered in addition to cancer. Well-being needs to be carefully evaluated as an effect of changed behavior in children and adolescents through their interactions with modern digital technologies.

References

Jul 29, 2011·Journal of the National Cancer Institute·Denis AydinMartin Röösli
Oct 18, 2011·Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine·Om P GandhiDevra Lee Davis
Sep 20, 2012·Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine·Fredrik SöderqvistLennart Hardell
May 13, 2014·Occupational and Environmental Medicine·Gaëlle CoureauIsabelle Baldi
Oct 18, 2014·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Michael Carlberg, Lennart Hardell
Dec 4, 2014·Pathophysiology : the Official Journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology·Lennart Hardell, Michael Carlberg

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Citations

Sep 5, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Health Research·Shiwangi GuptaRajeev Singh
Dec 14, 2017·Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health·S M Javad Mortazavi

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