by British Medical Journal

Preschoolers’ extensive use of electronic media, including game consoles, mobile phones, and tablets, is linked to a heightened risk of emotional and behavioral problems by the age of 5, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open.

This behavior is associated with hyperactivity, short attention span, poor concentration and peer relationship issues, among other things, the findings suggest.

Patterns of children‘s electronic media use are changing rapidly, say the researchers. Preschoolers’ use of mobile phones and tablets tripled between 2013 and 2017, with recent studies indicating that many 4-year-olds now play games, use apps, or watch videos on them every day.

Concerns have been raised that young children’s extensive use of electronic media may impede healthy development, affecting language and social skills, as well as potentially fostering addictive behavior.

The researchers therefore wanted to find out if extensive electronic media use among young children might affect their psychological health and wellbeing by the time they reach the age of 5, and if different types of activity might be influential.

Extract

“Our results show that 5-year-old children spend considerably more time on e-media than is recommended by professionals. Our results further indicate that high levels of e-media use, especially program viewing, is associated with problems with psychosocial outcomes, while use of electronic games was only associated with hyperactivity in the crude models.”

They emphasize: “Although children’s e-media use patterns might not seem problematic when considering use on a daily level, they do have risks in the long term.”

Read more at https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-03-preschoolers-extensive-electronic-media-linked.html

More information: High-­dose electronic media use in five-year-olds and its association with their psychosocial symptoms: a cohort study, DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040848

Journal information: BMJ Open

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Abstract

The recent development of millimeter-wave (mmW) technologies, such as the fifth-generation (5G) network, comes with concerns related to user exposure. A quite large number of dosimetry studies above 6 GHz have been conducted, with the main purpose being to establish the correlation between different dosimetric parameters and the skin surface temperature elevation. However, the dosimetric studies from 28 GHz user equipment using different voxel models have not been comprehensively discussed yet. In this study, we used the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for the estimation of the absorption of radiofrequency (RF) energy from a microstrip patch antenna array (28 GHz) in different human models. Specifically, we analyzed different exposure conditions simulating three real common scenarios (a phone call scenario, message writing scenario, and browsing scenario) regarding the use of smartphones/tablets by four different individuals (adult male and female, child male and female). From the results of Absorbed Power Density (Sab), it is possible to conclude that all the considered exposure scenarios comply with the safety limits, both for adult and children models. However, the high values of the local Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in the superficial tissues and the slight differences in its distribution between adults and children suggest the need for further and more detailed analysis.

Citation Morelli, M.S.; Gallucci, S.; Siervo, B.; Hartwig, V. Numerical Analysis of Electromagnetic Field Exposure from 5G Mobile Communications at 28 GHZ in Adults and Children Users for Real-World Exposure Scenarios. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1073. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031073 https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/1073

Full text https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7908514/

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Sizwe Africa IT Group, a black empowerment IT company awarded the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape e-learning contract, and electronics manufacturing giant Samsung, who got the bulk of the contract to supply 55 000 tablets, have been caught in a tug of war between political factions in that province.

Information obtained by Independent Media suggests that the war was between those aligned with President Cyril Ramaphosa, led by Mcebisi Jonas through his interests at telecoms giant MTN, on the one side.

The other group, it is claimed, is led by businessman Thato Abrahams, who has interests in Vodacom – a claim he has since come out to deny.

Read more at: https://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/news/alleged-attempt-to-scupper-big-eastern-cape-e-learning-contract-a268e53f-aff1-4288-ba5a-0e52c1df1210

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams’s husband in Sita storm https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/stella-ndabeni-abrahamss-husband-in-sita-storm-6dbb4e0f-b3f5-4e07-86ae-0105b9aeb19a

Excerpt:

According to the whistleblower, the patronage party between Sita and Abrahams continued when telecoms company Vodacom received an RT15 contract to supply tablets, mobile devices and e-Learning materials to the Eastern Cape Department of Education through the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development.

Sources at Sita say Abrahams has a close relationship with the telecommunications giant.

In a response to questions, Abrahams said: “I would like to put it on record that I don’t have any business dealings with Vodacom, Sita nor any other player in the Telecoms space.

“I would really appreciate it not to be dragged into Sita and its service providers squabbles.”

Ndabeni-Abrahams responded: “I know nothing of these baseless allegations and I would urge you to ask your sources to provide evidence of your allegations.”

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06/30/2020

Auto translated from French. Source: https://www.anfr.fr/index.php?id=425&no_cache=1&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&tx_news_pi1%5Bnews_preview%5D=1450

The obligation to inform the consumer regarding the specific absorption rate (SAR) is extended, from July 1, 2020, to all radio equipment emitting more than 20 mW and intended to be used near the body. This obligation was previously limited only to mobile telephones. The national agency of frequencies (ANFR) will reinforce the information of the users and will proceed to the control of these devices.

To improve public information and to take account of changes in consumption patterns and the appearance of new devices that may expose consumers to the airwaves, the obligation to display the SAR is extended to all radioelectric equipment whose maximum average power is more than 20 mW and intended to be used near the human body: phones, tablets, certain connected watches, wireless headsets … This obligation will thus allow consumers to choose their equipment in an informed manner. For these devices, the regulations already required measuring the SAR, but the display obligation was previously only applicable to mobile phone devices.

The SAR values ​​must appear in the instructions for use of equipment whose date of first placing on the market is later than July 1 as well as at points of sale, in the immediate vicinity of the equipment concerned. The obligation also applies in the case of free distribution and in all advertising. To ensure consumer protection, the limit value for the “limbs” SAR is set at 4 W / kg. This new value thus supplements the limits already set for the “head” and “trunk” SAR (2 W / Kg). 

As part of its mission to control public exposure to electromagnetic waves, the ANFR will therefore carry out verifications from July 2020 to ensure compliance with these new provisions. The results of the measurements will be available in an open data on the site www.data.anfr.fr.

Finally, to better understand what DAS is and what will change on July 1, the ANFR has designed videos and infographics for the general public – see https://www.anfr.fr/index.php?id=425&no_cache=1&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&tx_news_pi1%5Bnews_preview%5D=1450

Video in French https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzeEtapyG8o

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Guide available (in French) https://www.anfr.fr/fileadmin/mediatheque/documents/expace/2020-guide-R%C3%A9glementation-DAS-FR.pdf

Background: https://www.emfsa.co.za/news/france-radio-equipment-the-display-of-the-specific-absorption-rate-sar-will-be-generalized/

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Tablets, connected watches, radio controlled toys … From 1 ^st  July 2020, the specific absorption rate (SAR) will be displayed on all radiofrequency radiation emitting devices that can be used near the human body (up to 20 centimeters ). To date, this display requirement only applies to mobile phone devices.

Two decrees were published to this effect in the Official Journal of 17 November 2019.

The allowed limit values ​​of SAR are:

• 2 W / kg (watt per kilogram) for head and trunk;
• 4 W / kg for members (limbs)

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18 August 2019

“Tablets, PCs and Mobile Phones Change Our Brains” : Interview with Professor Dominique Belpomme:

“So tablets, PCs and mobile phones change our brains”: 
The French oncologist’s warning about electromagnetic waves: “They lower children’s IQ and also harm adults”.
By  Margherita Enrico, ilgiornale.it, 17 August 2019 (auto-translation)

Paris: There is an archive, the largest in the world, maintained by an eminent (and controversial) French doctor considered a luminary but also viewed with some suspicion by the transalpine scientific community. In those files, facts and data on the damage caused by electromagnetic waves have been compiled.

He is Dominique Belpomme, 76, professor of oncology at the University Paris-Descartes, who took responsibility for a summary. Result: red code, serious danger, especially if we will be under the mantle of 5G. This is not a joke. Belpomme is famous for having published a very disturbing review on electrosensitivity three years ago and, thanks to him, France has recognized for the first time on a national basis a case of disability due to sensitivity to electromagnetic waves. The effects on the brain, which he considers not to be well understood by the public, can reduce the learning abilities of children and adolescents and even reduce their IQ. And if no action is taken, the consequences could be catastrophic.

80 per cent of children aged 3 to 6 can use tablets and mobile phones.

“A very serious problem, partly because their nervous system is developing, partly because physically, the circumference of the skull is smaller and therefore is penetrated more deeply than that of an adult. A phone call of just two minutes can alter the natural activity of a child’s brain up to an hour after the phone call because the waves penetrate deep into the brain. I’ve seen newborns crying continuously in the presence of Wi-Fi because the electromagnetic waves caused them severe headaches.”

Should precautions be taken even during pregnancy?

“For the sake of the unborn child, the mother should use the computer only when it is connected via cable and should use the mobile phone as little as possible, because the radiation is very toxic for the child. Pregnant women who use their mobile phone a lot increase by 54% the risk of hyperactivity and emotional difficulties appearing in the unborn child. But the biggest risk is that diabetes, thyroid disease, cancer and other cellular abnormalities may develop and occur later in adults.”

What are the main symptoms that occur in children who are overexposed?

“Insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, behavioral disorders such as irritability, attention deficit, especially at school. Unfortunately, these behaviors tend to be considered of psychological origin, but much more often than you think the cause is prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields. Dyslexia and dysgraphia can also be a consequence of this overexposure.”

Are these effects irreversible?

“Yes, if you don’t run for cover when you get the first symptoms.  Instead of boasting about their children’s technological abilities, parents should be very careful about letting their children use mobile phones and tablets. A 14-year-old patient of mine, after sleeping for four or five years with his cell phone on his pillow near his ear, was affected by symptoms that were the same as those of Alzheimer’s: he had lost his sense of direction and in order to move, had to hold his mother’s hand, behaviors that are not normal at that age and that were certainly caused by the presence of the cell phone near the head during sleep“.

Are there any warning symptoms for adults?

“At first, you may feel warmth in your ear when using your mobile phone for too long. There may also be a tingling sensation in the hand which is holding the phone or in the most commonly used hand on the computer keyboard. If no action is taken when these first signs appear, much more serious symptoms such as tinnitus, tingling all over the body and dizziness, sometimes accompanied by loss of balance, will appear very quickly, symptoms that announce the arrival of a serious disease and to which can be added in a short time cognitive disorders such as memory loss, attention problems, loss of remembering.”

Do your studies confirm that the increase in chemical intolerances is related to electrosensitivity?

“People who have an intolerance to electromagnetic radiation can more easily become sensitive to all other chemicals. The two intolerances go hand in hand. Conversely, a sensitivity to chemicals may evolve into a hypersensitivity to electromagnetic waves.”

Are the opinions of the international scientific literature sometimes conflicting?

“I believe this is due to the interference of lobbies which do not allow us to tell the truth about the damage caused by wireless technology. Six thousand scientific articles have been published worldwide demonstrating the toxicity of electromagnetic radiation. There is irrefutable evidence of the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the human body, plants and animals, as demonstrated by studies around the world. In Russia, scholars in this field have already shown many years ago that during the Second World War the prolonged use of radio devices in the Steppe caused memory loss, attention deficits and lack of concentration in the military. The discovery of the toxicity of electromagnetic radiation is therefore not new. The novelty is that the increase in wireless electronic devices is subjecting us more and more to the frequencies of electromagnetic waves, a volume that our body has never experienced in the past, so it cannot adapt to them so quickly.”

Is there a cure?

“Electromagnetic waves alter the vascularization of the thalamus, causing loss of balance and tingling. The only food remedy that has been tried to date is the use of fermented papaya known as Immun’Age. The same one used by John Paul II in 2002. In my patients who have undergone treatment with fermented papaya, brain vascularization has been restored. Wojtyla improved because it had a great benefit on the vascularization damaged by Parkinson’s disease .”

Are there any other precautions to take?

“For example, limit cordless and mobile phone use to 20 minutes per day with calls not exceeding 6 minutes each. When you are at home or at the office and need to use your computer (no more than seven hours a day), it is advisable to choose a cable connection. It is also essential to ensure that your home has a grounding system, turn off electrical appliances when not in use, including wireless ones, eliminate energy-saving bulbs, because they can cause dangerous electromagnetic radiation, replacing them with incandescent bulbs or LED filaments. Never charge your phone on the bedside table at night and remember to switch off the modem. Ah, and contrary to what is believed, you should try to use headphones as little as possible: they act as an antenna and worsen the situation, especially the Bluetooth ones“.

Original article in Italian: http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/politica/cos-tablet-pc-e-cellulari-ci-cambiano-cervello-1740785.html

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The ban is also in place at break times, with exceptions in cases of emergency and for disabled children, the French Education Ministry said in a statement. In emergencies, students can ask their teachers or supervisors for permission to use their phones. Meanwhile, high schools can voluntarily implement the measure.

Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said the new rules aim to help children focus on lessons, better socialize and reduce social media use. The ban is also designed to fight online bullying and prevent thefts and violence in school.

Blanquer has hailed the legislation as “a law for the 21st century,” according to Agence France Presse, that would improve discipline among France’s 12 million school students.

“Being open to technologies of the future doesn’t mean we have to accept all their uses,” Blanquer said in June as the bill was going through parliament.

Nearly 90 percent of French 12- to 17-year-olds have a mobile phone, AFP reported, and supporters say the ban could limit the spread of violent and pornographic
content among children.

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/09/05/french-school-cellphone-ban-students-return-class-without-devices/1199937002/

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by Sophie Davaris, ABO+, Tribune de Genève, 26 August 2017 – translation

See also the previous post

Switzerland: Note Issued by the Child and Youth Health Service of Geneva on the Health Risks of Use of Digital Technology

Health: Exposure to tablets, TV, and smartphones alter the development of toddlers. In Geneva, doctors and teachers are sounding the alarm

By age 7, a child will have spent an entire year of his life in front of a screen. At age 18, three whole years. The British Medical Journal’s 2012 report sends shivers up the spine. Since spring, voices are raising to denounce the dangers of TV, smartphones, tablets and other consoles for babies and young children. Dazzled by these devices which sometimes even captivate us, we have under-estimated their negative effects on our offspring.

At the end of May, Le Monde published a warning from twelve professionals. Pediatricians and child psychiatrists, psychologists, speech and language pathologists raised a “major public health issue”. Overexposure to digital technology causes a host of ailments. Whatever the social environment, these specialists describe children who are not developing normally: they do not speak, they do not communicate, they are very agitated or, conversely, they are passive. According to the authors, these disorders are similar to the symptoms of autism, with the major difference that they disappear when screens are removed.

Geneva doctors are concerned

What about Geneva ? « We notice exactly the same thing and are very alarmed », says Nathalie Nanzer, deputy physician in charge of the Child Guidance Unit at Geneva’s university hospital (HUG). The child psychiatrist highlights the danger of screens for children under age 2 to 3; beyond that age, according to her it is less serious. “Faced with screens before the age of one, children experience great developmental delays. Towards age 2-3, hyperactive and disorganized, they cannot concentrate. At age 3 to 4, some children are without language and without interaction. They do not look at you, do not know how to say hello or to ask something from their mother.” These are toddlers who are awkward in their walking and gestures. “Some have never held a pencil! They do not know how to play Lego, they get upset, and send everything flying.”

On her side, the psychologist Anne Spira regrets the use of the “screen-nanny”. She reminds us how a baby needs a person who adapts to him/her with finesse. “The adult helps translate and contain the emotions of the young child. He decodes, rephrases, and adds nuance. A screen does not adapt itself. It limits experiences and blocks the imagination, while a child must be able to develop his five senses, play with objects which have weight, texture, smell, and to invent stories from scratch…”

Conscious of the problem, the Department of Child and Youth Health (SSEJ) produced a note in July on the risks of digital technology to health, which must be sent to teachers at the beginning of the school year. In addition to the disorders already described, the SSEJ recalls that screens affect sleep and eyesight; they could promote the development of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

Screens even in the park

This is not all: early exposure to screens disturbs psychic well-being and socio-affective development and promotes attention deficit, SSEJ insists. Captivated by TV or a video game, some children are reluctant to make an effort and no longer support frustration. “A teacher seems very bland next to a screen parading rapid, colorful images”, summarizes Nathalie Nanzer and Anne Spira.

But is this debate new? Television was already accused of all kinds of evils in the 1970’s. « There is a difference : now, screens , mobile and numerous, are following us everywhere », remarks Nathalie Nanzer. What parent, in fact, has never taken with them a tablet or a DVD player when travelling? Some families keep the screen on during meals, others take them to the park.

Clear rules

So, should we throw away all screens? Anne Spira recommends strict control with small children: not more than 30 minutes a day. “Whatever the rule, it must be clear. We must not negotiate ceaselessly,” adds Dr. Nanzer. “In the beginning, the child will have enormous crises, like a person lacking his drug.” But in little time, children calm down and find other interests, assures the doctor. “We think that they are going to suffer but no! Spontaneously, they want to discover the world. A child needs to play, to read, to speak, and even to get bored!”

It remains to convince the adults. Many have found screens to be a practical way of occupying the child, leaving time for themselves. Some are dependent on it. “There exists homes where the TV is switched on permanently”, notes Nathalie Nanzer. Others believe in the virtues of technology. “They offer a tablet to their child, thinking they are doing good. They are surprised when they are made aware of the risks.”

If screens are so harmful, how can we explain the timidity of the warnings up to now? “There was a latency period. We are only starting now to step back”, replies Dr. Martine Berger, Director of the Child and Youth Health Service (SSEJ).

Stephan Eliez : « Competencies can be rewarded, but not always »

For child psychiatrist Stephan Eliez, Director of the Medico-Pedagogical Office, “there was a kind of idealization of screens. The technology is socially valued, the talk remains ambivalent as some experts feared being seen as out-dated.”

Stephan Eliez says that by age 9, the screen has become the leading source of entertainment in Switzerland. European pre-teens spend an average of 35 hours a week in front of screens, distinguishing television from tablets and interactive consoles. “These games deliver rewards but are programmed to allow success to be irregular. This generates surprise and produces expectation. Practically lacking in content and very distant from the real world, these programs deprive the brain of essential stages in its development, while cartoons or films have a story-line with social content, even stereotyped.”
Without dramatizing, Stephan Eliez deems it essential to deliver a word of caution: « Parents need to be informed of the impoverishment caused by excessive exposure to screens. Meta-analyses have shown that time spent in front of a screen is inversely correlated with academic success. More broadly, the child is restricted in his capacity for attention and intellectual, linguistic and social development.

Stephan Eliez warns that «skills not acquired at a certain age can be compensated, but not always completely.” When must we be worried? “If a child does not make sentences at age two and a half, it is worth making an evaluation.” But he is confident: “Parents want to ensure the best for their child. If they are warned, they will react.” S.D.

« Pupils who get quickly bored and don’t know how to occupy themselves »

The 10 detrimental health effects of wireless devices

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