When to give a child a cell phone? – Cancer fears worrying parents
Almost everyone owns a cell phone these days, for a variety of different reasons. But is it right to let your children own one as soon as they express a desire to? And how big an influence do the continuing concerns over the link between cell phones and cancer have on that decision?
Cell phones are a piece of technology that has grown in popularity massively over the past 20 years. Not too long ago, the phones were brick-sized, and only owned by businessmen, in another effort to stay connected to the office, or early-adopters keen to show they had the money to be able to afford such a device. Now, everyone, from your grandma to your kids, owns a mobile phone.
Cell phones are a boon for the older generation, providing security, and a means of always being in touching distance of contact with the family. But while the security issue is also present when it comes to kids, allowing parents to keep tabs on their children wherever they are, there is the issue of how young is too young?
The problem parents have today is that most kids own a mobile phone, so the peer pressure on those who haven’t been able to persuade their parents to buy them one is unbearable. When I was at school, the same thing could be said of the latest pair of designer trainers, or computer game, but now, it’s the latest cell phone.
There’s another concern for parents wanting to please, and keep in constant touch with their kids: the concerns over whether the prolonged use of cell phones can cause cancer, or other health issues.
According to Yahoo News, Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, issued a warning to his staff last week for them to limit cell phone use. He particularly warned against children using them, as their brains are still developing.
Each parent obviously has to make their own mind up on the issue, but with such a mish-mash of conflicting research material out there, that’s a tough thing to do.
There have been numerous research studies conducted which have failed to find a link between cell phone use and tumours, but until a definitive piece of evidence is published proving or disproving the link, parents are rightly going to worry about letting their kids use cell phones.
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