Week 6 - Janine Macaraeg

Janine Macaraeg

Section A01

Week 6

For a speech class I once took, a student presented how food that you cook or heat up using a microwave can essentially damage your body and health. This student experimented on two plants; one microwaved for about 30 seconds to one minute, and the other with natural sunlight. Over a course of 24 hours the plant that was exposed to electromagnetic fields died. The articles for this week shed light on how EMFs can have lasting effects on us; I never put much thought into this issue before. In “Wi-Fi in Schools: Are We Playing It Safe  With Our Students?” by Cindy Russell, she gave multiple examples on the guidelines of different schools in different countries that are trying to implement change on how to handle EMF radiation because young children are most sensitive to it. If we don’t want these young children to experience health problems as they grow older, elementary schools in the United States should consider the recommendations Russell offers. We’ve learned how routers in schools are “much more powerful than the ones you find at home … designed to go through cement, brick and to cover the campus too” (2) in “Is Wi-Fi in Schools Safe?” by Brian Spero. Russell also states that “disruption of memory, decline of attention, diminishing learning and cognitive abilities, increased irritability, sleep problems, increase in sensitivity to the stress, increased epileptic readiness” (19). are some of the health hazards children may face in the future. In addition, it also affects adults’ health as it has “reportedly causes headaches, memory problems, fatigue, sleep disorders, depression. This is so significant for some people that they have to live in a very low EMF environment to feel normal” (18). The bigger issue I see here though is that this information doesn’t seem like it reaches everyone. It makes me wonder if the way we use technology really benefits us especially regarding school. As students we rely heavily on our laptops and cell phones to access study materials and for communication. If we need to reduce the use of wi-fi and of our gadgets, how can we efficiently transition to doing so? And how can we teach children the importance of it effectively? The health risks are laid out there for us and we’re somewhat more knowledgeable now. Mental illness is a growing issue these days and we should be more prepared and informed about how we can take care of ourselves and the future generations.

References:

Airtech 2010. (2016, March 22). [Digital Image]. Retrieved October 26, 2017, from http://www.airtech2010.com/2016/03/22/hello-world/

Russell, Cindy. (2015, March/April). Wi-Fi in Schools: Are We Playing it Safe With Our Kids?, 1-6. Retrieved October 26, 2017.

Spero, B. (2017, April 25). Is Wi-Fi in Schools Safe?: Putting EMF Exposure on Your Radar of Potential Health Risks, 1-3. Retrieved October 26, 2017.