A new study has found that cell phone addiction physically changes the shape and size of the human brain in a way that’s similar that of a drug addict. Because of this study, we now have physical evidence of a link between cell phone use and physical alterations to the brain.
A total of 22 cell phone addicts and 26 non-addicts made up the study group, and MRI images were taken of each individual’s brain. The images revealed that the brains of the addicted had a lower volume of grey matter in three key areas: the left anterior insula, which is believed to be responsible for your emotions and feelings, the inferior temporal, which allows you to identify what you’re looking at, and the parahippocampal cortex, which provides for the storage and retrieval of memories.
They also revealed decreased brain activity in the cell phone addicts, compared to those who were not addicted to their phones. The results were similar to those found in the brains of drug addicts.
Knowing that the affected areas of the brain are responsible for ones emotions, their ability to remember things, and to grasp what their seeing, and then looking around at today’s young people who carry and use their cell phones everywhere they go.
It should be easy to see that the results of this study might explain a lot about society – cell phone addiction seems to be leading children down a path to becoming emotionally unstable, forgetful and unable to recognize what’s really happening around them.
Could this is why so many young people seem to be captivated by Bernie Sanders? Is it brain damage as the study suggests? I mean, Really? Socialism? C’mon kids, put down the cell phone and pick up a history book… Please…..
In my opinion, however, it is not the cell phones that are to blame. Parents need to be parents again! It is the parenting, or rather the LACK of parenting, that children receive that is to blame.
Young children need proper parenting in their lives, and allowing young children to have cell phones is simply NOT a good parenting choice. Children’s brains are still developing, and early brain development makes them far more susceptible to becoming addicted to these devices. Even worse if it causes them to miss out on developing important interpersonal social skills.
According to studies, by the age of seven, 53 per cent of children own a cell phone and by the age of 11, nine in 10 children have their own device. The studies also found that 57% of children sleep with their phone next to their beds and almost two in five (39 per cent) say they could not live without their phone. Mom and Dad this is not healthy!
Being a good mom or dad is a truly great and noble goal, but you can be a good mom or dad and still not be a good parent.
Good parenting involves promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood.
If you’re giving your young child a cell phone as an electronic pacifier, you are definitely NOT being a good parent, because cell phones discourage the development of these things that, as a good parent, you are supposed to be encouraging.
I’ve no doubt that you’re being a great mom or dad, because wanting to make sure your child is happy and has all the things they need is wonderful, but you are not being a good parent by giving them something that they don’t need, which can not only harm them emotionally, intellectually and socially, but also subject them to the scientifically proven physical dangers presented by harmful cell phone radiation.
Remember that their skulls are not yet fully formed, so the radiation reaches much deeper into their brain than it does into the brain of an adult.
I remember growing up in the 1960’s, and how my parents were always telling me not to sit too close to the television, even though they were unaware that there was a cathode ray tube shooting a beam of electrons at a phosphor-coated screen in order to make the picture on the TV. This process resulted in me potentially being exposed to radiation if I sat too close.
Did I listen the first time? Probably not. Nor the second or third time either, I bet. Keep in mind that as a young child I probably gave them all kinds of grief for making me sit further away, but they kept at it in spite of my childish objections, and after repeatedly being told not to sit too close, I began to listen.
Now that I’m older and filled with the factual knowledge they didn’t even have, I realize they were just being good parents, in addition to being a great mom and dad. Good parents err on the side of caution when there is the slightest chance harm could come to their children. Here at RF Safe we refer to is as prudent avoidance, in accordance with ALARA, an acronym for “as low as reasonably achievable,” which means making every reasonable effort avoid exposure.
People need to start being good parents again, and stop sticking their young kids in front of a phone that they don’t really need in the first place.
In fact, I think if you want to give your child a cell phone, go ahead. Just make sure that they are emotionally and intellectually mature enough to use it safely, just as you would if you were buying your teenager a car.
If they want to talk to distant friends or relatives, have them write a letter. It will mean so much more to the person receiving it than a phone call, because a letter actually takes time, and encourages creativity. Plus, you can take the money that would have been spent on just one month’s worth of phone service and buy a whole year’s worth of pencils and paper, with money left over for stamps!
If they want to play games, there are home-based gaming systems for that, and even portable gaming devices that are not cell phone based. If they need information for their homework, let them us a home computer. My whole point is that there are plenty of less harmful ways for your child to accomplish the things they want to do than to use a cell phone.
If you are trying to be a good mom or dad by giving your young child a cell phone, remember to be a parent first. Your child’s health and well-being depends upon you and only you! You must step forward, put your foot down, and properly explain your concerns about cell phone usage! They might not be happy with the decision, just as I wasn’t happy having to sit so far from the TV. But just like me, they’ll learn to adjust, and when they’re older, they’ll come to appreciate that you were looking out for their best interests. Being a good parent establishes invaluable virtues as your child will one-day be parent too.
If you’ve already given your child a cell phone and can’t stand the thought of taking it away, consider imposing a time limit for using it each day. Make sure that they give it to you at an agreed-upon time so that you can prevent any “cheating.” Don’t allow them to use it during family time, such as during meals. Set reasonable but firm boundaries. Cell phones are not harmless devices, and under no circumstances should they be treated as such.
If your child absolutely must have a cell phone, here are some great tips to share with them that will go a long way towards keeping them safe from the effects of cell phone radiation:
- Always have them use the speakerphone instead of holding the phone against their head. Distance is always their best friend when it comes to avoiding excessive exposure.
- If speakerphone is impractical, have them us a set of air-tube headsets to prevent the phone’s radiation from getting into their ears.
- Have your child text instead of talk.
- As for screen time, the WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines for screen time recommend that children between the ages of two and four spend no more than one hour in front of screens each day (WHO adds “less is better”). And for babies and toddlers up to the age of two, no screen time is advised. WHO suggests that parents replace screen time with more enriching activities.
- Never let them sleep with the phone in bed with them.
- Use airplane mode when playing games or accessing downloaded content like videos and music, etc.