Kangaroo Valley Voice - Lazyfish Technology

July 2008 Kangaroo Valley Voice Page 31Children andMobile PhonesThe current mobile telephones are much closerto computers with functionality such as theability to take photographs, videos, chat tofriends via the internet, act as a GPS andnavigator, play music & movies, browse theinternet as well as make conventional phonecalls.According to Dolly Australia 4 out 5 teens willhave a mobile phone but it is interesting to notethe little control or direction most parents haveover their child’s mobile phone usage.The Floppy household has one child with nomobile phone and no intentions to purchase forsaid child but the Floppy household also hosts 2teenage girls each weekend who are completephone junkies and have owned phones sincethey were very young.The two phone junkies suggest that the“Floppies” are hopelessly out of touch with thereal world.Are the Floppies hopeless luddites cruellydenying their child access to instantcommunication with his mates?This month Mr Floppy cuts to the heart ofwhether he is cruel and unusual or just plainsensible.We tend to be complete suckers for the cleverand manipulative marketing of themobile phone companies.We tell ourselves that instant communicationand the fact that our children can contact useasily makes our children safer, our busylives can be managed and rescheduled at a whimor in response to a crisis.But there are downsides.There have been a number of studies conductedabout the possible effects of mobile telephoneusage on children and their brains.Effect on the brainDoes using a mobile phone give you cancer orbrain tumours?While there have been a number of media beatups about mobile phone usage and cancer therehas been no hard evidence to support a directlink.The Cancer Council fact sheet statesConclusions• At present, the research evidence suggests thatthere is no reason for concern over harmfuleffects, including cancer, from using mobilephones.However, lack of evidence does not proveabsence of risk.• As relatively little is known on the long termeffects of electromagnetic field exposure, moreresearch is needed in this area.• People who are concerned about thepossibility of harmful effects can reduce theirexposure to RFE by reducing their use ofmobile phones or using a phone model thatgives a low exposure to RFE.• We do not know with any certainty how muchRFE exposure is reduced, if at all, by use ofhands free kits and mobile phone accessoriesthat are said to shield against it.Effects on anxiety levels, sleeplessnessand poor gradesA recent study presented at Sleep 2008 meetingof Associated Sleep Societies found teens whomade more than 15 phone calls and sent morethan 15 text messages in one day slept poorlyand had more careless lifestyles compared withthose who made less than five of each per day.We won’t attempt to analyse “carelesslifestyles” but there are many studies that showteenagers and adults who do not get enoughsleep perform poorly.There is significant peer pressure amongst teensto own a mobile phone.The mobile phone communication can beoverwhelming for some children whileothers start to measure their self worth throughthe number phone calls and texts received.Children will take theirphones into the classroomand text each other ratherthan concentrate on thelesson.Unsolicited textmessaging and bullyingMobile phones can receivespam SMS messages as wellas bullying texts.Inappropriate taking ofimages and videoSchoolyard fights can be