subject: Can Wireless Headsets Fry My Brain? [print this page] The Dangers of Technology? As is the case with just about every revolutionary piece of technology that gradually comes to permeate society, wireless technology is making waves among health-concerned parents and consumers. The invisible waves emitted in many electronic devices from microwaves to mobile telephones have worried many in the past and, while it is now commonly accepted that microwaves are not and mobile phones may be harmful, the question of wireless has turned attention.
Through extensive and ongoing research, it has been found that using mobile telephones can potentially be damaging. The electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by mobile phones is invisible, but can penetrate adult skulls by a few inches and younger skulls by more. These effects are not fully understood and although most scientists accept that mobiles do affect their immediate environments, the actual result on our brains could be negligible or truly dangerous. The advent of Bluetooth and other wireless technology allowed mobile phone users to talk on their phone whilst leaving their phone a distance away from their heads. But are wireless headsets safe? Is Wireless safe? In recent years two opposing sides to the wireless argument have cropped up: activists who call for the blocking and restrictions of wireless and those who doubt the relatively minimal dangers of the technology.
One of the first things to point out in this debate is that both sides may be correct and scientists have yet to prove things one way or the other. Wireless and Bluetooth have only been used extensively for the last 8 years roughly and this is not long enough for the effects of their usage to become apparent or visible. If there is a risk involved then it will certainly be a risk that is developed over long periods of consistent exposure. It usually takes at least 10 years and often more to really notice any results of this kind of technology. Currently, therefore, the debate centres on the issues of potential dangers and scientific likelihoods as opposed to facts and figures. It ought to be noted, however, that the onus is on those arguing the dangers of wireless to prove their case. It is, of course, impossible to scientifically prove that anything is 100% safe.
Certain essential factors to note in this unresolved debate, however, have been outlined by scientists since the start of the discussion. Firstly, there is no evidence that wireless is dangerous. Furthermore, modulated frequencies that carry radio signals into our homes are equally powerful as wireless and several times more pervasive. There is little concern about these radio waves which come into our houses 24/7 despite the concern about wireless to which we have comparatively little exposure. Similarly, people are not worried about the dangers of visible light which carries more energy than microwaves and wireless. There is absolutely no evidence for wireless and Bluetooth being dangerous and given the scientific reasoning behind sceptics' calm, the safe bet is in using wireless technology and letting others try to prove you wrong.
