Parents say wi-fi at school making kids sick

[fredr123]

More info here: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/sto...ario-wifi.html

The symptoms, which also include memory loss, trouble concentrating, skin rashes, hyperactivity, night sweats and insomnia, have been reported in 14 Ontario schools in Barrie, Bradford, Collingwood, Orillia and Wasaga Beach since the board decided to go wireless, Palmer said.


"These kids are getting sick at school but not at home," he said.


"I'm not saying it's because of the Wi-Fi because we don't know yet, but I've pretty much eliminated every other possible source."

And the story made slashdot today too: http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/...Public-Schools

Both note the wi-fi ban at Lakehead University, prompted by similar health concerns.

[Ashartus]

A good (and reasonably balanced) take on this here: http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2215. One of the key points is that the non-ionizing radiation exposure from Wi-Fi is 100 times lower than that from cell phones, but I bet most of those kids have cell phones.

[photon]

I wish I had no scruples, I would make a fortune off of wifi absorbing paint and construction materials.

[Thor]

lol I'm about ready to give up, lets start wifi paints inc!

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by photon

I wish I had no scruples, I would make a fortune off of wifi absorbing paint and construction materials.

Then when those same kids STILL get sick, I would make a fortune off suing you for selling products that didn't work. And I don't have any scruples.

[Pinner]

Maybe the high blood pressure and diabetes kids suffer from these days has something to do with it ?

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Thor

lol blame wifi.

Check the school air quality, look for toxins, especially molds. Check the water supply, the food services area.

Kids complaining should also check for sensitivity to lights used in schools, humming noises for those prone to headaches.

Nah.

Problem is kids aren't getting enough sleep, don't eat right, are obese, don't get enough exercise, and in general have a bad attitude.

But hey, lets blame Wi-Fi first. lol.

[You Need a Thneed]

A couple of posts here really sum this up.

1. We already absorb much higher energies in radio waves from TV and radio signals.

2. WiFi networks are pretty much everywhere. I guarantee that all of those kids that live in an urban area are in in a wireless network range of someone's network. My mac recognizes about 20 wireless networks. Not having a WiFi router in your house does not mean that there is no WiFi signals passing through your house. If anything the signals would be stronger at home than at school.

[Russic]

I used to get sick all the time at school too. Oddly enough it always seemed to be mid-terms and finals. I'm pretty sure it was the all the ink used in the photocopies.

[Finny61]

I actually used to live in most of those towns and cities cited in the article. I'd like to know what schools they are referring to as many of them are very old (not so much Barrie because it is booming). I'd be more worried about mould and allergens. Wi-fi just doesn't add up to me.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by Russic

I used to get sick all the time at school too. Oddly enough it always seemed to be mid-terms and finals. I'm pretty sure it was the all the ink used in the photocopies.

Clerk at the court house actually wears little white cotton gloves all the time because the photocopier toner causes him to break out on his hands. True story.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Funniest part is this, IMO:

Susan Clarke, a former research consultant to the Harvard School of Public Health, says young children absorb much more radiation than older children and adults because of their thinner skulls.

[I_H8_Crawford]

I bet the Wi-Fi gets turned up 1,000,000x on the day of a big exam.

Poor kids don't stand a chance against THAT.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by fredr123

I would make a fortune off suing you for selling products that didn't work.

Has anyone sued Homeopaths?

[Azure]

TORONTO — A school board north of Toronto has no plans to remove wireless Internet from its elementary and high schools based on concerns that the microwave exposure may be making students sick.

http://www.globaltoronto.com/Board+r...564/story.html

[CaptainCrunch]

I wonder if anyone factored in the school field trips to the Planet...arium.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by Azure

Nah.

Problem is kids aren't getting enough sleep, don't eat right, are obese, don't get enough exercise, and in general have a bad attitude.

But hey, lets blame Wi-Fi first. lol.

^^Azure, ftw.

[firebug]

If only we had some philosophers who could explain to the kid's parents how wifi cannot...

Never-mind, bad idea.

~bug

[troutman]

http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2215

In the town just north of where I live the middle school was completely torn down and an entirely new middle school was built. The reason for this was concerns that mold in the old school was making children sick.

Apparently, Wi-Fi is the new mold. In central Ontario parents are lobbying the school to turn off the Wi-Fi due to fears that it is making their children sick. You can take the news report of the parents concerns, time-warp about ten years in the past, and substitute “mold” for “Wi-Fi” – the arguments are the same, and the evidence as weak, but the identified problem has just shifted.

These news stories also highlight the need for greater public education in critical thinking. These parents mean well, they are just falling victim to poor critical thinking skills. The news report also indicates that the school board has been largely ignoring them, which is not a good strategy. Professionals and regulators also need to learn how to deal with the public over such issues.

What we have here are the seeds of yet another grassroots movement that is disconnected from science and hostile to authority. This is a scenario we have seen played out many times before, and no doubt we will see it many times again.

[corporatejay]

Apparently, Wi-Fi is the new mold.

What happens if the mold is actually toxic though?