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Wi-Fi in schools: good or bad?

Is Wi-Fi hazardous for your kids health? Some schools are plugging back in

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Originally published in Today's Parent September 2011

Illustration Credit: Lee Hasler

Your son bursts in the door after school, but instead of excitedly telling you about his day, he flops into bed, complaining of a headache and feeling dizzy. Is he tired? Hungry? Stressed? Or maybe it’s the Wi-Fi at his school.

Is Wi-Fi hazardous to your child’s health?

Some parents, like those from the Simcoe County Safe School Committee (safeschool.ca) in Ontario, are blaming wireless coverage in classrooms for causing headaches, dizziness, behavioural changes and racing heart rates in their children. The symptoms seem to show up during the school week, but disappear on weekends. The parents say more research is necessary to determine if long-term exposure to the radiation emitted from the relatively new technology is safe.

They’re not alone. Some health experts and organizations, including the European Environmental Protection Agency, maintain that wireless technology is harmful to everyone, but especially children. “Exposing kids all day to Wi-Fi in school is really an experiment with unknown consequences,” says Victoria-based health researcher Kerry Crofton, who spent four years reviewing radio frequency science for her book Wireless Radiation Rescue: Safeguarding Your Family from the Risks of Electro-pollution. “Sure we love the convenience of technology, but is it worth taking even a small chance when it comes to our children’s health?” Younger kids are particularly vulnerable to the radiation in our increasingly wireless world, says Crofton. They absorb more radiation than older kids or adults because they have thinner skulls and their brains and nervous systems are still developing.

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