Do mobile phones pose risk to children's brains?
Researchers aim to establish whether mobile phones affect children's mental development
A major investigation has been launched to find out whether mobile phones and other wireless devices pose a risk to children's mental development.
The study will track 2,500 children aged 11 and 12 from September this year, looking at their cognitive abilities, such as thinking skills, memory and attention. It will then repeat the tests in 2017.
Reuters describes it as the "largest investigation to date, evaluating any potential relationship of mobile or smartphone phone use on the developing brains of teens".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The research, led by Imperial College London and funded by the government and technology industry, aims to provide evidence to help parents and children make a more informed choice about using mobile phones. The World Health Organisation has said research in this area is of the "highest priority".
Around 70 per cent of the 11 to 12 age group now own a mobile, according to the BBC. Evidence of harm from mobile phones has yet to be found, but research into long-term heavy use is limited.
Much of the research so far has focused on adults and the risk of brain cancer, with the impact of mobile phones on children less clear.
The NHS advises that children under the age of 16 should use mobile phones only for essential purposes and with hands-free kits. Some fear that children's brains may be more susceptible to damage because they are still developing.
Lead investigator Dr Mireille Toledano said: "The advice to parents is based on the precautionary principle given in absence of available evidence and not because we have evidence of any harmful effects.
"As mobile phones are a new and widespread technology central to our lives, carrying out the study is important in order to provide the evidence base with which to inform policy and through which parents and their children can make informed life choices."
Researchers are writing to 160 secondary schools in the outer London area asking pupils to take part.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 2, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why the UK phone signal is so poor
Under The Radar Having trouble connecting? A lack of investment, planning rules and even your home could be to blame
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
The UK’s new mobile emergency alert system: what is it and how does it work?
feature Government will test new scheme this month with warning sound and vibration on nation’s phones
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
How cybercriminals are hacking into the heart of the US economy
Speed Read Ransomware attacks have become a global epidemic, with more than $18.6bn paid in ransoms in 2020
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Language-learning apps speak the right lingo for UK subscribers
Speed Read Locked-down Brits turn to online lessons as a new hobby and way to upskill
By Mike Starling Published
-
Brexit-hobbled Britain ‘still tech powerhouse of Europe’
Speed Read New research shows that UK start-ups have won more funding than France and Germany combined over past year
By Mike Starling Published
-
Playing Cupid during Covid: Tinder reveals Britain’s top chat-up lines of the year
Speed Read Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Dominic Cummings among most talked-about celebs on the dating app
By Joe Evans Last updated
-
Brits sending one less email a day would cut carbon emissions by 16,000 tonnes
Speed Read UK research suggests unnecessary online chatter increases climate change
By Joe Evans Published
-
Coronavirus: does test-and-trace work to keep Covid-19 cases down?
In Depth Experts say UK’s £12bn system is having ‘marginal impact’ infections rates - but are other countries faring any better?
By Joe Evans Last updated