ACHES was set up to promote, enhance and protect human and environmental wellbeing. ACHES provides a forum to raise awareness and advance the truth about legal, medical and scientific information relating to current and emerging technologies. ACHES “Weekly Picks” will highlight the most relevant news pieces from our partners and collaborators to raise awareness of the health harms caused by such technologies, and also chronicle the much-needed solutions to enhance our health.
Friday 29 August
Residents in Alaska Battle to Remove Cell Tower
An article by the Children’s Health Defense who are campaigning to stop 5G, has shown how local residents in Sitka, Alaska are pulling out the stops to prevent the construction of a 120-foot cell tower in their neighbourhood. The local residents did their own research and after discovering the harms caused by living in close proximity to a cell tower, they formed their own group Sitka for Safe Tech. The public opposition to the tower was so extensive that initially the application was defeated. However, although Tidal Network, the company who plans to erect the tower is not backing down, neither are the local residents.
Not so SMART: Boys not Making the Grade
Last week we posted how teenagers and young children are facing a “tsunami of damaging online content” that is harmful to their health. The Sunday Times recently wrote a piece declaring that the number of boys studying English A-level has halved since 2009, influenced in part by distractions caused by smartphones as well as uninspired GCSE syllabus that have left them reading less. English A-level was far more popular 20 years ago, but now subjects such as psychology, biology and chemistry are more favoured, with English in fifth place. Interestingly, Anna Trethewey, an Executive Director at the exam board AQA, said “increasing screen time” has played an important role in the decline of reading for pleasure and could be affecting subject choice. One English teacher, at an independent school who did not want to be named, said the impact of phones, tablets and the changes in children’s viewing habits could not be overestimated. The average student in school, college or university spends 5 hours and 30 minutes a day on their smartphone, according to research carried out by Fluid Focus, an app aimed to reduce screen time. Our previous Blogs have highlighted that screen time is causing educational, social and mental health concerns. Let’s continue to keep raising awareness of these issues and highlight possible solutions.
SuperConnected at the Cinema; Stay Connected without Tech
In our ever-increasing digital age, one way to combine fun, music, social connection and learn about the dangers of modern digital concerns is through Tim Arnold’s latest album ‘Super Connected’, which returns to theatres, cinemas and schools in 2025. The idea is to stay connected while keeping gadgets and Wi-Fi exposure to a minimum. See here for the list of dates and venues for the SuperConnected Events that Tim Arnold is organising around the country; briefly:
17 September: Hampshire
26 September: Barnet
2 October: Somerset
16 October: Reading
17 October: Swansea
22 October: Liverpool
24 October: Edinburgh
Smart Phone, Leave at Home…Especially if Clubbing
An article in the Sunday Times Style supplement covered an interesting story on youngsters going to nightclubs in Manchester and how they are leaving their smartphones at home. With not a single mobile phone in sight, welcome to the world of phone-free clubbing! As many are now embracing the idea of connecting with one another and not via Wi-Fi, many venues are now bringing in phone-restriction policies. In the nightclub walls, screens project the phrases “No phones, no filming, no flash”. The Sunday Times article discusses how even in London it is possible to find all-night venues such as Fold and Fabric operating under no-photo rules. People are now becoming aware of the dangers of Wi-Fi EMFs and many initiatives are now underway to create safer environments.
Don’t Scroll: Screen-Free Sleep for Children
Around the world, there has been more attention on limiting screen time for children and adolescents (and adults) as a result of the harmful or negative aspects of wireless radiation. The focus is more on the social and mental aspects rather than radiation per se. Bullying in the school playgrounds, and impaired neurological development are just some of the concerns of parents who are now keen to see screen-free schools becoming the norm. In a survey of parents titled “Scrolling 2 Death” over 1,500 parents spoke up revealing their true feelings about technology, screen time, and AI. An overwhelming 91% of parents do not want their children using AI at school. In a separate Blog called Screenagers people have been asking about “Screen-Free Sleep” – check it out. For excellent information on this topic and much more, see Patricia Burke’s Substack for Safe Tech International.