Although the United States offers no precautionary guidelines, Britain’s advisory body on radiological hazards, the Health Protection Agency has urged parents to limit their children’s use of cell phones, recommending that younger children use cell phones only in emergencies. In Europe, the Vienna Doctor’s Chamber has warned expressly against excessive mobile phone use, especially by children. “If medications delivered the same test results as mobile phone radiation,” chided a spokesperson for the chamber, “one would have to immediately remove them from the market.”
The June 2006 Business Week article titled “A Phone Safe Enough for the Kids?” detailed the growing marketing of cell phone service aimed at kids and their parents by Cingular Wireless, Verizon, and, most recently, Disney Mobile. After reviewing the scientific studies, the article concluded: “So far, there has been no public clamor over the new services like Disney’s. Does this mean phones are safe for kids? Or is the U.S. hooked and in collective denial? For now scientists concerned about cell-phone safety say the only thing protecting kids from possible danger is their parents.”
Where children are concerned, the consequence of uncertainty is magnified. Effects might include diseases that are deadly, such as leukemia; diseases that are difficult to diagnose, such as autism; and diseases that don’t appear for decades, such as Alzheimer’s. Exposure to EMF could also alter a person’s DNA, which would make it possible for that person to transmute genetically based diseases to his or her offspring.
By taking the high road, designing safety features before they are legally required, cell phone manufacturers can help protect and reassure their customers. This approach means managing this short-term risk effectively and innovatively, and turning it into a long-term competitive advantage: the beginning of a reputation as a visionary, not a villain.
Lavinia Weissman (lavinia@workecology.com) is the director of WorkEcology, an online community for practitioners of organizational learning and related theories. She focuses on innovative practices for the workplace. Recently, she has been examining trends on the prevention of chronic disease. She is a frequent contributor to the SuccessFactors blog and Hospital Impact.
