Alexa Underwood of Santa Barbara warns about the dangers of excessive use of computers.
The side effects of excessive hours on screens is often masked by the simple fact that they are convenient.
The average person may think, “What is better than eliminating multiple trips to your locker, a heavy backpack and unorganized notes scattered in various places?”
It turns out that the convenience of having everything you need within the touch of a screen is damaging. Studies have shown differing effects, including a decrease of in-depth learning and exposure to electromagnetic fields.
Many schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District send iPads to students as young as 10 years old. These iPads will hold everything from their notes to their textbooks. These iPads are equipped with different search engines, spell check and grammar check.
Students build up a reliance on an iPad rather than their own knowledge. Basic education is now something many teenagers are forgetting because they no longer have to put much effort into learning.
Secondly, electromagnetic fields are going unnoticed. EMFs are invisible areas of energy, otherwise known as radiation. These health risks are not being brought to the public’s attention.
Washington State University research concludes, “… radiation activates the voltage-gated calcium channels in the outer membrane of your cells, causing them to open, thus allowing an abnormal influx of calcium ions.” This is believed to be the cause of some chronic diseases seen today. It is possible for excessive use of iPads to be stopped, and action is needed.
Alexa Underwood
Santa Barbara
