Use of Mobile Phones by Children and Adolescents – Introduction
The child population differs from the adult population. They are not 'little adults', and the two population groups differ in physical and mental characteristics.
As a rule, with respect to all carcinogens including non-ionizing radiation, and most cancer sites, there exists a negative relationship between the age at exposure and the risk of morbidity (the lower the age at exposure to radiation, the higher the morbidity risk), so that this population must be considered a sensitive population compared to adults.
The increasing use of mobile phones by children, and their being a population at risk, makes it logical and justified to emphasize the educated use of radiation-emitting devices among children.
The recommendations for the educated use of mobile phones may be found on the Ministry of Health Website. These guidelines reflect the attempt to strike a balance between the ever-increasing use among children, and their health and safety, and they include recommendations for parents to consider the age at first use, to restrict use, and in any case to ensure the use of earphones (not wireless) or microphones when the phone is in use.
