If you love to blog on Steemit or you use a laptop for work, you probably spend many hours a day behind the screen. If you're like most people, it is probably hard to imagine a day without it - there are so many important tasks they allow us to do. But have you ever thought about the safety of your laptop? Could this helpful tech device actually be harming us?
Are Laptops Really Safe?
Laptops may seem harmless but are they really? If you've ever used a laptop on your lap or placed it directly on your legs for a period of time you probably noticed redness or a lot of heat. The reason is they emit electromagnetic fields (EMF) or what is known as electromagnetic radiation (EMR).
Laptops are like portable microwave ovens that are constantly zapping us on a daily basis. If you're a skeptic or this sounds crazy to you, keep reading. Like microwave ovens, laptops produce electromagnetic radiation. Growing scientific research is starting to uncover that this radiation is a constant threat to our health. The fact that we live in such a modern world only increases our radiation exposure. Cell phones, smart devices (i.e. smart meters, smart washing machines, smart TV's), power lines, and wifi are constant sources of this radiation.
But today, we not only are being constantly bathed in radiation, we're actually wearing devices that emit high levels of it! From laptops on our laps to wearing mini computers (Apple watches), we should take a closer look at how widespread technology has become, maybe even rethink our boundaries.
Your Laptop May Be Killing You, Study Reveals
The Environmental & Occupational Health's Study, conducted in 2012, points to laptops being dangerous to human health and even to unborn fetuses. The study used five different computers, each from separate manufacturers and measured the amount of radiation they emit. The researchers used a large database of average pregnant woman developed by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Ciba University to correlate their findings.
The study found:
1. Swedish EMF standards were exceeded by 71–483% which increases risk for tumor development.
2. Using the power supply with the laptop dramatically increased EMF emissions.
3. The radiation from laptops the pregnant women and their unborn babies were exposed to was higher than in those close to high-voltage power lines or video screens.
The study highlights the scary reality of these invisible freqencies, saying "EMFs can penetrate deeply into the body and induce elec-tric currents. If the current density exceeds a certain thresholdvalue, excitation of muscles and nerves due to membrane de-polarization is possible."
What exactly are EMFs or EMRs?
EMF’s stand for electromagnetic fields, and EMRs stand for electromagnetic radiation. Both terms can be described as wavelengths of energy comprised of an electric and magnetic field. We often refer to them as "electromagnetic frequencies" as well. These fields move together perpendicularly, forming a wave-like shape like this:
If you really want to get technical, EMFs have frequencies below 300 hertz or cycles per second.
The Electromagnetic Radiation Spectrum
If you remember back to the days in science class, you learned about the electromagnetic spectrum. This comprises the full range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic radiation exists and measures them. From left to right, you have radio waves, microwaves, radar, infrared light, ultraviolet light, x-rays, gamma rays, and cosmic rays. The spectrum also classifies radiation as non-ionizing or ionizing.
Laptops fall under the category "low-frequency fields", which is shared by power lines and AC outlet plugs.
How to Reduce Exposure to Laptop Radiation
Besides never using your laptop again, there are some simple ways you can mitigate the EMFs our laptops produce. First, you can place the laptop as far away from you as possible. Second, you should never put it on your body. Third, you should never use it while plugged into the power supply. Fourth, you can buy laptop shields that have been designed to block EMF radiation and the heat that is emitted from them. They are relatively thin and slide right under your computer. Some of them cost more than others but you definitely want to purchase quality because there are many on the market that probably don't work.
Do you use a laptop shield? After reviewing this study, I think it's a smart idea. I also think it's smart to really ask ourselves, should it be"normal" to have electronic devices permeating every inch of our lives, everywhere we go, to the point we cannot escape them? They may be a big contributor to the increasing rate of cancer and ill health that plagues the world today.