http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2009/generation_cellphone/main.html
Marketplace
Canada’s Investigative Consumer Show
Are cellphones really safe for your kids?
Can cellphone use cause brain tumours? It’s a question that everyone has wondered about, yet there still isn’t a clear answer.
In the meantime, the cellphone has become an essential device. In Europe there are more cellphones than people, and in Canada, about 72% of the population actively uses a cellphone.
Kids are part of those numbers as well. And they’ve got to have the latest cellphones – some are made specifically for them, with optional designs for download like Disney characters and Hannah Montana. But it’s the parents who have to front the allowance money, so on top of kid-friendly phones, providers pitch “peace of mind” plans to parents, offering features like the ability to control who their kids can call.
But if there are still unanswered health questions for adults, why are cellphones being marketed to kids?
That’s a question Wendy Mesley wondered about, too. In “Generation Cellphone,” Wendy investigates the cellphones-for-kids phenomenon and uncovers new evidence about possible health risks for children who use cellphones on a long-term basis.
It’s a journey that ends in a presentation of our evidence to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association. You’ll want to hear what they have to say. And, of course, we also want to hear what you have to say in our comments section.