Waldorf News

Protecting Children from the Hidden Hazards of Modern Technology

By Jennifer Militzer-Kopperl, Renewal of Literacy®

Overnight, my life turned upside down. I used to be able to eat everything, but suddenly I had food sensitivities and digestive problems. As a trained Waldorf teacher, I had been practicing equanimity and mindfulness for years—now I was irritable and anxious, and I struggled with brain fog.

I used to walk everywhere. Now, my muscles ached whenever I exercised, and I had heart palpitations even when sitting still. What was causing these symptoms?

The answer was electromagnetic radiation (EMR) coming from the Wi-Fi router on my desk, the cell phone, and the smart meter outside my bedroom window. It and other forms of electronic pollution affect human beings, but they are not perceptible to the human senses.

My health problems only began to resolve when I addressed the EMR and electronic pollution in my environment. As I worked through my own recovery, I started to ask what parents and educators can do to protect children—and themselves—from the hidden hazards of modern technology. I would like to share three ways to approach the problem.

Five Guidelines to Reduce Exposure to EMR and Electronic Pollution

The first way is to reduce exposure to these technologies and their concomitant EMR and electronic pollution. I made five guidelines and included actionable steps to help families begin:

1. Technology is Not a Toy: Do not let a preschool child use a cell phone, tablet, or laptop computer (or put one next to a child). These technologies are not for children.

2. Distance is Your Friend: Keep technology away from the body.

• Watch content on a TV at a distance rather than stream content on a hand-held device such as a cell phone or tablet.

• Use a desktop computer rather than a laptop.

• If you use a laptop or pad, put the device on a table rather than on a lap.

• Never carry a cell phone next to (or on) the body.

• Never use a cell phone as an alarm clock. Position an electronic alarm clock far away from the head or use a simple battery-powered clock instead.

3. Wired Trumps Wireless: Choose a wired option whenever possible.

• Replace Wi-Fi with ethernet. (If that is not possible, turn the Wi-Fi off at night when the family is sleeping.)

• Use a landline rather than a cell phone or a cordless phone.

• Get rid of smart meters. Use traditional meters that must be read.

• Use a computer with ethernet rather than an iPad or a cell phone.

• Use a headset with wires rather than holding a cell phone to your ear. Never use a wireless device such as Bluetooth or a cordless phone.

4. Be Conscious of Technology Use: Choose when and how to use technology.

• Turn off technology when not in use.

• Do not do anything in front of a child you do not want the child to do when the child is older.

• Pregnant women and couples intending to conceive should take additional steps to limit exposure.

5. Spend Time in Nature. Go outside and have children play outside.

For more information on modern screen technology’s impact on children and students, read the article “Bill Gates and Steve Jobs raised their kids with limited tech—and it should have been a red flag about our own smartphone use.”

For more ways to reduce exposure to EMR and electronic pollution, read Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn’t Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution by Ann Louise Gittleman.

Work with Child Development to Build Resilience

Second, Rudolf Steiner, founder of Steiner-Waldorf education, has some unusual advice on how to deal with new inventions and technologies.

He notes that technology can have a negative effect on health, including mental health. He also notes that technology is a necessary part of modern life. Therefore, Steiner offers this suggestion:

When new inventions affect modern life, we must take steps to balance any possible ill effects by finding appropriate countermeasures.

We must try to compensate for any weakening of the human constitution through outer influences by strengthening ourselves from within.

But, in this age of ever-increasing specialization, this is possible only through a new art of education based on true knowledge of the human being. (2003, 147)

In other words, parents and teachers can strengthen children if they have an anthroposophical view of child development, which is summarized in the figure below.

I have named the stages and periods for ease of discussion.

Figure 1: An Anthroposophical View of Child Development

Steiner offers three indications for early childhood, one for each period:

1. Senses Period (birth to age 2.5): Be a good role model for children. Learning to walk and talk is the foundation for self-confidence. Thus, Steiner recommends that parents speak naturally and morally (rather than engage in baby talk). It is possible to add to this indication: speech should come from human beings, not screens. Parents can model healthy social interaction by limiting their own screen use in front of babies and toddlers. They can demonstrate proper walking by putting the cell phone away and walking rhythmically with proper posture (as opposed to doing the cell phone shuffle with their heads bent over a screen).

2. Fantasy Period (age 2.5 to 5.0): Choose toys consciously. Toys should encourage children to use their imaginations as much as possible. Steiner recommends that parents avoid toys that are atomistic or beautiful/finished. Examples include building sets (e.g., Legos) and perfect, finished dolls. Steiner says it would be better if parents made dolls from old cloth with a few dots for eyes so that children have to use their imaginations. Screens that provide images would be right out.

3. Faith in Teachers Period (age 5 to change of teeth): Hold off on formal academic instruction until the change of teeth.

Steiner’s claims may seem strange (i.e., that new technology can cause mental health problems and that simple suggestions based on child development can strengthen children from within); however, Kim John Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting, has found that both are true.

Payne shows that many children are stressed by modern life. Some children are so stressed that they develop a formal mental health diagnosis such as anxiety or attention deficit disorder (ADD).

He states that parents can help by simplifying the child’s environment. He has developed four areas to simplify: 1) environment (e.g., by simplifying toys); 2) rhythm; 3) schedules; and 4) filtering out the adult world (e.g., by moderating the speech that children are exposed to).

A study of Waldorf students in America and Canada proves that simplicity parenting can be an effective treatment for children with ADD.

The study found that 68% of students who met the clinical definition of ADD no longer qualified for the diagnosis after completing four months with simplicity parenting (Payne 2009, 28). These parents were able to help their children solely by simplifying their child’s environment.

Kim John Payne’s work with Simplicity Parenting shows that parents and educators who understand child development can take countermeasures to balance the ill effects of modern technology and strengthen children from within, just as Steiner advocates.

For an overview of simplicity parenting, including the four areas to simplify and a comprehensive summary of Payne’s indications, read the article Jennifer Militzer-Kopperl’s Notes for Simplicity Parenting 2.0. It can help parents get started, and it is a useful resource for study groups.

Use the EMR-Lowering Protocol to Help Children Who Have a Diagnosis

Finally, if a child has a formal diagnosis, it is good to consider whether EMR is a factor. Physicians have discovered that reducing exposure to EMR can reduce symptoms in some children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder.

They have developed a two-week electromagnetic radiation (EMR) reduction trial to determine whether EMR is a contributing factor to a child’s diagnosis. Here is a summary of the protocol:

1. Turn off Wi-Fi at night for at least 12 hours.

2. Unplug all cordless phones and keep cell phones at least six feet from children (and off in the car). Better yet, do not use any wireless technologies 24/7 for two weeks.

3. If possible, turn off the electricity to the child’s bedroom at night.

4. If there is a smart meter on the house, avoid being near it for prolonged periods.

Document the child’s symptoms before and after the two weeks to see if there is a change.

For example, a four-year-old boy with autism-spectrum disorder had slept poorly for two years; consequently, so had his parents. After two weeks on the protocol, the boy slept through the night in his own bed for the first time.

When the older child secretly turned the Wi-Fi back on at night, the little boy’s behavior and sleep regressed, and both improved when the parents resumed the protocol. EMR was determined to be a factor in the child’s diagnosis, and the reduction in EMR in the home environment was made permanent.

The doctor also treated the child for nutritional deficiencies. As a result of these two changes, the boy’s cognitive levels improved by two grade levels.

For more information, read “Calming Behavior in Children with Autism and ADHD: The Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)-Lowering Protocol that Has No Cost or Side Effects” by Katie Singer. It explains the protocol and contains links to resources.

Conclusion

Parents who are aware of the hidden hazards of EMR and electronic pollution can take steps to protect children. First, they can minimize exposure in the home and school environment.

Second, they can strengthen the constitutions of children by working in alignment with child development, for example by using Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne.

Finally, if a child has a formal mental health diagnosis, they can try the EMR-Lowering Protocol to see if reducing EMR improves the symptoms.

Humans cannot sense the EMR and the electromagnetic pollution coming from modern technologies, but it affects us, nonetheless. A bit of consciousness can help ameliorate the negative effects and strengthen children for life.

Bibliography

1. Akhtar, Allana. Marguerite Ward. “Bill Gates and Steve Jobs raised their kids with limited tech—and it should have been a red flag about our own smartphone use.”  Business Insider. May 15, 2020. https://www.businessinsider.com/screen-time-limits-bill-gates-steve-jobs-red-flag-2017-10

2. Gittleman, Ann Louise. Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn’t Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution. New York: Harper One, 2010.

3. Militzer-Kopperl, Jennifer. “Jennifer Militzer-Kopperl’s Notes for Simplicity Parenting.” Renewal of Literacy. https://renewalofliteracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jennifer-Militzer-Kopperls-Book-Notes-for-Simplicity-Parenting-2.0.pdf

4. Payne, Kim John. Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids. New York: Ballantine Books, 2010.

5. Singer, Katie. “Calming Behavior in Children with Autism and ADHD: The Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)-Lowering Protocol that Has No Cost or Side Effects. https://www.ourwebofinconvenienttruths.com/letter-35/

6. Steiner, Rudolf. Soul Economy: Body, Soul, and Spirit in Waldorf Education. Anthroposophic Press, 2003.

Jennifer Militzer-Kopperl is a remedial educator, author, and the creator of Renewal of Literacy®. She is passionate about helping children and students thrive. Her books are The Roadmap to Literacy: A Guide to Teaching Language Arts in Waldorf Schools Grades 1 through 3, Continuing the Journey to Literacy: A Guide to Teaching Language Arts in Waldorf Schools Grades 4 through 8, and The Roadmap to Literacy Renewal of Literacy® Edition. renewalofliteracy.com.