Luckily, laptop screens generate considerably less radiation than desktop towers. Unfortunately “considerably less” isn’t exactly the same as “none at all”.
Most of the electronic devices in our homes generate some degree of radiation, from television sets to microwaves to computers to, yes, even refrigerators, to some degree. The fear regarding laptops is thanks to a couple of things…
Laptops are wireless
We still don’t know a whole lot about the subject, but there is certainly fear that cellular phones and wireless internet may contribute to cancer thanks to how much radiation they generate. We’ve seen studies pointing to cell phones possibly giving you brain tumors, and others pointing to cell phones being relatively harmless. Luckily, most research leans towards cell phones and wireless internet being mostly harmless.
Laptops sit on your lap
In other words, laptops aren’t too far from your reproductive organs. There is some fear that this can cause infertility and cancer. This sounds scary, but let’s be completely honest…
It’s mostly paranoia.
You’re not exactly X-Raying yourself without a lead apron here. There has been no conclusive evidence linking the relatively minor amounts of radiation generated by laptops and other computers to any form of cancer. Even myth of getting eye cancer from sitting too close to the TV screen has been debunked.
Obviously, you shouldn’t test your luck. You don’t want to sit in front of two big screen TVs with a laptop hooked up to three monitors and a cell phone in either hand on a daily basis. Enough prolonged exposure to radiation may very well lead to health complications. But, regular use really doesn’t seem to pose much of a threat.
Again, there has been no conclusive evidence showing any real results on either side, but the fact remains that millions of people are walking around with cell phones and laptops and not getting cancer.
This doesn’t mean that there’s zero risk, but there is far, far, far less risk of getting cancer or becoming infertility thanks to laptops than some people fear. Wearing your pants too tight is more of a threat to your fertility than using a laptop.
If you keep a laptop on your lap all day long for days on end, sure, there’s some degree of risk. It’s not going to give you cancer overnight, but it won’t exactly help matters, either. And if you keep your laptop on a desk or table, there’s little to no major health risk in normal to slightly-more-than-normal use.
Unless you’re using your laptop as a seat warmer, it looks like we can (mostly) chalk this one up to distrust of new technology.
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We don’t really know all too much about the effects of certain things, but even when we do, do you think these things will be banned? Look at tobacco, aspartame, harmful chemicals…
I’m not talking about screen radiation here, but the fact that there are concerns about Wi-fi (and cellphones) backed up by some research already tells you it’s not all that good.
From http://www.healthandenvironment.org/?module=uploads&func=download&fileId=546
In an interview in 2004, Sir William Stewart said he was even more concerned, mentioning four new studies that worried him – including the Naila Study in Germany, where doctors found a trebling of cancers after five years in patients who lived within 400m from mobile phone masts (radiation levels similar to those of a Wi-Fi network).
More recently, the Bioinitiative Report (2007) – published by an international working group of distinguished scientists, researchers and public health policy professionals – reviewed over 2000 studies. Their final report raised serious concerns about the existing public
exposure limits, and documented brain tumour risks and other health risks from exposure to wireless technologies.
Who else is concerned?
Several schools in England and France have dismantled their Wi-Fi systems after concern from teachers and parents.
In late 2007, the French National Library removed all Wi-Fi systems in Paris due to health complaints from staff.
In 2005, the Austrian Medical Association published a recommendation to use cables instead of Wi-Fi. The Salzburg Government, the Frankfurt Local Education Authority and the German Teachers Union have also banned or advised against the use of Wi-Fi in schools.
In mid-2007, the European Environment Agency released a statement advising precaution regarding exposure to Wi-Fi networks until more is known through science.
In September 2007, the German Government issued a warning to citizens to avoid using Wi-Fi in the workplace or at home, suggesting cabled connections instead.
In September 2007, following the Bioinitiative Report, Europe’s top environmental watchdog, the European Environmental Agency, called for immediate action to reduce exposure to radiation from Wi-Fi, mobile phones and their masts. It suggested that delay could lead to
a health crisis similar to those caused by asbestos, smoking and lead in petrol.
[...] Does a laptop computer expose you to additional radiation? [...]
i have my laptop next to my bed where it is approx. a foot away from it, and i am usually on it for 7-8 hours straight. I never keep it directly on my lap and if i do i put it over a pillow, do i need to worry?
Cancer can take a lifetime to develop, people have not been using electronic devices to the extent they are today for more than a few years. You say there is no conclusive evidence either way, then you say there is little to no risk with exactly zero citations and no evidence to back up your claims… what a worthless article and waste of time.
i believe laptop may really develop cancer. i had developed a cancer tumor in my pelis and the only reason i could think of was my extensive usage of laptop over my body for hours together, daily.
So i dont think anyone should try his or her luck with this. the effect may not be as slow as one thinks in all cases.
one may say that laptop may not be the reason for my tumor, but i think if it isnt the cause, it surely acted as a catalyst.
rgds
p.s.
in any human being, cancerous cells attack several times, in a lifetime, which are destroyed by our body’s immune system.