Risks of Ill-Being Posed by Mobile Internet Usage to Younger Schoolchildren

Background: Modern children are noted for increasing mobile Internet usage, during which the electromagnetic field exposure is aggravated by the exposure to the phone screen light, both affecting children’s well-being. The relevance and purpose of this study have been determined by insufficient knowledge of effects of this combined exposure and the lack of data on the patterns of mobile Internet usage detrimental to younger schoolchildren’s health.

Objective: To assess the impact of mobile Internet usage on the well-being of elementary students and to establish its parameters posing risks of children’s ill-being.

Materials and methods: In 2017–2019, a cross-sectional study of 140 Moscow first to fourth graders was conducted using questionnaires to establish the parameters of smartphone use for voice calls and access to mobile Internet as well as the frequency of health complaints and neurological history. In addition, the energy flux of electromagnetic fields generated by the children’s cell phones was measured. In 112 students with a normal neurological history, of which 77 used and 35 did not use mobile Internet, the applied statistical methods revealed the parameters of mobile Internet usage posing risks of ill-being, i.e. having certain health complaints several times a week.

Results: Mobile Internet usage was associated with sleep dissatisfaction in the children (OR = 6.81; 95 % CI: 1.91–24.22), which occurred when the monthly Internet usage exceeded 8.62 hours and a session length was more than 10 minutes. Daily Internet usage increased the risk of forgetfulness (OR = 5.23; 95 % CI: 1.43–19.19) while higher levels of smartphone radiation correlated with both sleep dissatisfaction and forgetfulness. A low intensity of mobile Internet usage (less than 17.74 hours a month) was associated with low mood in the study population.

Conclusion: To prevent ill-being, younger students shall be advised to exclude mobile Internet usage or to limit it to 8.62 hours per month.

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