“There’s no evidence that EMF emitted by electronic gadgets, electronic appliances, and network sources are harmful. People who say EMF seriously threatens human health are just conspiracy theorists or hucksters trying to sell their products.”
Statements like this aren’t uncommon. We hear them on the news, the internet, and even on TV shows.
So, are EMF concerns just a conspiracy theory or a ploy to sell EMF protection products?
Well, let’s find out.
The Ionizing & Non-Ionizing Debate
When asked about the dangers of EMFs (electromagnetic fields), people point out the distinction between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation"Radiation" in the context of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) refers to the process by which energy is emitted and transmitted through space or a material medium in the form of electromagnetic... More.
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Ionizing radiation"Ionizing radiation" refers to a type of electromagnetic radiation that carries enough energy to liberate electrons from atoms or molecules, thereby ionizing them. This form of radiation is part of... More like X-rays, gamma rays, UV rays, and nuclear radiation are incredibly harmful. If you’re exposed to them, even for a short time, you can develop a range of problems almost immediately.
On the other hand, non-ionizing radiation that your electrical gadgets, electrical appliances, and network sources emit has significantly less energy"Energy" is a fundamental concept in physics, often described as the ability to do work or cause change. In everyday terms, it's what is needed to move things, heat them... More compared to ionizing radiation. For this reason, they were long considered to be safe.
But over a century of science now has shown us that this assumption was incorrect.
Is Non-Ionizing Radiation Completely Safe?
The answer is no. And it’s not just me saying this. First off, everyone — even the most skeptical scientist in the world — knows that, at a certain level of power"Power" in a scientific context refers to the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. In simpler terms, it's how fast something is using energy. For example,... More, even non-ionizing EMF radiation is dangerous. In fact, that’s exactly how a microwave oven works. A microwave oven uses non-ionizing microwave EMF radiation to cook food.
So, the debate has always been about at what level of power non-ionizing EMF radiation is dangerous. Cell phone companies and power utilities would argue that, at power levels lower than what would trigger the thermal effect, non-ionizing EMF is safe.
In contrast, thousands of research studies have concluded that prolonged exposure to non-ionizing radiation –– even at levels too low to trigger the thermal effect –– can cause health problems ranging from minor sleep disorders to DNA damage, oxidative stress, and chronic diseases like cancer.
You can learn more about them on my EMF Health Effects page.
Now talking about cancer, specifically, is a bit complicated. And this works in the wireless industry’s favor. You may have heard “experts,” say that research studies have found no “definitive” or “conclusive” evidence that exposure to non-ionizing radiation causes cancer. And what they’re saying is technically the truth, just not the whole story.
The Cancer Misunderstanding
See, diseases like cancer take a long time to form. Sometimes even 25-30 years. And so it is literally impossible to know what today’s EMF exposures will result in by the 2050s. It’s hard to find animal subjects with similar DNA structures to humans that live for that many years. And ethical bounds prevent performing such experiments on humans. What’s more, there are almost no populations unexposed to EMF radiation — so it is virtually impossible to establish control groups for experimentation.
We do see data from short studies on animals like mice and rabbits where we have seen evidence of DNA damage and sometimes even tumor formation. This allows scientists to take an evidence-based guess on the long-term effects of prolonged EMF exposure.
So, does your cell phone causes cancer? We know for sure that prolonged exposure to EMF from your phone causes problems like DNA damage and oxidative stress, which could eventually lead to chronic diseases like cancer in the long term. And that, too, depends on many factors, like your lifestyle, genetics, and more.
The Half Truth
It’s easier to say there’s no definitive evidence that cell phones cause cancer than to explain the whole thing. And it’s good for business too. That’s why wireless companies take the “no conclusive evidence” route rather than the “completely safe” route. Because if they were to say that their products are completely safe, they wouldn’t have to put recommendations like “keep your cell phone at a certain distance from your body” in their fine print.
Learn more about this in my post, “Are Cell Phones Completely Safe? Not Even the Cell Companies Say So.”
The wireless industry and its associated industries have been doing this for many years. From telling the half-truth and performing their own studies with handpicked scientists to trying to debunk and discredit scientists who write the truth, it’s a complete roller coaster ride. And that’s what we have captured in our series, “The Business of EMF Science.” Check it out after reading this post.
So, to answer your question of whether EMF concerns are a mere conspiracy theory, absolutely not. EMF is harmful, and there’s a lot of science backing this up.
But are there people who link their own ridiculous views with EMF just to sell their products? Yes, there are.
But Some People Are Here Just to Sell
EMF is a complex subject. This means there’s also a lot of misinformation. For example, a while back, some people tried to link 5G"5G" refers to the fifth generation of wireless communication technology, a step up from the previous 4G, 3G, and 2G networks. It's designed to provide faster internet speeds, more reliable... More with the global pandemic we faced in 2019. Before that, people claimed that 5G was some sort of mind-control product that governments and tech companies use to control the masses.
If you have heard hoaxes like these and believed them, you shouldn’t. Because it’s not science, and these statements are completely baseless.
My goal with SYB is not to make the masses into Luddites. Instead, I aim to inform people of the dangers of modern technology and provide them with healthier ways to protect themselves and their loved ones from its effects while still being able to enjoy advancements in tech.
Many of these hoax superspreaders are actually in the business of selling products that do nothing but make a gargantuan hole in your wallet.
So, how do you know which EMF protection products are real?
Do You Even Need EMF Protection Products?
Before we learn how to identify real EMF protection products, we need to first look at if you even need them in the first place.
See, the level of EMF we face today is colossally more than what a human body is evolved to withstand. Behind the walls of an average home, you’ll find at least 10-12 EMF-emitting devices. So, one thing is clear, you need to reduce your EMF exposure. Now the question is, do you need EMF shieldingEMF shielding refers to the practice of reducing the electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in a particular area by blocking or altering the electromagnetic waves with barriers made of conductive or... More products for that?
Ideally, no. The first step to reducing your EMF exposure is changing your lifestyle. You can make changes like:
- Not carrying your phone in your pocket or bra
- Putting your devices into airplane mode or switching them off when you’re not using them
- Turning off your WiFi when you don’t need it (e.g. when you’re sleeping)
- Replacing your wireless gadgets with their wired alternatives where possible
- Hardwiring your internet connection instead of using WiFi
- Ceasing use of devices or being near EMF sources if you’re pregnant
- And so on.
If you do these and the other tips mentioned on our “Healthy Living Tips” page, you can reduce your EMF exposure for absolutely free. But we also understand that many of these solutions aren’t feasible for everyone.
This is where lab-tested, science-based EMF protection products come in.
But how do you know the product you’ve purchased does what it should?
Identifying Real EMF Protection Products
See, almost all genuine EMF shielding products are based on a 200-year-old scientific experiment known as the Faraday cageA Faraday cage, named after the English scientist Michael Faraday who invented them in 1836, is a structure used to shield its contents from external electric fields, including electromagnetic fields... More. The concept is that placing an EMF-sensitive object inside a mesh cage of conductive materials like metals will protect the object from EMF-induced harm.
You can learn more about the Faraday Cage in my post, “The Faraday Cage and EMF Safety: What You Might Not Know.”
Using this principle, manufacturers like Shield Your Body develop products that block and deflect EMFs coming from your devices in the opposite direction—i.e., away from your body.
So, how do you identify a real EMF shielding product?
First, look for whether it’s following Michael Faraday’s principles. Take our SYB 5G Phone Shield, for example. It’s a card-like product designed using gossamer thin metallic threads covered by a layer of fabric that forms a shield to deflect EMF radiation, working much like a Faraday cage.
It’s a highly effective EMF shield, but we also had to design it to shield on one side only. That’s because if we make it an actual Faraday cage, your phone won’t work. And if there’s even a small passageway for the radiation to leak, your phone will increase its EMF emissions, making it even more harmful to your body.
So, we had to make the shield in a way that protects your body without affecting your phone’s functioning.
So, two questions to ask yourself.
- Is this product following Michael Faraday’s principles?
- Is it designed to not interfere with my device’s reception or battery life?
At-Home Testing: The Most Crucial Deciding Factor
Virtually all EMF shielding products designed using the Faraday cage’s principles can be tested at home using an EMF meter.
There are two types of EMF measuring devices, lab-grade and consumer-grade.
The devices in laboratories cost thousands of dollars and are extremely precise, which is not the case for the EMF meters you buy online. But even consumer-grade EMF meters will tell you whether an EMF shielding product works and how effectively.
So, can you test this product at home? This is also one of the questions you can ask yourself before purchasing a product.
Learn more about testing EMFs at home on my EMF Testing Resources page.
But Even If It Doesn’t Use Faraday’s Principles
Most legitimate EMF shielding products use the Faraday cage’s principles to protect you from EMF. But there are exceptions.
Take our SYB HARD, for example. It’s a headset attachment that blocks your phone’s EMFs from reaching your brain through your wired headset.
The science behind this is simple. Inside each HARD is a dielectric gel that absorbs the microwave radiationMicrowave radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from one meter to one millimeter; with frequencies between 300 MHz (0.3 GHz) and 300 GHz. This type of... More emitted by your cell phone that would otherwise be conducted into your head with standard headphones and headsets. And we have scientific proof that it works.
So, the point is there are products that use different scientific principles, and they work. But you need to ensure that the product you’re buying has a proper scientific explanation of how it works and independent laboratory test reports showing that it works.
Final Thoughts
The concerns around EMF’s biological effects aren’t mere conspiracy theories to sell EMF protection products. EMF risks are real and affect almost everyone on this planet.
But are there people who add their own elements to EMF concerns to sell untested and ineffective products? Yes, there are. And understanding the science behind EMF and EMF protection is the only way to differentiate between real and fake EMF information and products.
We have hundreds of posts translating complex EMF science into a language anyone can understand. Besides that, they also provide tips on reducing your EMF exposure so you can live a safer, healthier life alongside modern technology.
Find all those posts and more for free on the SYB website.
