Harmful Technology: Leave Them Kids Alone!
Dr Lisa Hutchinson
As a Generation X (Gen X) born in the 1970s, this was a time when technology was moving fast but synchronised with the general disillusionment of the establishment following the Cold War tensions and aftermath of other political events. As is often the case, the music scene is the first to respond to socio-political unrest, and one of the most iconic pop songs of that era was the infamous Pink Floyd hit from their 1979 album “Another Brick in the Wall”. No one can forget the standout line: “Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!” The song of course is a scathing critique of the authoritarian educational system with its powerful message of the resistance children must take or else face imprisonment in an ‘thought control’ indoctrination system. The video with its visually unforgettable character, Pink ⎼ who builds a metaphorical wall around himself to shut out the pain of life ⎼ has etched itself into the collective consciousness of that generation. I would never have thought that 45 years later, I would be writing about ‘leaving kids alone’, but this time relating to a much more alarming and sinister issue than chronicled in the Pink Floyd pop song. Now is the time for rebellious action!
On the Councils, Planning & ACHES letters section of the website, which was highlighted in the Welcome blog, there are multiple letters that ACHES have created for concerned citizens to use to write to their local councils to raise objections to 5G cell masts. It cannot have escaped people’s notice that across the country massive 5G towers have been erected just metres away from school grounds. ACHES has drafted a template letter that has been sent to 240 individuals across councils and schools about these concerns to notify teachers throughout the UK about the harms of smartphones and wireless technology in order to help safeguard children’s health and wellbeing. As many know, several schools are now banning smartphones and wireless devices in order to improve the mental health and focus of young people.