The Health Benefits of Airplane Mode
One simple solution to a few serious problems
I live in New York City, where the average noise level reaches 96 decibels, our air quality leaves much to be desired, and several years back the Bloomberg administration campaigned for all New Yorker’s to wear earplugs (seriously, I was briefed and almost worked on said campaign). For reference, sounds above 85 decibels are harmful and can culminate in irreparable hearing loss when one is exposed to it for more than three hours.
New Yorkers are exposed to 96 decibels or more most of the time, on the daily. *Cue the five fire-engines, all horns on, racing directly past you on your walk home from the restaurant you could barely hear yourself think in, all to get back to the apartment where you’ll sleep to the ambient noise of traffic, a few idiots who can’t handle their liquor, and blatant neighbors above.* Get a rug, Brad! Please get a rug.
But, I LOVE NEW YORK. I’m a New Yorker. Emotional scars, rat encounters, and sky-high rent to prove it. Regardless of the unique health consequences anyone tells me I’m facing, you’ll never convince me that New York City is not the greatest City in the world, or that the negatives outweigh the positives of living here. So don’t try.
While many of the health issues and warnings we’re aware of, both here in the City and around the world, there’s one issue that goes largely unrecognized or observed: RF Radiation, EMF, and wireless energy heat. Essentially, radiation from our phones, Wi-Fi, and most of the tech that makes life so convenient and manageable. I’ll admit, this gives me pause. My very first pause on living in New York City… we’re cloaked in wires and wireless and EMF’s and towers and oh my.
WARNING: Before you call bulls*&%, or roll your eyes, or argue that “we’re all gonna die anyway and everything causes cancer now,” it’s good for you to know that not everything causes cancer; you should at least take notice of stuff that may effect you; and the more research done on these tech-driven issues, the more it’s discovered how potentially harmful they may be. Also, yes, it’s science-backed.
I’m the most guilty, skeptical, and aporetic individual when it comes to… well… basically everything. I DON’T WEAR EARPLUGS. Per contra, the more I learn about RF Radiation, EMF, and wireless energy heat, the more convinced I am that we should all be taking some precaution to counteract and prevent it. It affects us NOW. Not years from now. Right now. Further, it’s radiation that exists all around us, bouncing from cell towers, wireless routers, and the mini-computers we hold in our hands (smartphones). Science and research is proving biological effects caused by the environmental toxins mentioned above. Why? Physics: Energy transfer. A transfer that is found to generate free radicals, enable chemical reactions, cause damage to DNA or alter the structure of proteins. The way this interacts with our body’s natural frequencies has the ability to cause pain, sleep disruption, and the loss of healthy functions of the deep-brain center. This, among other health ailments you should pull up some research studies to discover, on your own accord.
Here’s where Airplane Mode works wonders. By simply pressing that small button with the airplane on it — hard to miss — you’re cutting off your phone’s ability to connect to cellular networks, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. In kind, cutting off the electromagnetic waves that pass through your cell and straight on to you.
**iPhone users: If you’ve updated to the most recent version of iOS, Airplane Mode may no longer disconnect Wi-Fi or Bluetooth along with it. Double check. Some people are reporting this switch, while others aren’t having any problems with it. Just make sure that when you press the Airplane button, the three lights (as shown below) shut off.
Additional info can be found here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208086
Honestly, what does it hurt to switch to Airplane Mode every night; make Sunday all about that Airplane Mode; switch to Airplane Mode for a few hours every day? Doing so doesn’t disconnect you from the world, but it does (at least momentarily) dissever you from a bit of the unnecessary radiation you’re receiving each time your phone is powered on, in your hands. Or (gulp) powered on and near while you sleep (please don’t do this). If you need more reason for using the magical Airplane Mode, note that it saves battery life, helps your phone charge at a faster speed, and it’s easy to just flip right off.
I’m scratching the surface here, but switching to Airplane Mode is one teeny tiny little thing you can do, every day, to reduce your risk for health issues associated with the constant tech-radiation we’re exposed to.
Baby steps to total health and wellness. I’d be awry to not admit that practicing this Airplane Mode thing takes some getting used to, and though I’ve yet to feel the health benefits of reducing my radiation exposure, I can say that it feels good to simply unplug for a bit. My world doesn’t come crashing down. I find myself more relaxed during Airplane Mode time, and I’m certainly more focused on the real things, people, and tasks in front of me.
If you want to learn more ways to protect and care for yourself in our tech-driven world, a great resource is Tech Wellness. I enjoy the fact that it’s research based information and that it’s never preachy. The Founder, August Brice, believes we can live well WITH tech in our lives, offering practices and products to do so. She consults with a board of scientists and doctors to ensure the information you’re getting is accurate and grounded.
Switching to Airplane Mode, suspending radio-frequency signal transmission, is so easy your four year old with the iPad could (and should) do it. And so should you. Worth the small amount of effort, right?!
Lastly, if any of you happen to know a Brad who lives in Manhattan on the corner of 17th Street and 10th Ave, please tell him to buy a large rug for his bedroom. Appreciate it.
-Mia
