Are AirPods Bad for Your Health?
by Jacob Tobin, Junior iPreparatory Academy
by Jacob Tobin, Junior iPreparatory Academy
Are Apple AirPods bad for your health? It was 7th grade; I finally had a pair of AirPods which I had been wanting for months. I couldn’t wait to wear them at school. I loved them; that is until, out of curiosity, I started doing some research on the health implications. I remember reading headlines, bullet points, and loaded language about brain cancer and tumors.
I was so disappointed and worried about my health that the next day I returned them.
I was so disappointed and worried about my health that the next day I returned them.
At this time, four years after the introduction of the Apple AirPods, I am on a quest to find the truth about air pods and determine if anyone else should be concerned for their health.
The specific radiation people are worried about is RF (radio frequency) radiation. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires phone manufacturers to comply with limits they set for SAR (specific absorption rate of radio frequency energy), which is measured in watts per kilogram. The SAR limit set by the FCC is 1.6 watts per kilogram. As reported in a Reuters article published July 1, 2021, Apple's public FCC filings show that AirPods SAR is .071 and .095 depending on which AirPod they tested (right or left). This is less than half the limit set by the FCC. |
![Picture](/uploads/3/8/4/3/38437285/editor/white-ticpods-adjusting-on-the-go-0.jpg?1634905849)
So finding that Apple AirPods meet international regulations, I wonder if they could still be harmful? Could they still give people brain cancer? Although there are plenty of TikToks, articles, Instagram posts, and Tweets about how dangerous AirPods are, these Social Media blasts are all based on misinformation that is recirculated by millions. As of right now, there is no scientific evidence to support this popular claim.
In fact, according to a medically reviewed article on Healthline.com, a website for physical and mental health, “One 2019 found the amount of radiation in Bluetooth headsets was 10 to 400 times lower than phone radiation.”Therefore, the scientific community is suggesting that AirPods have caused no harm to anyone thus far, and since the air pods fall into the regulations set by the FCC and have minimal radiation, they should be safe.
There isn't even evidence to suggest RF radiation is bad for humans in small doses. This is all speculation from people with zero relevant evidence or data.
In fact, according to a medically reviewed article on Healthline.com, a website for physical and mental health, “One 2019 found the amount of radiation in Bluetooth headsets was 10 to 400 times lower than phone radiation.”Therefore, the scientific community is suggesting that AirPods have caused no harm to anyone thus far, and since the air pods fall into the regulations set by the FCC and have minimal radiation, they should be safe.
There isn't even evidence to suggest RF radiation is bad for humans in small doses. This is all speculation from people with zero relevant evidence or data.
In the end, should anyone be worried about AirPods? The answer is “No,” we should not. There is zero evidence to suggest that AirPods can cause brain tumors or affect people’s overall health.
Unfortunately I was influenced to return my AirPods because of misinformation and propaganda I saw online. This again teaches consumers to do research before making decisions, and everyone needs to remember that not everything read or posted online is true.
Unfortunately I was influenced to return my AirPods because of misinformation and propaganda I saw online. This again teaches consumers to do research before making decisions, and everyone needs to remember that not everything read or posted online is true.
Citations
Reuters Fact Check. “Fact Check-No established evidence that Apple AirPods harm your
health.” Reuters. 1 July2021.https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-health-
airpods/fact-check-no-established-evidence-that-apple-airpods-harm-your-health-idUSL2N2OD0WO
Yetman, Daniel. “Do Airpods Cause Cancer? What You Need to Know about the Viral Myth.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 27 May 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/do-airpods-cause-cancer.
Additionally, according a medically reviewed article on Healthline.com, a website for physical and mental health, “ One 2019 found the amount of radiation in Bluetooth headsets was 10 to 400 times lower than phone radiation.”
health.” Reuters. 1 July2021.https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-health-
airpods/fact-check-no-established-evidence-that-apple-airpods-harm-your-health-idUSL2N2OD0WO
Yetman, Daniel. “Do Airpods Cause Cancer? What You Need to Know about the Viral Myth.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 27 May 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/do-airpods-cause-cancer.
Additionally, according a medically reviewed article on Healthline.com, a website for physical and mental health, “ One 2019 found the amount of radiation in Bluetooth headsets was 10 to 400 times lower than phone radiation.”