Smart TVs are well-known for their wider range of features such as music streaming, browsing, and gaming. This, however, comes at a price.
Smart TVs’ wireless internet connection means that much higher levels of radiation are emitted. Although Smart TV technology emits significantly lower radiation than other types of TVs on the market, their constant connection to the internet and other devices results in longer radiation emission.
While manufacturers advocate for the safety of their Smart Televisions, it is wise to know more about the implications of owning such a device.
So, if you want to learn more about Smart TV radiation and ways to protect yourself from their emission, keep scrolling!
Smart TV Radiation
A smart television emits electromagnetic radiation (EMF) like any electronic device. However, this amount is much lower than for other types of TVs like CRTs.
How you connect your Smart TV to the internet router can determine the radiation hazard it presents. When smart televisions communicate wirelessly to the internet, they tend to generate more radiation than when they communicate through cable.
The motherboard or converter of smart TVs, however, emits less nonionizing radiation compared to other types of TVs. Smart TVs are becoming a norm in most households due to their competitive prices and the level of comfort that they provide to their users.
According to Statista, 57% of households had a smart TV in 2020 in the UK. A significant increase is observed when you compare the 2020 results to the 48% recorded in 2019.
The prominence of Smart TVs has revealed some concerns about their EMF radiation. While Smart TVs emit lower radiation than their predecessors, sitting in front of the TV to watch your favorite shows for long hours will still increase your EMF exposure.
Cathode Ray Tube TV Radiation
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) TVs consisting of an electron gun, vacuum tube, and phosphorescent screen. This type of TV has been available since the 1930s.
If you are familiar with CRT TVs, you will most likely recognize their bulky frames that take up a lot of space. Though CRT screens have been declining in recent decades, those currently available still emit significant levels of electromagnetic radiation.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have noted that CRT TVs emit primarily ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray radiation because of their high-power usage.
Some research has shown that EMF radiation emitted from CRT TVs in the past sometimes crossed critical threshold levels. However, recent CRT televisions are rigorously tested to ensure that radiation levels remain within safe limits for most of the time.
Yet, it is difficult to find CRT TVs on the market as the technology is outdated and quite unsafe. X-ray radiation can be carcinogenic; it might cause cancer as X-ray beams are highly penetrating.
Our skin easily absorbed them and subsequently destroy cells found well below the skin. As to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, it has effects on our skin health.
Standford Healthcare stated that exposure to high-level UV radiation causes premature aging of skin and damage to skin tissues. The UV rays from a TV can also cause eye cataracts.
Radiation from Satellite Dishes
The operation of satellite dishes makes it one of the safest and eco-friendly TV technologies found on the market since they do not emit EMF waves.
Satellite dishes work in tandem with geostationary satellites, which transmit and receive signals. Parabolas focus satellite signals at their center so that they are captured by receivers at the center of the dish.
Through cable connections, televisions transmit the received signal to the screens, where it is rendered and displayed as images and sound.
The various communication lines that make satellite TV possible emit little to no radiation from any part of the system. This is so because satellite dishes are passive devices that do not emit electromagnetic (EMF) radiation.
As per the Federal Communications Commission, the microwave and radiofrequency (RF) emissions from satellite antennas are much below the recommended safety limits for human beings, making them safe.
The only source of EMF radiation that comes into play with satellite dishes is the signal received from space. But rest assured!
Such radiation is so attenuated and of low power when they reach the Earth that they cause little harm to human health.
How Much EMF Radiation Do TVs Emit?
TV radiation comes from the circuitry of the television set and sometimes from the in-built converter. Television sets having a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) can produce X-rays in relatively large quantities because of the high voltages required to operate the TV.
Those emitted X-rays have been proven to be a hazard to human health. TVs constantly emit low-level radiation inside the house but scientists are yet to link radiation emission from televisions to harmful effects on human health.
The FDA stated that television sets have not been found to emit a noticeable level of EMF radiation which can pose a consequent threat to our health. Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) TVs, as well as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) ones, emit a negligible amount of radiation.
Their radiation levels are thus within normal safety limits. However, sitting too close to the TV set for a prolonged period increases exposure to EMF radiation.
Also, while the TVs may not directly affect your health, the overall accumulation of your EMF exposure from various devices over a long period can induce health consequences.
Effects Of TV Radiation On Children And Babies
While the myth states that everyone reacts to EMF radiation the same way, children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to these waves.
A child or a baby may be constantly exposed to radiation from television, just like everyday radiation from the sun, if not much.
Because of such high exposure to EMF radiation, children and babies are adversely affected both physically and mentally.
In a study from the Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics Journal, researchers found that the biological effects of TV radiation include thermal imbalances, lethargy, headaches, and tinnitus.
These effects are primarily symptomatic of Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome (EHS). Besides electrical radiation, electromagnetic fields (EMF) can also affect infants’ brain health.
When children watch too much TV, they are exposed to more radiation, which has negative effects on their neurological activities and sleeping patterns. EMF radiation can also lead to developmental impairments in young children.
Children can experience decreased cognitive abilities and even language development delays in their early childhood. If TV and overall EMF radiation are not regulated, it can negatively affect the developmental milestones of children and babies for years to come.
Hence, it is highly recommended to limit children’s exposure to EMF TV radiation.
This includes:
- Limit television watch times for younger children.
- Use EMF blockers and protective gear, such as DefenderShield protective blankets.
- Do not allow children to sit too close to TV screens
With those simple steps, you can let your child enjoy watching TV for a short period while still being protected from EMF radiation.
