With smart homes, tedious, day-to-day tasks are made simpler. However, a very important aspect we must consider when taking a holistic look at smart homes is how they affect the health and wellness of their users.
In this article, we’ll be setting out the pros and cons of smarthomes with respect to the health and wellness of their users. For those that are yet to decide on getting a smart home, this should help you make a decision as to whether a smart home is the best option for you health-wise. If however, you already own a smart home, this article will help you monitor your health in an informed manner. It will also help you decide as to whether or not you should opt for a different option.
Positive Effects Of Smart Homes On Your Health
1. Smart Homes Encourage a Fitness Routine
For starters, smart home fitness equipment would be an excellent purchase if you want to maintain your workout program. According to Digital Trends, the market is already brimming with smart gadgets that may help you exercise more effectively, measure your weight, and even enhance your form. If you already have a home gym, you can add The Mirror, a sm
art gadget with a camera and speakers. It comes with a library of workout classes, which include cardio and strength training, as well as yoga and boxing. Whatever workout you choose to run, you can do so from the comfort of your own home at any time with professional help.
2. Improved Care for the Vulnerable and Elderly
Individuals with impairments and the elderly benefit from smart home developments as well, particularly smart speakers with voice assistants. Gear Brain discusses how the more intelligent personalities of virtual assistants are becoming vital tools today – most especially for the most vulnerable members of society. Voice assistants, for example, can now efficiently reply to cries for assistance and admissions of depression among the mentally ill. Furthermore, they enable the elderly and individuals with disabilities to manage components of their house, such as lighting and heating, using voice commands, making it easier for them to live independently.
Negative Effects Of Smart Homes On Your Health
As long as your household appliances are connected to the internet, you can control them with your mobile devices. However, having a smart home poses a lot of health risks for its occupants due to electromagnetic frequency (EMF) radiation emitted by home tech equipment.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a component of the World Health Organization (WHO), has found that non-ionizing radiofrequency radiation (NRFR) generated by cellphones, laptop computers, home appliances, and all smart devices may be harmful to your health in the long run.
1. WiFi-Induced Sleep Irregularities
According to one study, low-frequency modulation signals from gadgets such as cell phones and Wi-Fi routers can have an effect on sleep. When you control your smart home from a Wi-Fi-enabled device, you expose yourself to electromagnetic signals from the phone or tablet as well as the Wi-Fi router.
People who are frequently exposed to EMFs have a much harder time falling asleep. According to specialists, chronic sleep deprivation can contribute to the development of depression and hypertension.
2. Poor Ability to Focus Resulting from WiFi Radiation
Using MRI equipment, researchers discovered that people exposed to Wi-Fi radiation had lower brain activity and focus in various areas. Wi-Fi routers are frequently used to connect tablets and smartphones used to control the smart home to the Internet.
When 5G Wi-Fi routers become available in a few years, you will be exposed to higher frequencies than the commonly used 2.4 GHz ones, which may cause more serious health concerns to users.
3. Heart Complications Resulting From EMF Radiation
Researchers studied heart rate variability provocation in 69 volunteers by exposing them to EMF radiation at the same intensity emitted by 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi routers. Many of them were shown to have an actual bodily response to electromagnetic frequencies, such as an accelerated heart rate — identical to the heart rate of a stressed individual.
Because of the frequent exposure to EMF radiation, smart home networks may raise the possibilities of developing heart problems.
4. Risk of Infertility From Exposure to EMF Radiation
Frequent radio frequency exposure, such EMFs from smart home devices, can limit sperm motility and induce DNA fragmentation. Both human and animal investigations proved that exposure has a deleterious impact on sperm.
A separate study found that exposure to certain Wi-Fifrequencies, such as those used by smart home networks, may impede egg implantation. Researchers showed that exposing mice to radiation for two hours every day for 45 days dramatically elevated oxidative stress levels. This can result in an abnormal pregnancy or the egg failing to implant.
5. Stunted Development in Young Children
While inside the mother’s womb, fetuses who were exposed to non-thermal radio frequency radiation, comparable to EMFs from smart home gadgets, can have poor cellular development, notably delayed kidney development, a study shows.
Radiation can impair protein synthesis, which is required for tissues to grow and develop in young children.
6. Risk of Contracting an Urinary Tract Infection
After installing smart appliances in your house, you may find yourself going to the restroom more frequently. Even if you drink plenty of water and practice good hygiene, you can get a urinary tract infection. These issues could be caused by sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are smart plugs harmful to one’s health?
Experts accept that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that smart home devices are fully safe (even in terms of cancer risk) or will not harm our health in any manner.
Are smart devices helping or harming productivity?
If you’re still not sure that smart devices can hurt your productivity as much as they assist it, consider this: experts have shown that just having a smartphone nearby can diminish your cognitive ability. That effect is present even if your phone is switched off.
In Conclusion
Home automation is a convenient solution to alleviate little concerns that keep us from obtaining domestic bliss. The first step toward finding a means to protect oneself from dangerous EMF radiation is to be aware of the health hazards associated with using too many digital gadgets at home.
There are a number of items available on the market that can shield you and your family from the dangers of radiation exposure.
And there you have it – all you need to know about smart homes and your health. What do you plan to do with this information? Let us know in the comments section below. Cheers!
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