I received an email from an old client asking my opinion on a number of subjects he heard someone talking about recently. They had to do a lot with how technology interacts (interferes, really) with our natural circadian rhythms and if I found any merit to these things. More specifically he was focusing on cell phone and wifi radiation through EMF’s and excessive blue light. He’s an intelligent guy so I knew he was a little spooked.

There is truth to the studies being done on these things. Blue light can simulate morning and provide some disruption to your sleep cycle if overexposed, especially near bedtime. Some folks, especially in northern areas where sunlight is sometimes restricted, need some kind of light therapy in their lives to perform optimally. EMF’s, while more research is needed to be done, may not be the best thing for our bodies and brains.

The most important thing here to realize is that we didn’t choose all of this. We are a byproduct of the world we live in. You will still be exposed to EMF’s if you throw out your cell phone and tear the wifi out of the walls. You will still breathe in car emissions and hormonal-disruptive plastics that are found in our everyday “human” environments. We don’t control this. You control the things you put in your mouth and how you live. Since we have the strongest effect on these two areas these should be our main focus.

The people preaching from rooftops about how dangerous they are and how these things need to be avoided are campaigning on one thing: fear. To fear the world around you and instill a sense of paranoia; to accept that humans are not made for our own creations. They claim that somehow they can protect you from these environmental factors by subscribing to their way of thinking and purchasing their products. They don’t consider the detriment to health that paranoia or worry possess – which, in my opinion, is worse than any of the aforementioned factors.

The human race has spent thousands of years focusing on technology and integrating it into our lives. It’s not going anywhere. Focus on the things you can control and don’t get sucked into the fear-mongering campaigns that try and turn you against what we have. This is the same kind of thinking that perpetuates bogus ideology like the paleo diet. So unless you’re planning on moving off the grid and investing in an aluminum foil wardrobe, relax. The things technology exposes you to more than outweigh the downsides.