The age of the " Rumour Mill " !

Strange - How a " phobia "  can evolve on the social media network and quicky attain a life of it's own.    Decades ago, children were vaccinated against childhood diseases without question - until someone started a rumour that there was mercury in the vaccine preservative and that this was giving the kids mercury poisoning.   Now that has extended to ADD, ADHD - and a host of other ailments.

There are many people bitterly opposed to the addition of fluoride to water supplies, despite overwhelming evidence that it prevents tooth decay.  People without the faintest amount of scientific knowledge are prepared to accept what some charlatan says and disregard the best tertiary evidence in the land.

We saw another of these " public panics " when mobile phones first burst onto the scene.    The fear was " radiation " but this was quickly ignored by the masses because the advantages of mobile communications was just too great to be rejected.  It is now rare to see a person without a " smart phone ", but the very hint of a new phone tower responder still sees nearby residents erupt in a fury of hysteria.

There are signs that a new wave of " citizen scientists " are about to reject the use of WiFi - on health grounds.   WiFi is making it's way into schools as a means of " quicker - cheaper " communications and that hoary old chestnut of "  radiation " is again raising it's head.

Without doubt, we seem certain to find some parents insisting that they will not send their children into classrooms connected to WiFi - because of health concerns.     The more evidence debunks this supposed connection, the more certain these people become - that they are right and the rest of the world are wrong !

It seems to quickly become a " movement " that attracts others and gains an official title - and becomes adept at using both politics and the media to spread it's message - and demand official action.

Unfortunately, in many cases it actually stops a public benefit from becoming a reality - and can contribute to a drop in community health !