Casques Bluetooth et enfants : quels risques ? Pourquoi Fabli a fait un autre choix - Fabli

Bluetooth Headsets and Children: What Are the Risks? Why Fabli Made a Different Choice

🚫 Why Bluetooth headsets are a question mark

The use of wireless headphones has exploded in recent years. While practical and popular, they have also raised growing concerns when used by young children.

Two main types of risks are identified by researchers:

  1. Exposure to electromagnetic waves (Bluetooth = radio frequencies)
  2. Hearing damage related to volume and listening duration

📡 1. Electromagnetic waves: a risk that is still underestimated

Bluetooth headsets work by continuously emitting radio waves (2.4 GHz) , directly in contact with the head and therefore the brain.

  • In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified radiofrequencies as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B), due to worrying signals about long-term neurological and tumor effects (WHO, IARC 2011).
  • A literature review ( Frontiers in Public Health , 2018) highlights that children are particularly vulnerable , as their thinner skulls and still-developing nervous systems absorb more waves ([Frontiers in Public Health, 2018).
  • The Council of Europe has recommended limiting children's exposure to wireless devices since 2011 (Resolution 1815).

👂 2. Hearing risk linked to sound volume

Beyond the waves, headphones present a well-known danger: that of premature hearing loss linked to prolonged exposure to high volumes.

  • According to WHO (2022) , more than 1 billion young people are at risk of permanent hearing loss due to prolonged use of earphones or headphones at too high a volume (WHO, 2022).
  • Children are particularly at risk: their inner ear is more fragile, and they do not yet have the ability to self-regulate volume.
  • A study published in JAMA Otolaryngology (2017) showed an increase in the prevalence of mild to moderate hearing loss in adolescents, directly linked to the regular use of headphones and earphones.

👶 Why it's even more critical in young children

For children under 10:

  • The brain and nervous system are still developing : any prolonged exposure to radio frequencies could have a cumulative effect that is still unknown.
  • Ears are more sensitive : overexposure can cause irreversible damage early on.
  • The use of headphones is isolating : it cuts the child off from their environment and reduces social and family interactions, which are essential at this age.

🌱 The Fabli choice: healthy listening, without Bluetooth headphones

At Fabli, we have made a clear choice:
no Bluetooth headsets or waves in direct contact with children's heads.

Instead, we propose:

  • Headphones with a safe volume, adapted to WHO recommendations (< 85 dB).
  • An audio port for connecting another wired headset (jack) for two-person listening, without emitting waves.
  • Simple parental controls to adjust the volume from the mobile app and ensure safe listening.

🎯 In summary

  • Bluetooth headsets expose children to electromagnetic waves and an increased risk of hearing loss .
  • The scientific community recommends maximum caution for young children.
  • Fabli chooses to favor listening without waves, without Bluetooth headphones, with a limited and secure volume .

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