Less Radiation

The controllers for the Nintendo Wii use Bluetooth to talk to the console.

Although Bluetooth is a short-range technology and these controllers are only the 10 metre range devices, I still believe they can harm a sensitive child’s mood.

To put the quite weak signal strength of a Wii controller in perspective, consider this: using the Electrosmog Detector mentioned elsewhere on this site, I can only detect the Wii controllers signal within a 2 metre range. However the same Electrosmog Detector can pickup the banshee-like wailing of 3G,Tetra & GSM from a mast site located 500 metres from my home.

If your children spend several hours at a time playing on the Wii you should keep an eye out for poor concentration, mood swings & unusually sloppy handwriting! All signs of electrosmog exposure, possibly. Remember the government sanctioned Stewart Report of 2000? It said that young children shouldn’t have mobile phones – well that innocent looking Wii remote is emitting RF in just the same way (albeit a lesser amount for a longer duration).

It’s difficult to figure out whether just playing video games on the Wii makes some kids moody/hyperactive, or if it’s the Bluetooth wireless controllers that are responsible. If you own a PS3 instead it’s easy enough to attach the controllers by USB instead of Bluetooth (and see if you can spot a difference), but with the Wii that simply isn’t possible (which is what I personally dislike, no choice).

So it’s difficult to draw completely rational conclusions. With my own son, when he misbehaves after too much Wii, it gets put away in a box for a week and his behaviour always improves quickly. It’s a little bit like he’s a crack-head hooked on Mario Kart! I’ll be glad when he loses interest.

Of course the perfect study household would have already dumped their Dect phone and WiFi router (I won’t use either). Any volunteers?

Also, please don’t let your children play on the Wii close to their bedtimes. There are plenty of proper scientific reports mentioned on our site that link RF radiation exposure an hour before bedtime to disturbed sleep patterns.

For any hacker types out there interested in talking to a Wii remote, here are some Bluetooth identifiers:
Nintendo RVL-CNT-01 on OUI’s: 00:21:47:F8:63:B4 and 00:1A:E9:44:B1:0F and 00:E1:A9:39:53:58

Good Luck…

Finally, here’s Nintendo’s own safety advice (for Australians)