A former teacher describes classroom technology use and a student’s apparent relief during a power outage…

HHS public comment #1062 · HHS-OASH-2026-0397 · 2026-09-28

#1A former teacher describes classroom technology use and a student’s apparent relief during a power outage…by TJ Martin » 2026-09-28
AI summary & topic connections

A former teacher describes classroom technology use and a student’s apparent relief during a power outage. Asks whether exposure might contribute to ADHD symptoms or individual susceptibility; the observation does not determine a cause.

  • Children & vulnerable groups: line, a collective groan of disappointment arose—which was to be expected. One student’s reaction, though, was very different. Call him Declan, a pleasant enough kid who exhibited clas
  • Neurological symptoms & sleep: very different. Call him Declan, a pleasant enough kid who exhibited classic ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) behavior. Surprisingly, Declan did not bemoan having to
  • Wi-Fi & indoor exposure: ished with carts. My classroom had two bulky rolling carts, each housing twenty WiFi laptops for a total of forty machines. These laptops became necessary for standardized testing, r
  • Occupational exposure: The ABC’s of EMF’s During my twenty-seven year tenure as a public school teacher, much changed: Chalkboards gave way to Smartboards. Pen and paper gave way to keyboards and screen

AI-reviewed source analysis of the original text, not verified medical findings. Attachments are not reviewed.

Original comment · unedited text

The ABC’s of EMF’s

During my twenty-seven year tenure as a public school teacher, much changed:

Chalkboards gave way to Smartboards. Pen and paper gave way to keyboards and screens. Attendance, grading, testing all transitioned from analog to digital.

Instead of bookshelves, classrooms were furnished with carts. My classroom had two bulky rolling carts, each housing twenty WiFi laptops for a total of forty machines.

These laptops became necessary for standardized testing, research, composition; their use was mandated.

Of course, this level of use required bandwidth, vast quantities of it, and the hardware to support it.

One morning, however, the electricity went out. My classroom of younger adolescents passed the time happily in the semi-twilight, keeping one eye on the clock because after a few hours of no power, school would have been dismissed for the remainder of the day.

When the electricity came back online, a collective groan of disappointment arose—which was to be expected.

One student’s reaction, though, was very different.

Call him Declan, a pleasant enough kid who exhibited classic ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) behavior.

Surprisingly, Declan did not bemoan having to stay in school for the rest of the day.

Rather, he threw up his hands and exclaimed, “WHY did the power have to go back on? It was JUST SO PEACEFUL without it!”

I have thought of his statement many times since, especially when considering the invisible, insidious effects of electromagnetic fields on the human body.

Could Declan’s ADHD have been either caused or exacerbated by his daily immersion in the significant electromagnetic field required to sustain the school’s WiFi network and capability?

Was he somehow more biologically sensitive than most?

Share this public comment

Share guide: link to the comment page, quote the commenter's own words, and point people to the official docket to file their own comment.

Discuss this comment

Replies are reviewed before they appear. This is a community discussion, not an official HHS filing.

Replies