scimex42d ago
Fears around new technologies such as cellphones, 5G towers, and wind farms are perhaps unsurprising given our historical reactions to new technology, say researchers in a NZ Medical Journal Viewpoint article. They describe the late 19th century example of 'bicycle face' where newspapers - including in NZ - warned that women riding bikes could experience nervous exhaustion and 'facial grimacing', leading to disfiguration. Although the medical profession was skeptical, the Viewpoint authors say, the idea was further popularised by a few influential doctors writing in the press. They also highlight scares about 'telephone tinnitus' following the invention of the phone, and 'railway spine' among early train users. The researchers draw a parallel with modern social media and influencers, giving a number of suggestions on how doctors can manage pseudo-medical conditions, such as validating peoples' anxieties around new tech as being common and real.