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Young Achievers: Seri and Gloria making waves

Winning films: Seri Fisher, 9, and Gloria Candiolo, 14, were honoured for the Student Film Competition held by Bermuda Advocates for Safe Technology (Photograph by Sekou Hendrickson)

A pair of schoolgirls have been recognised for their films on the dangers of radio waves at a documentary screening.Seri Fisher, 9, won a student film competition for her homemade film on the effects of electromagnetic frequencies on the environment.Gloria Candiolo, 14, was runner-up for her film that examined the consequences of 5G radio waves.She said: “My perspective has changed about wi-fi — some people may complain ‘oh, my wi-fi’s not fast enough’, but I would be more relaxed knowing that it’s not harming me.”Both Warwick Academy pupils had their films presented last Thursday at the screening of the documentary Generation Zapped, which examines the health risks of prolonged exposure to wireless technology, at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.The competition, which was hosted by Bermuda Advocates for Safe Technology, urged schoolchildren to create films exploring the effects and dangers of electromagnetic frequencies.Seri, from Sandys, said that her film focused on the impact on bees.She explained: “The bees have something in their antennas that helps them navigate their way home and they go crazy when electromagnetic frequencies are near.“So when their antennas get damaged by these EMF towers, they can’t find their way back home, then they can’t bring pollen to their hives and then they die later.”Seri added: “Since my parents know a beekeeper, we went to check him out to see if he was noticing any effects by being close to a tower. “It turns out that he’s a bit far away and there are trees surrounding him so it was a bit protected, which I thought was interesting.”Seri said that learning about the effects of these frequencies prompted her to use her phone less and stop using the family microwave entirely.She hopes to make more videos to spread awareness about the effects of radio waves.Gloria, also from Sandys, put together a PowerPoint-style presentation with narration she wrote and recorded herself.She said that, while 5G brought many positive opportunities such as better medical practices, the new technology also came with many downsides. Gloria explained: “When it comes to 5G, you would need a cellphone tower every 100 metres and you would not be able to turn it off.“It can create a high metabolism in people, which is the part that regulates blood sugar, and this can lead to diabetes.”Gloria said that 5G radio waves could also lead to higher levels of brain cancer — a consequence she referred to in her film as getting “wi-fried”.The new information also made her wary of her own internet use. Gloria said: “Now during the night-time, my family and I actually turn off our wi-fi so that we’re not exposed to that while we’re sleeping.”Gloria hopes to show her film to the school and do more to warn others about the dangers of electromagnetic frequencies.