'Young children should not watch screens' says leading psychologist

Leading psychologist Dr Aric Sigman has stated that the devices may produce increased levels of dopamine within the brains of kids.
It follows growing concerns around the world that youngsters are being exposed to PCs, TVs and other technology too young.
As a result, support has been mounting for more research to be carried out on the topic as currently, there is no conclusive evidence to support the claims.
"80% of adult brain size growth occurs during a child's first three years, when they may be most vulnerable to the effects of screen media," states Sigman.
"There should be a buffer zone in the early years, whereby this stage of child development is "cordoned off" from premature exposure to screen media"
The concerns come at a time where more children are using media devices than ever.
In a report released this week, the average age for a child to own their first piece of tech is just 9 1/2.
Many parents have found the lure of devices such as tablet PCs and smartphones to be appealing as their ability to host a range of content from TV shows and games offers a viable method of entertaining children almost anywhere.
It's not just health concerns that are a worry for parents, as with any web-connected devices, there's always the inherent risk of youngsters stumbling across content unsuitable for them.
It's hard to imagine that many parents will alter their child's media interactivity based on this report, however, it will be interesting to see if any further research will be conducted on the subject and what its findings may be.

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