Why kids under 3 should never watch TV

Following the lead of the American Academy of Pediatrics, France's broadcast authority last year banned French channels from airing programmes aimed at children under three. The High Audiovisual Council took the bold step to shield children from the developmental risks associated with TV-watching. France's minister for culture and communication, Christine Albanel, issued a 'cry of alarm' to parents in June about 24-hour channels dedicated to baby-targeted programming. Albanel called them 'a danger' and urged parents not to use them.

This may seem radical, but I believe that if all parents knew how grave a risk TV (especially so-called 'children's programmes', screened on channels like CBBC and Disney) posed to young children, they would impose an immediate ban. Why? Because there is a vast body of high-quality research published in esteemed medical journals like the BMJ, linking excessive screen time with a range of problems - from physical conditions like obesity to mental ones like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

I wrote about this last year for Dad Info and spoke to psychologist Dr Aric Sigman, a leading researcher in this area. He explained that the TV children watch now is quite different from kids' shows like Bagpuss or Magic Roundabout. Today's programmes are fast-paced, garish and noisy - Dr Sigman claims these fast-moving images have a profound effect on children's brains. And, because the brains of very young children are like lumps of clay, growing and changing in response to what children experience, the problem is especially severe for kids under three.

The lack of information about this subject, and the cowardice shown by the British Government in the face of our powerful TV industry, is downright scandalous. If you compare the very real threat to millions of young children in this country to the nonsensical scaremongering around MMR, it beggars belief.

If you have young children, I urge you to stop them watching TV. I will also continue to support Dr Sigman's campaign and hope you will join me - this is a public health scandal which needs our immediate attention.