Children poisoned by modern world, warn experts

CHILDHOOD is being lost to a dangerous combination of junk food, marketing and video games, experts have warned.

A group of 110 teachers, psychologists, children’s authors and other experts have written to the Daily Telegraph urging the British Government to act, warning children are being poisoned by the modern world.

The group includes children’s laureate Jacqueline Wilson, novelist Philip Pullman, Baroness Susan Greenfield, director of the Royal Institution and childcare expert Dr Penelope Leach.

They write: “We are deeply concerned at the escalating incidence of childhood depression and children’s behavioural and developmental conditions.

“Since children’s brains are still developing, they cannot adjust as full-grown adults can to the effects of ever more rapid technological and cultural change.

“They need what developing human beings have always needed, including real food (as opposed to processed “junk”), real play (as opposed to sedentary, screen-based entertainment), first-hand experience of the world they live in and regular interaction with the real-life significant adults in their lives.

“They also need time. In a fast-moving, hyper-competitive culture, today’s children are expected to cope with an ever-earlier start to formal schoolwork and an overly academic test-driven primary curriculum.”

It concludes by calling for a public debate on child-rearing in the 21st century.

The letter was circulated by Sue Palmer, a former head teacher and author of the book Toxic Childhood, and Dr Richard House, senior lecturer at the Research Centre for Therapeutic Education at Roehampton University.

Ms Palmer cited research by Professor Michael Shayer at King’s College, London, which showed that 11 year olds measured in cognitive tests were “on average between two and three years behind where they were 15 years ago”.

She added that children’s development is drastically affected by the world they’re brought up in.