Internet Poisoning The 21st Century Child

The internet is just one new element that now exists in a modern childhood. Experts are warning that childhood is being lost to a dangerous combination of junk food, marketing and video games.

A group of 110 teachers, psychologists, children's authors and other experts have written to the Daily Telegraph urging the Government to act, warning children are being poisoned by the modern world. The undertone is to children need to go back to 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.

The group have called for a public debate on child-rearing in the 21st century. The debate would touch on the internet and games industry heavily as stats show this is the growing medium for interaction amongst the under 16's.

Marketeers have embraced the opportunity to target young children through the internet, but if changes are a foot then marketeers could find themselves back to basics, relying more on ambient media and perhaps back to more traditional mediums such as print and press.