France bans iPads for children under 3 years old.

These days, iPads are so commonplace in our lives, and they're especially popular among parents for keeping children still.

Spending too much time in front of screens causes changes in children's brains (illustrative image).

The French government prohibits the use of smart devices for children under 3 years old, while Australia and Canada have similar recommendations and guidelines.

So what are the consequences of exposing children to smart devices too early or for too long? According to Dr. Aric Sigman, early screen time can inadvertently become a habit later in life. Screen-based entertainment media can lead to changes in the brain. Spending too much time in front of screens creates significant changes in brain chemistry – most notably the release of dopamine – a neurotransmitter also known as the "happy chemical."

Dopamine is produced when we see exciting and new things, but it also has a second function. Dopamine is also the neurochemical involved in most addictions, Sigman warns.

More dangerously, spending too much time in front of screens reduces person-to-person contact, and this lack of social connection is linked to physiological changes, increased rates of illness, and higher rates of premature death.

According to Thanh Nien newspaper