Under-7s 'should be banned from playing computer games or risk damaging their brains'

Children should be banned from playing computer games until the age of seven because the technology is "rewiring" their brains, it is claimed.

Bombardment of the senses with fast-pace action games is said to be causing a shortening of attention span, harming the ability to learn.

Educational psychologist Jane Healy said research indicated that computer games fuelled the development of basic "flight or fight" instincts rather than considered reasoning.

"If you watch kids on a computer, most of them are just hitting keys or moving the mouse as fast as they can. It reminds me of rats running in a maze."