Editorial: The pressing need to investigate the effects of media immersion in early childhood on brain and behavioral development

Over the past several years, increasingly younger children are being exposed to significant amounts of media, while at the same time parental monitoring of young children's media exposure is decreasing. Increasing media exposure in young children, including increased exposure to media with aggressive, violent, or otherwise inappropriate content, has potential adverse consequences for social, emotional, and neural development. Adverse effects are potentially greater in early childhood given the high neuroplasticity of this period. Despite this, very little research has rigorously examined potential detrimental consequences of exposure to excessive and/or inappropriate media during early childhood. The purpose of this article is to discuss potential adverse developmental effects of early childhood media exposure and to suggest directions for critically needed future research on these potential effects.