In a world where screens are everywhere and almost impossible to avoid, I want to ensure that the space I create for young minds is safe for playing, learning, and growing their brains screen-free.

As a former tech worker in database storage and internet infrastructure, I have witnessed firsthand the effects of technology on brain chemistry.

As parents or educators, we may not see the harm in offering screen time to toddlers when life gets busy. But research is clear: no screen time in the first three years of life is essential. Since 80% of the human brain develops during the first five years, I want to make sure I provide a place where screens are simply not invited.

We cannot predict exactly what the future will look like, it still needs to be defined, but it is certain that technology will be a part of it. Even now, as I type this, I’m looking at a screen. Yet if I had to place one bet, it would be this: the most powerful computer available will always be the human mind, if it is trained and nurtured. That is why I feel a deep responsibility to offer a space for children that is completely screen-free.

From my perspective, technology should remain at the service of humans, not a way to occupy their minds or replace their ability to think for themselves.

French neuroscientist Michel Desmurget has shown that exposure to screens, including television, negatively affects health and cognitive development, especially in childhood and adolescence. He emphasizes the importance of reading real, paper books to children, as it fosters a desire to learn and helps with information retention later in life.

In July 2025, France voted to ban the use of screens by early childhood professionals for children under 3, in order to protect children’s development and ensure they use all five senses to explore the world around them.

At Le Marmouset, the curriculum I built not only follows the French École Maternelle Petite Section guidelines (for ages 3–4) and get them ready for TK, but is also designed to stimulate the five senses without relying on screens. At this age, children’s brains are growing more rapidly than at any other time in life, and it is our duty to nurture that growth naturally.

For more on early brain development, see this excellent resource from Zero to Three: Understanding Brain Development in Babies and Toddlers.