Publication details
Důsledek nadužívání digitálních "screen" technologií v raném věku. Virtuální autismus v kontextu postnatálního vývoje mozku
| Title in English | Virtual autism. The consequence of overusing digital "screen" technologies at an early age |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Pediatrie pro Praxi |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.36290/ped.2024.044 |
| Keywords | virtual autism, pseudo-autism, autism, inappropriate use of digital technologies, Intensive Early Screen Exposure, screen technologies, gadget |
| Description | Over the past few decades, we have experienced a digital revolution. Digital media are now part of our lives. The amount of time children spend in front of various "screens" has dramatically increased, including televisions, video games, video portals like YouTube, smartphones, computers, and other gadgets. This has been a societal trend for the past 15-20 years, which has further escalated dramatically due to the COVID pandemic (1, 2). The results of many studies agree that excessive exposure of children to digital screen technologies has significantly negative impacts on both the mental and physical development of children and adolescents. The term "virtual autism" or "pseudo-autism" describes a condition that results from extreme exposure of very young children to screen technologies without proper balance with normal face-to-face social interactions, sleep, physical activity, and complex interactions with the real world. Virtual autism involves symptoms in the mental domain, including abnormal cognitive, behavioral, language, social, and emotional development of the child, delaying or even halting it. The child's overall cognitive-behavioral manifestation not only "imitates" but is an acquired disorder of the autistic spectrum (autism). The article highlights the risks of inappropriate use of screen technologies in young children from the perspective of a pediatric neurologist and speech therapist. |