In the era of digitalization, technology has become a very vital part of our life. Every member of each house seems to have their own gadgets be it mobile phones, tablets and even laptops. The technology or digital dependence has not even spared children now. Children as young as 2-3 years also have their own tabs. This situation has given rise to ‘Virtual Autism’ which although is not a medically diagnosed condition, but has symptoms similar to ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).
What is Virtual Autism?
Virtual Autism can be described as a state of having the potential negative effect of excessive screen time and digital engagement of toddlers which hampers their development.
Naturally, children learn by exploring things in their environment like touching things, moving, tasting, playing etc. They tend to learn and explore through activities which keeps them associated and in touch with reality or the real world. On the other hand, if they are constantly sitting in front of the screen and spending their time on digital gadgets, it will adversely affect their understanding of real world. Children of below 3 years who are exposed to such excessive screen time starts showing symptoms similar to ASD because of their low understanding of world they face problems in communication, expression and some other behavioral issues.
Also Read: Can People With Autism Form Romantic Connections?
Some toddlers are so addicted to screen time that they need it during their toilet time, meal time and even before bed. It is also important to note that Virtual Autism does not mean that a child is Autistic. It simply means that the child is showing symptoms of Autism without being diagnosed with Autism.
Identifying Virtual Autism
Your child might be experiencing Virtual Autism if they show the symptoms like:
- Hyperactivity,
- Delay in speech,
- Poor social interaction,
- Not paying attention,
- Lack of interest in real life activities and more interested in digital games,
- Cognitive power is decreasing,
- Experiencing mood swings
- Getting irritated easily.
What Causes Virtual Autism?
Excessive use of gadgets is the main reason of finding such symptoms in children. It contributes a lot in such problematic and maladaptive behaviors.
Some of the other reasons that can be included are:
- Excessive screen time like sitting in front of mobile, tablets, laptop or even television can result in higher risk of Virtual Autism because the child is consuming so much virtual content that it can be overwhelming to grasp.
- A lot of time, children are restricted to their exposure to the real world. Not engaging in interpersonal communication with parents, extended family, friends or even neighbors can make it difficult for them to learn social skills interact with people. This can also affect their emotional understanding leading to virtual autism.
- Children not spending time in physical and outdoor activities can leave a bad impact on their physical health and their development of sensory experiences eventually showing symptoms of virtual autism.
- A lot of time, parents and caregivers themselves have excessive screen time usage, which can set a negative impact on toddlers and they start modeling the same behavior.
Also Read: What is Spectrum of Autism: Levels of Required Support
How do Virtual Autism Impact Children?
Although Virtual Autism impacts the overall development and well-being of children, here are some key areas that are impacted by Virtual Autism:
Physical Development
Excessive engagement in screen time for an extended period of time can result in various health issues in toddlers. Their mealtime gets dependent on screen time as well, which can cause issues like obesity and binge eating patterns in such a young age. Constipation and poor toilet training is also very common in such cases. Exposure to screen prior to bedtime can also result in disrupted sleeping patterns.
Emotional Development
Too much exposure to screen time leads in anxiety and stress in children, which may result in them struggling to differentiate between virtual and real life. The ability to empathize and understand other people’s feelings also reduces in such kids due to their limited interaction with people around them. They also struggle to express their needs and feelings in a healthy manner.
Social Development
Children with Virtual Autism fail to develop social skills that are essential to them to fit in a society. Skills like communication, understanding of others, empathy and reacting to a particular social scenario are not well developed. They fail to form meaningful relationships with others and also fail to emotionally connect with them. For example, they might be sitting in a park with a lot of other kids playing around them but struggle to interact and play with them. They might also end up isolating themselves from others.
Cognitive Development
Due to their immense exposure to virtual world, children might struggle in real life thought processing. Struggling with language development, speech development can be observed. They can also be seen struggling with attention, concentration and other cognitive process that involves thinking and creative skills. They also face issues in dealing with real life situations that involves the skills of problem solving, understanding or creating.
Relationship with Parents
As we discussed that emotional and social areas get impacted by virtual autism, it can be observed in the case of parent-child bond as well. Due to their excessive exposure to virtual world and reduced interaction, the issues might rise in the relationship between parents and child. Children fail to develop the feelings of affection, warmth and trust towards their parents leading to poor relationship between them.
Recovering from Virtual Autism
It is possible and there are chances to reduce the symptoms by limiting or even eliminating screen time from the routine of your child and making and helping them engage in real life activities and interaction with people. It is easier for young toddlers to unlearn something that they have learned. With right course of planning and action, it is possible for them to recover from such symptoms.
Every child is unique and may take their own time to learn new things. Therefore, it is important to give them time to unlearn their harmful habits.
Also Read: Using punishment as an intervention for temper-tantrums in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Here are a few tips that can help your child to heal or even prevent from virtual autism:
- Eliminating screen time
- Engaging in fun activities (real life based)
- Peer and face to face interactions
- Playing with groups/peers
- Quality time with parents, which can include playing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, any sport etc.
- Engaging in physical activities
Few alternatives that can be used in the place of screen time to keep your kids engaged are:
- Introducing them to a sport
- Puzzle solving
- Sensory exposure games
- Visiting parks, zoo, beaches
- Bonding with grandparents
- Taking them to relatives or family gatherings
- Letting them explore their surroundings like playing with broomstick, folding clothes.
- Engage them in household chores.
It can be very challenging to be a parent and especially in today’s busy era when both the parents are working hard in their respective ways and at the same time our dependence on digital gadgets is undeniable. However, we can be mindful about the amount of screen time our child is getting exposed to. It is important to limit that virtual engagement and give our children real life experiences for their overall being. Giving them exposure to real life experiences will not only keep them away from such harmful symptoms but will also add up to their personal and social development.
References+
- https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/what-is-virtual-autism/article66922870.ece
- https://www.sunshinepreschools.com/blog/virtual-autism-concern-for-toddlers-in-digital-age#:~:text=Virtual%20autism%20refers%20to%20symptoms,%2C%20and%20restricted%2Frepetitive%20behaviors
- https://prayatna.co.in/virtual-autism-how-to-deal-with-it/
