Why the term ‘virtual autism’ warrants caution

Abstract

The term virtual autism has recently been used to describe autism-like behaviors in young children following prolonged exposure to screens. The use of the word autism in this context raises conceptual and ethical concerns by reinforcing outdated ideas about parental blame, misrepresenting the nature of autism as we currently understand it, and causing misunderstanding about autism among the general public. We call for more precise and responsible language and advocate for an alternative term that better reflects the environmental basis of the phenomenon, such as screen-related developmental delay.