The Rise of 'Virtual Autism'

Parents and doctors are sounding alarms about “virtual autism,” a term linking excessive screen use to autism-like behaviors in young children. But is it a genuine threat or just modern-day panic?

- Dr. Fiaz Maqbool Fazili

The waiting room at the Child Guidance and Wellbeing Centre in Srinagar is packed with anxious parents, their toddlers clutching tablets or staring blankly at walls.

A mother, cradling her two-year-old son, whispers about his delayed speech and tantrums. “He's glued to the phone all day,” she says, her voice heavy with guilt.

Across town, at IMHANS Srinagar, Dr. Zaid Wani listens to similar stories daily. “We've seen a 50-60% spike in kids under three showing autism-like behaviors,” he tells me, his brow furrowed. “Speech delays, poor eye contact, repetitive actions—parents often say screens are the only thing calming them.”

This is the face of “virtual autism,” a term that's sparking both worry and skepticism.

Coined in 2018 by Romanian psychologist Marius Zamfir, it describes autism-like symptoms tied to excessive screen exposure in early childhood.

Picture a toddler, barely two, swiping through YouTube videos for hours while the world beyond the screen fades.

Clinicians like Wani see these kids daily—socially withdrawn, emotionally volatile, struggling to connect. But is this a real condition, or are we slapping a scary label on a digital-age problem?

The answer isn't simple, but the stakes are enormous.

In Kashmir, where nuclear families and working parents are common, the pandemic poured fuel on the issue. Kids traded playgrounds for iPads during lockdowns.

Dr. Bilal, a psychologist at the Child Guidance Centre, saw the fallout firsthand. “Online learning and less physical play have changed how kids develop,” he says.