Australian neuroscientist Mike Nagel, a professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, has been releasing worrying results from MRI scans of children and adolescents who use mobile phones, computers and television screens excessively. The studies indicate that children who spend 2 to 3 hours a day in front of screens already show abnormal development of the brain's white matter, which is responsible for the rapid transmission of information between brain regions.
Nagel, author of the book 'Turning Autistic', compares the observed damage to symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), coining the term 'virtual autism'. In adolescents who spend between 6 and 8 hours exposed to screens, found widening of brain sulci and thinning in key areas, patterns similar to early-onset Alzheimer's, which he calls 'digital dementia'. The scientist also reports a drop in the historical average IQ and an increase in cases of early-onset dementia between the ages of 35 and 44.
In Paraguay, child neurologist José Medina says that Nagel's findings are already a clinical reality. 'There are scientific studies that describe cortical thinning. We observe anhedonia — an inability to feel pleasure from stimuli that lack the intensity or speed of a screen —, severe executive deficits and attention fragmentation,' explains Medina, author of the book 'Navigating Autism'. He stresses that the development of three-dimensionality, language and emotional self-regulation requires human and tactile interaction with the physical world.
Neuropsychologist Natalia Martínez Bruyn notes that, in clinical practice, the term 'digital dementia' is not used as a formal diagnosis. 'What we observe are not permanent structural neurological damage, but behavioral and functional alterations in development, of a biopsychosocial nature,' she says. She cites Lev Vygotsky's theory, according to which psychoneurological development depends on directed social experiences, which are replaced by prolonged and passive digital stimulation.
Pediatric ophthalmologist Verónica Contreras warns of an increase in dopamine due to hyperstimulation, leading to greater gratification from screens than from other activities. 'Children whose electronic devices were removed showed withdrawal symptoms, such as mood swings and tantrums, which last about 15 days until they return to normal,' she reports.
Martínez Bruyn recalls that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends avoiding screen exposure entirely for children under two years of age and limiting use to one hour per day thereafter, always with adult supervision. Contreras adds that the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, since last year, recommends that children under six years of age have no contact with screens. 'We use screens as electronic babysitters, but we are creating a long-term problem from which they will not be able to escape on their own,' she concludes.