Screens, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Phenotypic Intensification: A Historical-Cultural Perspective on Human Development in Contemporary Society

Abstract

This study consists of a theoretical essay, based on a literature review, that critically examines the relationship between screen use and manifestations associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To this end, from a perspective that integrates the fields of biology, psychology, neurology, and sociology, it investigates, using a non-causal multilevel model, how contemporary cultural transformations—especially early digitalization—can modulate the expression of communicative, interactive, and behavioral skills, and thus contribute to the phenotypic intensification of some traits associated with the autism spectrum. In this sense, at the biological-functional level, we highlight evidence that points to how the human brain demonstrates experience-dependent plasticity, showing itself sensitive to the quality of social, linguistic, and sensory interactions. In a relational dimension, we also suggest that the intensive use of screens may be associated with the reorganization of interactional experiences and the fragmentation of shared attention, while at the institutional and sociocultural level, we consider that such transformations are part of broader ecologies of development, marked by changes in socialization regimes, educational practices, and forms of cultural mediation, which influence how certain behavioral traits are expressed, perceived, and classified. The text concludes by highlighting the challenges we need to address in order to enhance human development and build a more just, accessible, democratic, and inclusive society.