A new study by researchers from icddr,b has found alarmingly high levels of digital screen use among school-going children in Dhaka, raising serious concerns over sleep deprivation, obesity, headaches, eye problems, and mental health issues.

The study, conducted between 2022 and 2024, involved 420 children aged 6 to 14 years from six schools in Dhaka, including three Bangla-medium and three English-medium institutions.

The findings were recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research Human Factors journal.

Researchers assessed children’s screen-use patterns, sleep quality, physical symptoms, body weight, behaviour, and mental well-being through face-to-face interviews, physical measurements, and internationally recognised assessment tools, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA).

The study found that more than four out of five children, or 83%, spend over two hours daily on screens, exceeding the internationally recommended limit of around two hours of recreational screen time for children.

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On average, the children spent about 4.6 hours a day on smartphones, televisions, tablets, computers, and gaming devices.

Researchers found that more than one-third of the children experienced eye problems, while 80% frequently suffered from headaches.

Children using screens for more than two hours daily also slept significantly less, averaging only 7.3 hours of sleep per night, below the recommended 8 to 10 hours needed for healthy growth and brain development in this age group.

The study also found that around 14% of the participating children were overweight or obese, with higher rates observed among children with excessive screen exposure.

Health experts warned that long-term sleep deprivation during childhood may affect memory, concentration, learning ability, emotional regulation, physical growth, and overall mental well-being.

The findings also revealed that around two out of every five children were suffering from one or more mental health-related problems, including anxiety, hyperactivity, behavioural difficulties, and emotional distress.

The researchers noted that excessive screen exposure may affect children through multiple pathways.

Late-night screen use can disrupt sleep by keeping the brain overstimulated and interfering with natural sleep cycles. Long hours spent with digital devices may also reduce physical activity and outdoor play, increasing the risk of obesity, according to the research.

It also added, extended screen use can additionally cause eye strain, headaches, and reduced concentration, while excessive digital stimulation and reduced face-to-face interaction may affect children’s emotional and mental well-being.

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Similar concerns have been reported globally, with international studies linking excessive screen exposure among children to sleep problems, reduced physical activity, obesity, anxiety, and poorer academic performance.

Dr Shahria Hafiz Kakon, assistant scientist at icddr,b and the lead researcher of the study, said, “Parents should not ignore signs such as late sleeping, headaches or eye discomfort, unusual irritability or withdrawal, loss of interest in outdoor activities, or difficulty concentrating, as these may indicate that screen exposure is beginning to affect their children’s physical and mental health.”

The researchers also encouraged families to follow the “20-20-20” eye-care practice. After every 20 minutes of screen use, children should look at something about 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to reduce eye strain.

Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, executive director of icddr,b, said, “Digital devices are now part of modern life and education, but children need healthy boundaries. The World Health Organization recommends limiting recreational screen time for school-aged children to about two hours per day.”

He also said parents should encourage outdoor play, physical activity, proper sleep, and device-free family time to help children grow both physically and mentally. They should also involve children in extracurricular activities such as debates, group reading, library visits, and taking care of pot plants.

The researchers emphasised that the solution is not to completely ban technology, but to encourage healthier and more balanced digital habits at home and in schools.

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They also said proper guidelines and awareness programmes should be developed and shared with students, teachers, and guardians to promote safe and responsible technology use.

According to the researchers, it is now the right time to initiate intervention studies and public health actions to reduce this hidden pandemic among Bangladeshi students.