Dhaka children remain glued to digital screens for nearly five hours daily

Alarmingly high levels of digital screen use led to serious concerns over sleep deprivation, obesity, headaches, eye problems and mental health among school-going children in Dhaka, according to an icddr,b study.
The study found that more than four out of five children spend over two hours daily on screens, exceeding the internationally recommended limit of around two hours of recreational screen time for them.
On average, children were spending about 4.6 hours a day on smartphones, televisions, tablets, computers, and gaming devices, it revealed.
More than one-third of the children experienced eye problems, while 80 per cent frequently suffered from headaches.
The findings of the study were published recently in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Human Factors.
The study was conducted between 2022 and 2024 among 420 children aged between six and 14 years from six schools in Dhaka, including three Bangla-medium and three English-medium schools.
Researchers assessed children's screen-use patterns, sleep quality, physical symptoms, body weight, behaviour, and mental wellbeing through face-to-face interviews, physical measurements and internationally recognised assessment tools.
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 eight to 10 hours needed for healthy growth and brain development in this age group.
The study also found that around 14 per cent of the participating children were overweight or obese, with higher rates observed among children with excessive screen exposure.
Health experts warn 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.
Late-night screen use can disrupt sleep by keeping the brain overstimulated and interfering with natural sleep cycles, according to the study.
Long hours sitting with digital devices may also reduce physical activity and outdoor play, increasing the risk of obesity.
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.
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