Dhaka children spend 5 hours daily on screens, health suffers: ICDDR,B

Children in Dhaka are spending an average of five hours per day looking at mobile phone, television, tablet or computer screens, a new ICDDR,B study has found. Excessive screen use is leading to reduced sleep, obesity and various mental health issues, the research showed.

The study was conducted between 2022 and 2024 on 420 children aged 6 to 14 years from six schools in Dhaka. The findings were recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Human Factors.

The study found that 83 per cent of the children used screens for more than the internationally recommended time for entertainment. One in three suffered from eye problems, nearly 80 per cent reported regular headaches, and two in five suffered from one or more mental health issues. Children were also getting one to three hours less sleep than needed.

Study lead author and ICDDR,B Assistant Scientist Dr Shahria Hafiz Kakon said symptoms such as late sleeping, headaches, eye discomfort, unusual irritability, lack of concentration, or reluctance to play outside may indicate excessive screen use. These should be taken seriously as they are beginning to affect children's physical and mental health.