Screen Surge Syndrome: Study Links Excess Device Use to Sleep, Health Risks in Dhaka Children

International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) has reported that children in Dhaka spend nearly five hours a day on digital screens, contributing to insufficient sleep, obesity, and mental health problems.

The organization’s study found that many children in Dhaka are spending excessive time on mobile phones, television, tablets, or computers. As a result, they are experiencing reduced sleep, weight gain, headaches, eye problems, and negative impacts on mental health.

The research was conducted between 2022 and 2024 on 420 children aged six to 14 years from six schools in Dhaka—three Bangla-medium and three English-medium institutions.

The findings were recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Human Factors.

Researchers assessed children by conducting interviews, physical examinations, and using internationally recognized questionnaires to evaluate screen time, sleep quality, weight status, and behavioral or mental health conditions.

Data on sleep, behavior, and mental well-being were collected using tools such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA).

The study revealed that four out of five children (83%) spend more than two hours per day on screens, exceeding the internationally recommended limit of approximately two hours for recreational screen use. On average, children spend about 4.6 hours daily on smartphones, televisions, tablets, computers, and gaming devices.

More than one-third of the children were found to suffer from eye problems, while 80% frequently experience headaches. Those who use screens for more than two hours a day sleep only about 7.3 hours on average—significantly below the recommended 8 to 10 hours needed for healthy development at this age.

Additionally, around 14% of the children are overweight or obese, with higher prevalence among those with greater screen exposure. Health experts warn that chronic sleep deprivation in childhood can negatively affect memory, attention, learning ability, emotional regulation, physical growth, and overall mental well-being.

The study also found that nearly two out of five children suffer from one or more mental health issues, such as anxiety, hyperactivity, or behavioral problems.

According to researchers, excessive screen use harms children in multiple ways. Nighttime screen exposure stimulates the brain and disrupts natural sleep cycles. Prolonged sedentary behavior reduces physical activity and increases the risk of obesity. Extended screen time can also strain the eyes, cause headaches, and reduce attention span.

Excessive use of digital devices also limits face-to-face social interaction, which may negatively affect mood, emotions, and mental health.

Global studies similarly show links between excessive screen use and insufficient sleep, reduced physical activity, obesity, anxiety, and poor academic performance among children.

Lead researcher and Assistant Scientist at icddr,b, Dr. Shahriya Hafiz Kakon, said parents should not ignore signs such as late sleeping habits, frequent headaches or eye discomfort, unusual irritability or withdrawal, reluctance to engage in outdoor play, or reduced attention span, as these may indicate the adverse effects of excessive screen use on children’s physical and mental health.

Researchers recommend following the “20-20-20 rule” for eye care: after every 20 minutes of screen use, children should look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

Tahmeed Ahmed said that while digital devices are now an integral part of life, setting limits is essential for children’s well-being. Following World Health Organization guidelines, recreational screen time for school-going children should be limited to two hours per day. Parents are encouraged to promote outdoor play, physical activity, adequate sleep, and device-free family time, along with engaging children in constructive activities such as debates, group study, library visits, and caring for plants.

Researchers emphasized that completely eliminating technology is not the solution; rather, children need to develop healthy and balanced digital habits both at home and in school. They called for simple guidelines and awareness programmes for students, teachers, and parents. They also stressed that now is the right time to initiate action-oriented research and public health interventions to address this “invisible epidemic” among Bangladeshi children.

DBTech/SA/MI/OR