Behind the seductive glow of smartphone screens, today's children are growing up in an unregulated digital world where addiction, cyberbullying, pornography, misinformation and psychological manipulation spread with alarming ease. At the same time, millions of irresponsible users circulate hate, violence, explicit material and falsehoods online, often without considering that an entire generation is absorbing these toxic realities daily.
According to the USA Common Sense Census, teenagers spend an average of 8 hours and 39 minutes daily on screens outside classrooms, including 87 minutes on social media, while UNICEF estimates that 32 per cent of Bangladeshi children aged 10 to 17 are vulnerable to online harm. These figures reflect not only a shift in communication but a quiet reconstruction of childhood under digital exposure.
Global concern over the psychological and behavioural consequences of social media has intensified. The European Union has accused Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, of failing to prevent children under 13 from accessing its platforms, while lawsuits in the United States against Meta, Alphabet and ByteDance allege that Facebook, YouTube and TikTok use addictive algorithms and engagement driven designs that maximise profit by prolonging children's exposure to harmful content.
Increasingly, scholars and rights advocates argue that this burden cannot rest on parents alone. Social media corporations operate through systems engineered to monetise attention, and children, due to emotional and developmental vulnerability, become the most exposed to compulsive digital dependency. In Bangladesh, concern over children's digital safety is rising. The Legal Voice Foundation has recently issued a legal notice to state authorities seeking a ban on social media use for children under 16 alongside stronger safeguards, alleging that platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Snapchat and YouTube are driving addiction, misinformation, pornography exposure, violence, declining academic engagement and rising adolescent involvement in crime.
Children face a wide range of online risks, including cyberbullying, grooming, sexting, fraud, racism, identity theft, online gambling and violent or pornographic content. Cyberbullying is particularly alarming, with studies linking online harassment to depression, anxiety, low self esteem and suicidal tendencies. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2025 also found a direct association between addictive social media use and worsening mental health outcomes. In Bangladesh, teenage victims of cyberbullying show depression rates nearly three times higher than average, while one in three affected girls reportedly suffers severe depressive symptoms.
Beyond mental health, excessive screen exposure and algorithm driven engagement are linked to reduced concentration, poor academic performance, sleep disorders, obesity, social isolation and declining physical activity. UNICEF Bangladesh identifies misinformation, fake news and disturbing content as major sources of psychological stress among young users. Adolescents increasingly measure self worth through likes, followers and online visibility, contributing to anxiety, body image disorders and identity crises, while widespread use of slang, abbreviations, emojis and autocorrection is weakening language skills and attention spans. Since these are open platforms, users freely share content without considering its reach, often spreading misinformation and communal hostility that further confuses younger audiences.
Given established links between social media use and adult depression, questions are growing over whether teenagers face similar mental health risks, raising a broader dilemma of whether the internet serves as a social lifeline or a source of psychological harm. Children are also exposed to brutal events, including the wars around the world and violent socio-political incidents in Bangladesh, through Facebook, Reels, YouTube and TikTok, which leave lasting psychological effects, where serious issues are consumed as entertainment, shaping perceptions from an early age. Continuous exposure to conflict narratives, generate fear and emotional distress. Things are also fostering prejudice and hostility towards different religions and communities, posing risks to social cohesion and psychological wellbeing. Specialists identify ages between 9 and 14 as a critical developmental phase when children rapidly absorb social norms, behavioural patterns and identity cues. Social media intensifies this through constant comparison with curated images of beauty, success and lifestyle, shaping identity formation and emotional development.
Another rising concern is the connection between social media misuse and juvenile crime. Teenage groups increasingly use Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and IMO to coordinate attacks, vandalism and organised criminal activities. Research and police data in Bangladesh indicate growing links between digital platforms and teenage violence, blackmail, sexual exploitation and organised delinquency. Several countries have responded with strict regulation. China limits screen time for children under 14 to 40 minutes daily and blocks access between 10:00pm and 6:00am. Australia has become the first country to ban social media use for children under 16. The United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Spain, Norway, Greece, Singapore, South Korea and India have also introduced or proposed restrictions including school device bans, parental consent requirements and tighter controls on targeted advertising and harmful content. These measures aim to curb data exploitation, regulate addictive platform design and increase corporate accountability.
Bangladesh, however, still lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework despite mounting evidence linking social media misuse to cyber exploitation, sexual harassment, mental health crises and suicide. Media analyses suggest that at least 209 suicides linked to social media occurred in the country within the past year. Nevertheless, prohibition alone cannot resolve a crisis rooted in technological culture and digital capitalism. A ban would require age verification systems, platform cooperation and BTRC oversight, while raising privacy concerns as most major platforms operate beyond national jurisdiction. A balanced approach centred on digital literacy, education and responsible technological governance is therefore necessary, including school based programmes on cybercrime awareness, online privacy, misinformation detection, fact checking and ethical engagement with emerging technologies.
Urgent coordinated action by governments, regulators and technology companies is needed to strengthen online child safety through platform safeguards, inclusive digital environments and expanded digital literacy initiatives. The development of child focused media content offering healthier digital alternatives is also essential.
Bangladesh faces a critical balance between technological advancement and social responsibility. The key issue is no longer internet access for children, but ensuring that digital spaces remain safe, ethical, and humane. Ultimately, the impact of social media on young minds will depend on the urgency and effectiveness of protective action.
The writer is a journalist at The Daily Observer and a lawyer
