What children do on screens, and whether parents engage with them, may matter more for language development than simply how many hours they spend on digital devices, according to a study that also reveals widespread passive screen use and limited parental involvement among young children.
Titled “Effect of using screen time in developing children’s speech and language: Bangladesh context,” the MPhil study was conducted by Md Zahid Hossain Khan of Dhaka University’s Department of Communication Disorders under the supervision of Professor Dr Hakim Arif.
The study found that 60% of children surveyed spent at least three hours a day on screens, while 80% primarily watched cartoons and other entertainment content.
Yet only 20% of parents consistently stayed with their children during screen use, highlighting a major gap in how digital devices are being incorporated into children’s daily lives.
Researchers found a striking contrast between un-interative viewing and interactive screen use.
Children aged three to five who used educational and interactive apps repeated new words, asked questions and demonstrated improvements in sentence formation.
Those who mainly watched cartoons or YouTube videos, however, showed less inclination to communicate, with some crying or becoming stubborn when the screen was taken away.
The findings challenge the tendency to judge children’s digital exposure solely by the number of hours spent in front of screens, suggesting that the quality of content, active participation and parental interaction can be critical factors.
The research covered 50 children aged three to eight and an equal number of parents and caregivers in Dhaka, Chittagong and Tangail.
In addition to a survey, researchers directly observed each child for 30 minutes while they used a screen.
The findings show that 40% of the children spent three to four hours a day on screens, while another 20% spent more than four hours.
Mobile phones dominated their digital exposure, used by 90% of the children.
Television was used by 70% and tablets by 50%.
Around 80% primarily watched cartoons and entertainment programs, while 60% of children spend time sitting inactive in front of screens rather than actively interacting with the content.
Among children aged six to eight, researchers observed greater discussion about what they watched, although their sentence structures were comparatively weak.
The study also identified parental involvement as a key concern.
Only one in five parents always accompanied their children during screen use, while just 30% actively regulated screen time.
Half of the parents surveyed believed excessive screen use negatively affected language development, while 60% reported a decline in their children’s vocabulary.
At the same time, 60% believed screens could help children learn language when used appropriately.
“Two-way conversation is a key condition for language learning, while screens can turn communication into a one-way process,” Zahid said.
“If parents sit beside their children and talk about the content, screen time is no longer merely screen time; it becomes part of the learning process.”
The findings therefore suggest that parental engagement can change the nature of screen exposure: rather than children simply consuming content, conversation, questions and responses can turn it into an interactive learning experience.
Professor Saiful Alam Chowdhury of the University of Chittagong said the study recommended age-appropriate limits on screen use, development and promotion of quality educational content in Bangla, training for parents and teachers, and government-led awareness programs.
Professor Dr Hakim Arif said children’s growing exposure to screens had emerged as a major challenge to healthy development.
“There has been little long-term scientific research on the issue in our society. I believe this research will play an important role in addressing that gap,” he said.
The findings point to a broader challenge for parents as digital devices become increasingly embedded in childhood: managing screen use may no longer be simply about limiting hours, but also about determining what children watch, how they interact with it and whether adults remain engaged in the process.