Ten-year-old Rimon (pseudonym) is supposed to be spending his days with books in hand, attending school, and running around the field with friends after class. Instead, he is frequently made to stand in front of a camera. Heavy makeup, exaggerated gestures, emotional adult dialogues — all for a Facebook Reels video.
Within hours of publication, the video collects thousands of views. The comment section is filled with laughing emojis, vulgar remarks, and praise for the child’s “performance.” But behind the digital applause lies the loss of a child’s natural childhood, mental safety, and dignity.
This is not an isolated case. Across Bangladesh’s social media platforms, content involving children in adult roles, violent skits, inappropriate dialogues, or viral stunts is growing rapidly.
Experts say this has moved beyond poor entertainment choices into a serious social risk affecting children’s psychological development, moral learning, and online safety.
Bangladesh’s expanding internet access has widened children’s digital exposure. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) ICT Survey 2025–26, 56.2% of households now have internet access, while 48.9% of people aged five and above use the internet. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) says internet subscribers reached around 135.99 million by July 2025.
Disturbing content trends
A recently viral Facebook Reels video shows a child in heavy makeup lip-syncing to an emotional adult movie dialogue, with gestures associated with adult-themed content. Thousands of comments included mockery and vulgar remarks.
Another video from a page with around 300,000 followers depicts a child asking his father about wealth. The father says he inherited assets after his father’s death. The child then strikes him on the head with a stick, later ordering luxury goods while the father lies unconscious.
The skit trivialises patricide and promotes materialism, suggesting wealth and gadgets outweigh family bonds and ethics.
Expert concerns
Dr Alpana Jahan, assistant professor of neonatology at Dr MR Khan Shishu Hospital and Institute of Child Health, told Dhaka Tribune that such content can distort children’s understanding of reality.
“It may confuse children about the difference between reality and performance, and create a risk of accepting inappropriate behaviour as normal,” she said.
She added that monetising children’s performance can harm their self-esteem and emotional development.
Parental involvement and monetization
In many cases, parents are reportedly encouraging such content for views and income. Children are given scripts instead of books and made to enact adult scenarios.
Sociologists describe this as a form of “digital child labour,” where childhood is commercialised for engagement and profit.
Dr Alpana Jahan said: “A child is not a commercial product. Every child has a right to childhood, dignity, and mental safety.”
AI-driven risks and platform gaps
Experts warn that AI-generated content is further worsening the problem by placing children in fabricated or inappropriate scenarios.
Arif Mainuddin, Cyber Security Expert at Decodes Lab Limited, told Dhaka Tribune that algorithms are pushing violent and unethical content to young users.
“Many children begin imitating such behaviour in real life. There is also growing risk of children’s photos and videos being used to create fake accounts, sold on foreign platforms, or misused through AI tools,” he said.
He added that enforcement of under-13 account restrictions remains weak.
“BTRC, law enforcement agencies, and the platforms themselves must work together to quickly remove harmful content,” he said.
He also noted that parental earnings of Tk10,000–20,000 monthly are driving participation, despite long-term harm.
The way forward
Dr Alpana Jahan said families must ensure childhood is not turned into content.
Second, society should stop rewarding exploitative content as entertainment.
Third, authorities should introduce stronger regulation and enforcement mechanisms, while platforms must enforce child protection policies strictly.
In the United Kingdom, authorities are introducing restrictions on smartphone use in schools and exploring tighter social media rules for under-16s to improve pupil wellbeing and reduce digital addiction. Experts suggest similar safeguards could be considered in Bangladesh.
