Social Media Reels and Mental Health Issues of Children under 10 in Bangladesh

The proliferation of short-form social media content, particularly reels on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Reels, has transformed digital media consumption patterns among children globally. In Bangladesh, where smartphone penetration is rapidly increasing, children under 10 are increasingly exposed to high-intensity visual content, yet empirical evidence on its psychological impact remains scarce. This study investigates the association between reel exposure and mental health outcomes—specifically attention problems, emotional dysregulation, behavioral imitation, and dependency-like use patterns—among children aged 4–9 years in urban and semi-urban Bangladesh. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey design (n = 412) and structural equation modeling (SEM), the study also examines the moderating roles of parental mediation and socio-cultural context. Results indicate that higher reel exposure is significantly associated with increased attention deficits (β = 0.41, p < .001), emotional dysregulation (β = 0.36, p < .001), behavioral imitation (β = 0.29, p < .01), and dependency-like behaviors (β = 0.44, p < .001). Parental mediation significantly attenuated these negative effects across all outcomes, while socio-cultural context provided partial protective moderation. Multi-group analyses reveal that younger children (4–6 years) are more vulnerable to reel-induced cognitive and emotional challenges than older children are (7–9 years). These findings highlight developmental vulnerability, the role of the family microsystem, and contextual influences on digital media effects. Policy implications include the development of age-appropriate digital guidelines, parental training, school-based interventions, and platform-level content management, tailored to the Bangladeshi context. The study contributes to theoretical understanding by integrating Developmental Cognitive, Social Cognitive, Attention Economy, and Ecological Systems perspectives, offering a framework for research and policy in low- and middle-income countries experiencing rapid digital transformation.