United News of Bangladesh

In today’s hyper-connected world, children are growing up with screens as constant companions—scrolling, sharing, and seeking approval online. While social media offers scopes of connection and creativity, its darker effects often go unnoticed. Minor shifts in behaviour, mood, and daily habits may indicate underlying emotional distress. Recognising these early warning signs is crucial to safeguarding kids’ mental health and overall well-being. Let’s look closely at the red flags that social media-addicted children may reveal, which is more than just screen fatigue. 7 Red Flags That Signal Social Media Affects Your Child’s Mental Wellbeing . Irritability, Anger, Anxiety, and Depression Emotional turbulence is often one of the first signs that social networks are impacting a child’s mental well-being. A child who once handled challenges with calm may suddenly snap over minor inconveniences—like being asked to pause their screen time. This shift is more than a passing phase. Excessive digital platform exposure can condition a kid’s brain to expect instant gratification. Consequently, it gets difficult to tolerate delays or engage in slower-paced activities like reading or studying. The flood of fast, dopamine-triggering content rewires emotional responses, often replacing patience with frustration. As a result, parents might find their child increasingly restless, easily angered, and emotionally unbalanced even outside the screen. Read more: How to Keep Your Baby Comfortable and Healthy While Using Air Conditioner or Cooler Losing Track of Time When children spend long hours online, it’s easy for them to lose a sense of time. What often begins as a quick scroll can spiral into hours of passive consumption, especially on apps designed to encourage endless engagement. This disconnection from time awareness can quietly lead to neglect of daily responsibilities such as homework, family interactions, or personal hygiene. The 2025 report from Common Sense Media reveals that children under 8 now spend an average of 2 hours and 27 minutes each day engaging with screen-based media. TikTok dominates their screen time with nearly two hours a day, making it the top platform among this age group. These numbers point to a growing trend where time management skills erode as children become immersed in the virtual world. Social Withdrawal As children spend more time scrolling through digital feeds, their connection with real-world interactions often begins to fade. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, in his book The Anxious Generation (2024), likens social media to a firehose of addictive content. It displaces physical activity and in-person play—fundamental elements of healthy childhood development. Read more: Summer Tips for School-going Children Children using online media for three or more hours a day often avoid eye contact and struggle to express emotions clearly. Moreover, they speak in incomplete sentences during face-to-face interactions. For instance, a child who once eagerly engaged in family dinners might now retreat to their room, avoiding conversation entirely. This pattern of withdrawal isn’t shyness-—it’s discomfort, shaped by a digital world that rarely demands verbal or emotional expression. Misguided Self-esteem Virtual communities often act as distorted mirrors, shaping how children perceive their worth. Constantly exposed to highlight reels of peers’ lives, many begin to question their own value. According to ElectroIQ's Social Media Mental Health Statistics, 52% of users report feeling worse about their lives after seeing friends’ posts. 43% of teenagers admit feeling pressure to post content, driven by the hope of gaining likes or comments. Read more: How to Protect Children from Electric Shocks This chase for validation can have serious consequences. Children may develop body image issues or body dissatisfaction, comparing themselves to edited or filtered content. To gain approval online, they might resort to risky behaviour. For example, a teen might post provocative or reckless videos for attention and digital praise. Losing Attention in Offline Tasks Children nowadays are increasingly struggling to stay focused on tasks that require sustained concentration, like reading, studying, or completing chores. SambaRecovery's report highlighted that children’s average attention span is only 29.61 seconds. Over time, this figure showed a significant 27.41% decline during the continuous performance test. This trend mirrors parental concerns- 79% of parents, as cited by Common Sense Media 2025, fear that heavy screen exposure is eroding their child's ability to concentrate. This erosion is often visible in daily life. Constant notifications, videos, and scrolling content condition young minds to crave quick bursts of stimulation. It makes slow, offline tasks feel dull and unrewarding. Over time, this affects not just academics but also a child’s overall cognitive stamina and productivity. Read more: Parenting a Teenager? 10 Tips to be Their Best Friend Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) This is a powerful psychological driver that affects emotional health and can be especially damaging. This feeling stems from the perception that others are enjoying experiences, events, or interactions without them. It's amplified through the constant visibility of others’ lives online. For example, a kid might see classmates hanging out without him/her, sparking feelings of exclusion, sadness, or even jealousy. These emotions, although silently endured, can create deep emotional turbulence. FOMO intensifies anxiety and self-doubt, fuelling compulsive social network checking as children try to stay “in the loop” at all times. Increased Secrecy and Refusal to Go Outside When children begin to maintain excessive secrecy, it’s often a red flag that something deeper is affecting their well-being. If your child has previously been open but suddenly becomes reluctant to share details about their day or their online activities, it could signal emotional distress. Secrecy often indicates that they are hiding something troubling, like exposure to cyberbullying or other online dangers. According to social media mental health statistics, 87% of teens report being cyberbullied. Notably, 36.4% of girls report being affected by online harassment, compared to 31.4% of boys. Read more: The Importance of Instilling Leadership Skills in Your Child This constant exposure to negativity can cause children to avoid going outside, preferring the perceived safety of digital spaces. Over time, this behaviour can lead to a loss of trust and emotional isolation, as children avoid engaging in conversations. Wrapping Up These 7 warning signs reflect social media's negative impact on children's mental and emotional health. Excessive screen time can cause them to lose track of time and decrease their attention span, neglecting important tasks and responsibilities. Over time, this often results in social withdrawal. The constant comparison to others online fosters misguided self-esteem and worsens their mental well-being. Furthermore, children may struggle with FOMO, which heightens their feelings of inadequacy. As they struggle with these emotions, many develop increased secrecy, distancing themselves from the real world. All of these factors contribute to heightened emotional distress, often manifesting as irritability, anger, anxiety, and depression. Read more: Bullying in School: How to Protect Children and Deal with the Issue

Three teenagers were killed in a collision between a truck and a motorbike at Sheikhchilan in Lalpur upazila of Natore on Tuesday. Lalpur police station Officer-in-Charge Md Nuruzzaman said the motorbike crashed into the truck after the biker lost control around 12:30 pm, leaving three dead on the spot. Jubo Dal leader killed in Khulna; 2 held The deceased were identified as Srabon and Swapno from Sheikhchilan village and Biplob from Sonaidanga village in Singra upazila. Family members said the teenagers had gone out for a ride on the motorbike while visiting their maternal uncle’s house, he said. 3 killed as bus hits motorbike in Chattogram

In today's world, parents often face a significant dilemma when raising a teenager. During this stage of life, the teens strive for independence while still requiring guidance and support from their parents. Striking the right balance between being a parent and being a friend to an adolescent child is quite challenging. Let’s take a look at some effective tips for parents to establish a strong, supportive, and amicable relationship with their teenage children. 10 Tips for Parents to Form Friendship with Their Adolescent Children Open Communication Strong parent-teen bond hinges on effective communication. Parents should endeavour to foster open, non-judgemental dialogues with their teenage sons and daughters. It creates a safe space for them to freely express their thoughts and emotions. It is essential to bear in mind that actively listening, rather than merely hearing, conveys a genuine interest in their perspective. Allowing them the freedom to convey their feelings and ideas, even in cases of disagreement, nurtures trust. Trust, nurtured through open, non-judgemental conversations, forms the foundation of a healthy, enduring relationship with adolescents. Read more: Fire Safety Tips for Parents to Keep Children Safe Respect Their Independence Adolescents strongly desire independence. Granting freedom at a certain level enables them to learn from both their triumphs and missteps, fostering personal growth. Trusting their judgement, even when it may seem risky, demonstrates faith in their abilities and boosts their self-esteem. However, maintaining a guiding presence is equally important, stepping in when necessary to provide advice and support. Striking this balance of trust and guidance empowers teenagers to become responsible, self-reliant individuals. It also shows that they can turn to parents when needed. Shared Interests Discovering shared hobbies or interests is a powerful way to nurture parent-teen friendships. These mutual activities can be anything, from participating in a sport to pursuing a shared hobby or even jointly binge-watching a TV show. Read more: Sibling Bullying and Abuse: Reasons, Types, Signs and Prevention Engaging in such activities forges a unique bond that transcends the conventional parent-child dynamic. It connects on a personal level and promotes not just enjoyable moments but also meaningful conversations. Sharing interests deepens the connection, rendering the relationship more enjoyable.

Parenting is a lifelong process with its own unique challenges and rewards. From the joys of watching a child’s first steps to the difficulties of managing teenage years, parenting is a complex and multifaceted role. It involves a child’s physical, emotional, and social needs, along with guidance that can shape his/her future. Parenting has different dimensions and styles; in this article, we are going to talk about helicopter parenting. What is Helicopter Parenting? Helicopter parenting refers to an overly involved and overprotective approach – sometimes to the detriment of the children. The term “helicopter” refers to the way in which these parents “hover over” their children and are constantly monitoring their every move. Even though parents do this out of love for their children, this type of parenting can have a negative impact on children as it can stifle their independence and hinder their ability to make decisions on their own. Often, they are called “hovering parents” because they constantly watch over their kids and intervene at the first sign of any trouble. Read More: How to raise happy, confident, strong girls Origin of the term “Helicopter Parenting” In 1969, Dr. Haim Ginott first used the term “helicopter parent” in his book “Between Parent & Teenager” where teenagers described their parents hovering over them like a helicopter. Other identical terms are “lawnmower parenting”, “cosseting parent”, or “bulldozer parenting”. Helicopter parenting is defined by excessive focus on children, and taking too much responsibility for their experiences, successes, or failures. Gradually it turns into being overprotective, over-controlling, and over-perfecting, in a way that exceeds responsible parenting. Signs of Helicopter Parenting Helicopter parents mostly micromanage their children’s lives, controlling and monitoring their every move, often taking it to an extremely inappropriate level. They are ready to swoop in to rescue their children at the slightest obstacle. Read More: 15 Gift Ideas for a Newborn Baby Here are some clear signs of helicopter parenting in different stages of a child’s life: Overly involved parents always excessively monitor and correct their children, preventing them from making their own moves, interactions, how to play with specific toys, etc., hindering their ability to learn and explore. It starts when a toddler starts to walk, and falls, and some parents go to extreme lengths to prevent any minor scratches. In later stages, helicopter parents may complete their children’s homework, choose their friends and activities, and even attend job fairs and job interviews alongside them. They may also advise children during games and talk to coaches after every practice. In childhood, parents are expected to take care of the household chores for kids. But cleaning a teen’s room, and doing a college student’s laundry is over-parenting and leads to deprivation of learning basic life skills. Read More: How to deal with your demanding child? Children learn from their mistakes through trial and error. Helicopter parenting or always showing the right way to do it hinders their growth in tackling problems. Pros and Cons of Helicopter Parenting Despite the negative portrayal in popular media, several studies show helicopter parenting has been found to have both positive and negative outcomes. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of over-parenting. Pros of Helicopter Parenting Cognitive Skills: Parental involvement is a crucial factor in a student's intellectual, academic, and emotional development. It leads to improved attitudes towards school, better homework habits, social behavior, and enhanced academic achievement. Life Skills: Research suggests that helicopter parenting can have positive impacts on student development in areas like decision-making, physical and mental health, and career development. Read More: How physical punishment affects children and alternative ways to discipline them Psychological Adjustment: Studies say children of helicopter parents who receive support and proper guidance have better psychological adjustment and life satisfaction than others. Proper Guidance: Children of helicopter parents tend to be punctual, well-prepared, and receive significant support and guidance in their daily lives. They work tirelessly to address any problem their child may encounter and actively participate in school activities and groups. Effective Communication: Effective communication is the most important thing in a parent-children relationship. Helicopter parents and their teens are most likely to have friendly and clear communication about their whereabouts. Read More: Common Sleep Problems in Children: Causes, Symptoms, Ways to Help Cons of Helicopter Parenting Though parental involvement in their children’s education has been acknowledged to be beneficial, overprotective parenting can result in negative outcomes on their mental health. Psychological Issues: According to several studies, children with too involved parents in their children’s education at inappropriate developmental levels often develop psychological issues like anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Narcissistic Mindset: Helicopter parenting is linked with higher levels of narcissism and entitlement in adult children. Read More: Motivating Kids to Study, Do Homework, Get Good Grades: Know Secret Ways Problem-solving Skills: Children need to acquire problem-solving skills, but helicopter parenting can hinder this process. Dependency on Parents: Helicopter parenting can make children overly dependent on their parents, preventing their ability to learn essential life skills. No Self-advocacy: Helicopter parenting prevents children from developing self-advocacy skills that are crucial for success in school and work. Read More: Teaching Young Kids Household Chores: 10 Easy Steps Low Self-esteem: Helicopter parenting makes children feel inadequate and lead to self-esteem issues. It causes difficulties with problem-solving, coping, decision-making, social interaction, responsibility, and adaptive functioning. Absence of Natural Consequences: Children face natural consequences in life as an integral part of growing up. Helicopter parents tend to micromanage their children's activities to prevent them from experiencing any negative outcomes. Parent-Child Mutual Relationship: Helicopter parenting can strain the parent-child relationship because of constant nagging and interference. Read More: Stranger Danger: How to teach children safety rules for unknown, unsafe people Though in some cases, it brings children and parents closer together when children appreciate the push to succeed and feel cared for by their parents. Still, it's best to avoid helicopter parenting. How to Change Helicopter parenting, or being overly involved in a child's life, can hinder their acquisition of crucial life skills. Parents must allow their children to fail, struggle, to be disappointed, and let them do their own tasks. Sometimes taking a step backward from helping them can be the actual help. It will make the child more resilient and boost self-confidence. Although overprotectiveness comes from the good intention of guiding them, often it ends with controlling the children. To prevent this, parents must acknowledge their hovering tendency, and encourage their children to explore and grow. And if necessary, consulting a professional can be helpful. Conclusion There is no one-size-fits-all approach to parenting. Different strategies work better for individual families and children. Helicopter parenting hinders children’s chance of development. Read More: Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Raising children with guidance and support can teach them valuable life skills and independence. The desire to raise “perfect children” or compare them to others can lead to over-involvement, which may cause depression and low self-esteem in children. Parents should be aware of the signs of helicopter parenting and seek help if needed.

Two teenaged boys have been arrested in a case filed in connection with the murder of two students in Bauphal upazila of Patuakhali. The  arrestees are Sifat, 14 of Indrakul village of Suryamoni union of the upazila and Saikat, 14, from Kalaiya port, police said on Friday. Victim Nafees' mother Nargis Begum filed the case with Bauphal Police Station. A police operation is underway to arrest others involved in the murder, said Bauphal Officer-in-Charge Al Mamun. On March 20, students of class 9 and 10 of Indrakul Secondary School got involved in a dispute over a foot injury. On Wednesday afternoon, after the farewell ceremony of Class 10 students at the school, Nafees, Maruf and Siam, were returning home when several people, including Raihan, 2 Nayeem, Hasibul, who were already on the bridge, attacked and stabbed them. Locals rescued them and took them to Bauphal Hospital. After primary treatment, Nafees and Maruf were taken to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, where the on-duty doctors declared them dead. Siam is undergoing treatment at Bauphal Hospital. The deceased were buried at their village home on Thursday (March 23) afternoon after autopsy.      

Four men were arrested at Gandharbyopur village in Haziganj upazila of Chandpur district over gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl.The crime occurred on Monday night, said Zubayer Syed, officer-in-charge of Haziganj Police Station.Police arrested Nimai Chandra Das, 24; Momin, 32; Mamun, 30; and Mizan, 45 in this connection.A complaint was lodged with Haziganj Police Station on Tuesday.According to the complaint, Nimai developed a relationship with the girl, hailing from Darbeshpur village in Ramganj upazila.Nimai invited the girl to his village. On Monday, Nimai took the girl to his village.At one point, Nimai along with three other men took the girl to an abandoned place and raped her.Hearing screams, locals rescued the girl and informed police who arrested the four men.The arrestees were sent to jail after being produced before the court on Tuesday, said OC.The girl is now undergoing treatment at Chandpur General Hospital.

Israeli forces on Saturday shot and killed a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank after a group of youths smashed a hole through the Israeli separation barrier and began throwing objects at police. The shooting happened in Azariyah, a village just outside of Jerusalem, and marked the latest violence in what has become the deadliest year in the West Bank since 2015. In the Gaza Strip, meanwhile, thousands of supporters of the ruling Hamas militant group filled a soccer stadium in a demonstration they said was meant to show solidarity with the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during the Jewish high holiday season. Amateur video shared on social media showed a group of masked youths gathered in front of the towering concrete barrier and chanting slogans as they forced their way through a gate. “Walk forward our popular fans,” they chanted. “A hole in the separation wall, a patrol explodes.” Israel’s paramilitary border police said forces shot a protester who attempted to throw a firebomb at them as they came to disperse a demonstration. It said demonstrators threw stones and explosives at them. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the dead youth as 18-year-old Fayez Damdoum. Read: Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 8, including senior militant Israel built the barrier some 20 years ago in what it said was a security measure meant to prevent attackers from entering Israel. But the barrier frequently dips into the West Bank, carving off nearly 10% of its territory. The Palestinians view the structure as an illegal land grab and symbol of Israel’s 55-year military occupation of the territory. Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Some 700,000 Israeli settlers now live in the two areas, which the Palestinians claim for a future state. Saturday’s killing came at a time of heightened tensions. Israel has been carrying out stepped-up military activity in the West Bank, mostly in the northern cities of Jenin and Nablus, following a series of deadly Palestinian attacks inside Israel last spring. In Gaza, thousands of people attended Saturday’s rally, called “Al Aqsa is in danger.” Hamas leaders, including its top official in Gaza, Yehiyeh Sinwar, stood on a stage and addressed the crow. Hamas has previously threatened violence in response to what it says are “violations” against Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Jewish New Year holiday season. Tens of thousands of Jews visit the city during the holiday, including large numbers of people who visit the contested hilltop compound where the mosque is located. Jews revere the site as the Temple Mount, home to the biblical Jewish Temples, and consider it the holiest site in Judaism. The site is the emotional epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the competing claims often spill over into violence. Under longstanding arrangements, Jews are allowed to visit, but not pray at the site. However in recent years, the number of visitors has swelled, with some people praying under police protection. These scenes have raised fears among Palestinians that Israel is plotting to divide or take over the site — a claim Israel denies. Rawhi Mushtaha, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said Israeli practices were endangering the mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam.   “The practices of the occupation in Al-Aqsa, the West Bank and Palestine herald the great explosion in Al-Aqsa,” he said.

Police have arrested eight Dakhil examinees for killing a college student in front of an exam center in Cumilla on Thursday. The victim has been identified as Md Siam, 17, son of Helal Uddin Sarker of Char Mohonpur village under Cumilla’s Titas upazila. He was a first year student of Munshiganj Technical College. The arrestees are Sakib Hasan, 19, son Joy Mia, Nazmul Hasan, 19, son of Nazir Hasan, Jonayed Islam Shuvo, 17, Saimun Mia, 19, son of Shafiq Mia, Masum Billah Rony, 19, son of Awlad Hasan, Omar Faruk, 19, son of Nurul Haque, Junayed Ahmed Sourav, 19, son of Abul Kashem and Mukul Ahmed Rabi, 17, son of Md Helal. Read: 6 teen gang members held over murder in Cumilla According to police, accused Nazmul had a love affair with a cousin of Siam. An enmity was ensuing between the two as Siam was opposing the relationship and deterring Nazmul from visiting the area where the girl lived. The killing occurred when Siam took his brother to Titas upazila’s Gazipur Azizia Senior Dakhil Madrassah for attending an exam on Thursday. Finding Siam alone, Nazmul and his accomplices swooped on him and at one point, hacked him to death with a knife. “Siam’s father Helal filed a murder case accusing Nazmul and seven others on Thursday night, based on which the arrests were made. The eight accused have been sent to jail through the court on Friday,” said Sudhin Chandra Das, Officer In-charge (OC) of Titas Police Station.

Members of a teen gang allegedly stabbed an 18-year-old fish seller to death in a dispute over Tk 100 Khulna city on Friday morning. The victim, Yeasin Arafat, 18, was a fish trader of Sandhabazar in the city. Locals and police said the gangsters aged between 15 and 18 attacked Yeasin over a debt of Tk100 they owed him.  The gangsters numbering about eight came on a battery-powerd three-wheeler at the southern end of Kashem Road in the city and hit Yeasin on the head with brick around 11am, they said. Later, the teens stabbed him in the chest with meat cleavers and fled the scene leaving him critically injured. Read: 6 teen gang members held over murder in Cumilla He was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds while undergoing treatment, Abul Hannan, sub-inspector of Nirala Police Outpost, said.   “We are trying to determine the actual reason for the murder and a drive is underway to nab the perpetrators,” the SI added.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two people from Sylhet’s South Surma upazila for kidnapping and raping a 17-year-old girl. The arrestees are Abdul Ali, 40, of Jafrabad village under the upazila and Md. Alauddin, 32, of Chhopdolpur village. READ: Minister urges Sylhet DC not to collect entry fee at Jaflong  The victim was rescued and they were arrested from Jalalpur Bazar area of the upazila on May 8, said Somen Majumder, Assistant Director, Media Wing of RAB-9 on Tuesday. Initially, the victim told RAB that 4 to 5 unidentified persons, including the arrestees kidnapped her in a CNG-run autorickshaw and later gang-raped her for 10 days keeping her captive. The victim was kidnapped on April 29 from the Moglabazar area, said a RAB media release.