As short videos now dominate social media, researchers are keen to understand how this highly engaging, algorithm-driven format Perhaps it changes the brain.
From TikTok to Instagram Reels to YouTube Shorts, short-form video content has become a cornerstone of virtually every online platform, including LinkedIn and even Substack. But research is increasingly finding a link between heavy viewing of short videos and problems with concentration and self-control.
The study, although still at an early stage, appears to reflect widespread concerns about “brain rotAn internet slang term that Oxford University Press defines as “the perceived deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual condition.” (The term has become so common that an academic publishing house declared it the word of 2024.)
September review of 71 studies A total of nearly 100,000 participants found that heavy viewing of short-form videos was associated with worse cognitive performance, particularly in attention span and impulse control, based on a combination of behavioral tests and self-report data.
A review published in Psychological Bulletin, a journal of the American Psychological Association, also found a link between excessive video viewing and increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and loneliness.
A article published in Octoberwhich summarized 14 studies on the use of short videos, similarly described links between heavy use and shorter attention spans as well as lower academic performance.
Despite the growing concern, some researchers say the long-term picture is still unclear.
James Jackson, a neuropsychologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said there is a long history of people opposing new technologies and cultural phenomena, whether it's video games or Elvis concerts. So he's cautious about overreacting to the rise of short-form video, but he nonetheless said he believes many of the concerns are justified.
“The narrative that the only people who care about it are grumpy old grandpas who yell at you to get off their lawn, or the idea that if you care about it, you're not keeping up with the times, I think that's really simplistic,” Jackson said.
Current research on the topic shows that short videos in general have harmful effects on the brain when consumed in large doses, he said. But more research will be needed to analyze the nuances, such as who is most vulnerable, how consistent the effects are, and what specific mechanisms cause harm.
Diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder US growth ABOUT 1 in 9 children By 2022, he was diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But Keith Robert Head, a social work graduate student at Capella University in Minneapolis and author of the October paper, said there was overlap between ADHD symptoms and the risks he identified.
“So one of the questions that researchers would be interested in studying is: Are these ADHD diagnoses actually ADHD, or is it the influence of constant use of short videos?” – said the leader.
Three Experts told NBC News that research into the long-term effects of excessive use of short videos is still being conducted, especially in the United States. However, research by researchers from around the world, including United Kingdom, Jordan, Saudi Arabia And Egyptalso found a link between watching videos and problems such as attention problems, memory impairment and cognitive fatigue.
However, these studies do not establish cause and effect, and most describe only a point in time rather than following subjects over a longer period.
Dr. Nidhi Gupta, a pediatric endocrinologist who studies the effects of screen time, said that while much of the existing research on short-term video consumption has focused on younger adults, she would like to see more attention paid to older adults. They often don't have time on their hands and are less technologically savvy, so they may also be vulnerable to the risks of short-form content, she said.
Gupta added that many years of further research may be required to determine whether the cognitive changes associated with short-form media consumption are reversible. But she's concerned it's created a new type of addiction – something she describes as “video games and TV on steroids.”
“It may be too early to declare total doom,” Gupta said. “Research on alcohol, cigarettes and drugs has taken 75 years or more to develop. But I would be surprised if in the next five to 10 years we don't have similar signs confirming the moral panic we're experiencing around short videos.”
Jackson, however, said short videos can also be helpful because they create learning opportunities and community building online.
What's important, he says, is balance: “There are people who engage with short videos in ways that certainly add value. But if their engagement distracts them from other, healthier opportunities, if it isolates them from other people, if it creates situations in which they're less and less likely to just sit and be bored, I think that's a problem.”
