Short Video Addiction Affect Children’s Learning Abilities. Since TikTok introduced its short video format, many social media platforms have followed suit, including YouTube with its YouTube Shorts feature. Watching short videos, like those on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, can be entertaining, especially for taking a break from exhausting activities. However, did you know that scrolling through short video content too often can actually impact brain health? This issue has been studied by researchers in recent years. In fact, researchers have differentiated between addiction to short videos and other internet addictions.
According to Telematics Information, short videos are defined as videos with a duration of less than 15 minutes, usually 1–5 minutes long, and have a clear theme. Because they have specific themes based on algorithms, concise content, and a fast pace, people tend to continue watching and can develop addictive or addictive behaviors.
It’s apparent that watching videos lasting no more than 60 seconds keeps us curious, keeping our eyes glued to our gadgets. And it’s not just us; children are the same way. Sure, sometimes the content is funny, cute, or even exciting, especially when there’s a dance challenge to participate in. But among all that content, there are also dangerous elements for children. There are violent, sexual, and vulgar content sneakily mixed in, packaged in short but still meaningful ways. It’s worrisome, isn’t it?
Dangers of Short Video Addiction on Children’s Learning Abilities
There are three main types of dangerous content in YouTube Shorts, Tiktok, and other platforms that are not filtered out: vulgar language, sexual scenes, and violence. All three can affect children’s mental health!
Violence
Viewing violent scenes at a young age may not have an immediate impact, but it can affect their adult lives. Those who are frequently exposed to violent scenes tend to have problematic behaviors such as suicidal thoughts or other mental disorders.
Vulgar language
Unlike violent scenes that might have an impact later in life, seeing scenes with vulgar language can be immediately imitated by children. Children who frequently hear vulgar language tend to show physical and verbal aggression. It’s no wonder they can easily bully their peers.
Nudity
Watching sexual scenes or nudity at a young age is like introducing a new concept they are not ready for. A study by Chia-Hua Liu found that children who have been exposed to nudity at a young age are more prone to engaging in sexual relationships in their teenage years and easily changing sexual partners by the age of 23. This means they are at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases at a young age.
Effects of Short Videos Addiction on the Brain :
Short videos have the potential to become addictive.
According to Cyberpsychology, addiction to short videos is characterized by excessive and irrational use, negatively impacting daily life. This addiction can result in negative effects on emotions, mood, and psychological well-being. But what makes short videos, like those on TikTok, so addictive? A study titled “The addiction behavior of short-form video app TikTok: The information quality and system quality perspective” suggests that addiction stems from the personalized nature of the content. Videos are presented based on algorithms, commonly referred to as the “for your page” (FYP), tailored to user interests and preferences (Frontiers in Psychology, 2022). Additionally, the high quality and entertaining nature of these videos contribute to the user’s enjoyment, encouraging them to watch more and unknowingly leading to addiction.
Excessive watching of short videos can reduce the brain’s ability to focus.
Watching an excessive amount of short videos can diminish the brain’s ability to focus. According to a study titled “Accelerating Dynamics of Collective Attention,” excessive scrolling through social media can reduce an individual’s focus and attention span (Nature Communications, 2019). Moreover, the study’s findings suggest that watching short videos can lead to a decline in an individual’s capacity to engage with longer-duration content. This is because longer content demands sustained focus. People accustomed to watching videos ranging from 10 to 30 minutes may find themselves feeling bored, losing interest, and struggling to maintain focus. If used excessively, social media or any content platform can produce similar effects.
Addiction to short videos reduces learning motivation.
According to a study titled “Effects of Short Video Addiction on the Motivation and Well-Being of Chinese Vocational College Students” (Frontiers in Public Health, 2022), addiction to short videos can diminish learning motivation. Excessive consumption of short videos provides instant gratification. This instant gratification from short videos can reduce the motivation to tackle challenges and acquire knowledge and skills necessary for future achievements. Individuals tend to opt for easy and enjoyable activities over those that require effort and a process, even though the latter may yield better long-term results. Therefore, it is crucial to regulate the time spent scrolling through short videos to prevent losing track of time and ultimately developing an addiction.
Short videos can affect brain memory.
A study titled “Influence of Short Video Watching Behaviors on Visual Short-Term Memory” found that the average daily time spent watching short videos has a negative impact on short-term visual memory (Proceedings of the 2021 4th International Conference on Humanities Education and Social Sciences, 2021). When you view a visual object, your brain can easily forget it. To retain the memory of the object, it’s necessary to store it as a short-term visual memory. During everyday activities like reading, this short-term memory is essential for determining the next steps and processing them into long-term memory. However, if you engage in these activities while also watching short videos, your short-term memory can suffer. This is because your brain’s ability to process memories is limited. When distractions like short video clips appear, your brain’s efforts to process a memory are divided, resulting in suboptimal memory function.
Understanding the impact of short videos on children’s mental health and cognitive development underscores the importance of parental intervention in controlling screen time. It’s vital for parents to monitor and limit their children’s exposure to short video content to ensure their healthy development. By setting boundaries and encouraging alternative activities such as reading, playing, and exploring their surroundings, parents can help their children maintain a healthy balance between screen time and real-world experiences. Prioritizing healthy screen habits from an early age can positively influence children’s overall well-being and development in the long run.