The Addiction of Short-Form Media

Digital content that is brief and quickly captures the attention of its audience is known as short-form media. This type of content is easily consumed and engages users rapidly, making it ideal for short-term entertainment. Short-form videos have gained popularity in today’s society. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are the commonly known short-form video platforms. While these apps are designed for short-term entertainment, why are teenagers still spending so much time on these apps when they’re meant for content that’s generally less than one minute long? 

Let’s look at TikTok. TikTok is the most used platform that teenagers use to watch short-form videos. According to CosmoTogether, the average teenager spends around 90 minutes a day on TikTok; that’s presumably a minimum of 90 short-form videos watched in a day alone—without even counting videos on any other app. So, why is TikTok this addictive? To put it simply, these platforms are designed to be addictive. Platforms like TikTok provide users with quick-hit, short-form media that’s driven by an algorithm known as a “For You Page” (FYP). The FYP is created with artificial intelligence (AI) and personalized for each user. This creates a constant cycle of captivating entertainment for the user to watch as the AI adapts the videos that appear on the FYP to the user’s liking. Therefore, when almost every single video that appears on your FYP is something that you find intriguing, it would be difficult to close the app. Why would you need to close the app when everything you watch is so entertaining and fitting to your interests anyway?

When people watch short-form media, the dopamine-fueled reward system in the brain is activated. When you watch an interesting video, your brain releases dopamine, which tells your brain that watching these videos is enjoyable and desirable. To fulfill the desire for satisfaction that dopamine release provides, it encourages you to consume more short-form media. This starts an endless cycle of wanting more of the dopamine rush that comes from watching these videos, known as “doomscrolling”. Not only does doomscrolling result in a significant amount of wasted time, but it also affects your ability to focus and concentrate. When dopamine is constantly released in the brain while watching short videos, the brain becomes trained to expect dopamine in short amounts of time. This makes it much more difficult to focus on longer types of content, such as books, podcasts, in-class lectures, articles, videos, and even movies. We find it more difficult to concentrate on tasks that don’t immediately entertain us because short-form media has trained our brains to seek out instant gratification.

Short-form media is designed to be addictive, and addiction to it is real. With these applications, it’s easy to get caught up in the algorithm and lose track of time or responsibilities. Addiction is a struggle, so how can you identify that you may have an addiction? Here are six ways to tell:

1. You’re unable to control your urge to use short-form media platforms.

2. You’re unable to stop watching short-form videos even when it’s not necessary.

3. You neglect other activities, such as schoolwork, health, hygiene, or socializing, to spend more time watching short-form videos. 

4. You spend more time on short-form media platforms to feel the same levels of satisfaction as you did the last time you were on the app.

5. You find it hard to spend time off short-form media platforms, which can make you feel anxious or restless.

6. You spend an unhealthy amount of screen time on short-form media platforms.

These signs all indicate an addiction to short-form media, and even relating to one sign can demonstrate it. If this sounds like you, consider overcoming this addiction one step at a time or by seeking out help from a trusted adult, peer, guidance counselor, or mental health professional.

Dopamine plays a huge role in short-form media addiction, so consider finding more effective and healthier ways to increase dopamine levels. Here are some possible alternatives one can try:

Real Life Alternatives:

• Rather than scrolling, spend more time with friends and family. Being more involved in daily activities and adventures with them makes you realize how much life there is to appreciate. 

• Learn or practice creative hobbies, such as playing an instrument, drawing, writing, or photography.

• Read a book or comic. Find some time to go to the library and search for books that interest you. (It’s also free!)

• Take a walk and get some fresh air. Sometimes, nature is all you need.

• Exercise and work out. (Home workouts exist, too.)

• Get up and do the necessary schoolwork or household activities you may have to do.

Online Alternatives:

• Listen to audiobooks or podcasts, which last longer and provide more context and structure. You also get to stay informed, engaged, and entertained. 

• Listening to music and making corresponding playlists that match your moods, activities, or favorite artists.

• Use Duolingo to learn basic verbal, speaking, and writing skills of a language that interests you.

• Limit your screen time on short-form media platforms that you spend too much time on.

Self-control is your best friend when it comes to overcoming short-form media addiction. The next time you catch yourself doomscrolling, think about what you need to be doing and what you could be doing instead. You will always have life responsibilities and needs, but you will always have alternatives and solutions when you cannot close your phone, too. Being connected to life, rather than confined to your phone, makes life more wonderful. Be more involved in your life and learn to appreciate it; there are many things to do instead of doing what the algorithm “tells” you to do.