Are Short-Form Videos Affecting the Attention Spans of Younger Generations?

The popularity of short-form videos has exploded with the widespread use of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.  It’s become especially popular with children and teenagers.  While these platforms have provided us with hours of entertainment and a way to connect with family and friends, there is a rapidly growing concern about the effects of short-form videos on our youth’s attention spans and overall development.

Firstly, what are short-form videos?  Short-form videos are exactly how they sound: they are short videos, usually lasting a few seconds or minutes.  They provide quick entertainment, making them easily consumable.  The content within these videos can be anything, from funny skits to dances, or even news, but that’s barely scratching the surface.  TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are a few popular examples of apps that host these kinds of videos.

What do short-form videos have to do with the quickly dwindling attention span of our youth?  While there’s not particularly much research done on the topic of short-form content’s effects on children, many experts say that short-form videos can lead to shorter attention spans due to the immediate gratification these types of videos give.  With how short they are, they’re easily consumed.  Many short-form videos can be consumed within an hour, which can make the consumer of this type of media become more used to shorter videos.  This is especially potent in children because their brains are still developing.  This constant stream of content (which varies in quality) and immediate satisfaction can practically fry their dopamine receptors.  This can affect their academic performance as well as their social, and emotional regulation skills. 

So what can be done about this?  While short-form videos won’t stop, you, however, can.  Whenever you notice you’ve been scrolling for a while or you've lost track of time, take a break from scrolling.  Set aside specific times to consume short-form content, and set limits for yourself.  TikTok and Youtube both have settings within them that you can toggle to limit your screen time on their apps, and remind you to take a break from scrolling.  Children, especially small children, should be given a set amount of screen time, and have the content they are consuming monitored, to make sure they’re watching things that are appropriate for their age.

It’s okay to put the phone down.  Go outside, touch grass, and talk to your friends and family.  You won't miss anything.  Those videos will always be there for you later.