BY ANNA HOLLESEN
The popularity of short-form video content exploded in the social media space in March 2020, right as the COVID-19 epidemic began. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have birthed a new, and for some very profitable, industry for short-form content creators. Since the pandemic, the popularity of the short form video content trend has persisted, proving especially popular with adolescents and young adults. Some few have achieved fame overnight. Many more have whiled away who knows how many hours scrolling and scrolling. Despite the obvious entertainment short-form content provides, there may be less obvious side effects of this quick dopamine hit.
“I have easily fallen into the trap of short-form content videos like TikTok and Instagram.” Grace Earl, a junior student said.
This new trend of short-form videos gained momentum in 2016 with the advent of TikTok, previously known as Musical.ly. This platform quickly became a favorite among users, offering a unique opportunity to gain fame overnight. Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts followed soon after, further fueling the popularity of this format.
According to the National Library of Medicine, these videos are so popular because they provide constant stimulation, allowing users to keep scrolling without losing interest as long as the content remains engaging. The short duration of these videos, typically less than sixty seconds each, provides information in small chunks, making it easier for viewers to retain and process the content. These quick information dumps allow a constant and easy stream of dopamine, called the “happy hormone” which tells your brain when you like something.
“I’ve hated YouTube shorts ever since they added them,” Miranda Harrington, BHS sophomore, said. “But I can’t seem to avoid them, so I watch them.”
People suddenly had a lot of time on their hands as the pandemic began in March 2020. Many of these people turned to social media to entertain themselves, and it became very easy to spend hours online at a time with nothing else to do. The popularity of short-form content platforms exploded.
“I got TikTok during that time,” a sophomore said. “I used social media more during that time.”
The rush of dopamine to your brain makes you happier when watching these videos, and since your brain enjoys these hormones, you will be inclined to go whatever gives you that rush for more of it. As many teens spend much of their time on social media, it exposes them to social interaction online with many different people.
“However, they also provide negatives in a myriad of ways,” BHS Psychology teacher Samuel Stantial said.
Many people have joined TikTok, allowing the app to reach nearly two billion downloads. Teens and younger are more likely to use the internet as a form of validation from peers or strangers as their brains are still developing. According to the Child Mind Institute, the younger a person is, the more likely they are to gain an addict-like obsession with social media.
“I’ve gotten worse with procrastination,” Harrington said. “I say I’ll watch one or two [YouTube Shorts] then it turns into an hour of mindless scrolling.”
Adolescents who engage with social media excessively can become more misled with wildly inaccurate image of people’s lives in these short videos, confusing image with reality..
“People view these quick snippets as reality.” Earl said, “And automatically assume that someone’s life is perfect.”
As reported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, these videos can negatively affect teenage attention spans. Describing teens as being “constantly connected to the internet.” About ¾ of teens own phones and over half describe themselves as “addicted” to them.
“I used to enjoy watching longer videos, but now I can only do it if I’m also preoccupied with something else,” Harrington said. “Whenever I get bored I go watch YouTube Shorts.”
It’s challenging to dispute whether the increasing ubiquity is good or bad for brain development as there are many factors with the internet. Only time will tell if these videos will have a long-lasting effect on people.
“Whether it be attention span, addiction, or an over-reliance on these new technologies,” Stantial explained, “the internet has drastically changed all human life, and certainly teenage life.”
