TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and other short-form media have decreased our attention spans. As shorter content forms become more common, social media users will have more trouble paying attention in the future.
Do not even ask me the amount of times I checked my phone while writing this article, because I’ve lost count. As I have become more addicted to watching TikToks and Reels on my phone, I have noticed my attention span dramatically decrease.
In the past few years, I’ve realized that I can’t sit down and watch a movie without doing something else to simultaneously stimulate my brain. I get bored when watching a movie or show, and I wonder how the rise of short form-media will continue to affect me and other social media users in the future.
Short-form media is defined as content that is less than 10 minutes long or less than 1,200 words. This type of content is typically displayed on a cell phone, making it more accessible for consumers. In addition, short forms of content display a variety of entertainment genres that viewers can easily absorb.
As technology advances, Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms have become readily available on our personal devices. We can be almost anywhere at any time and engage in our favorite forms of media.
Social media usage is linked to our brain’s reward center, which releases dopamine when we engage in enjoyable activities. This constant brain stimulation from our devices has caused our attention spans to decrease because we have become acclimated to the dopamine rush we get as we jump from different content platforms.
“Phones and short forms of media play the most important role in high school students’ decreasing attention spans,” Reporter Tessa Nussenbaum wrote. “Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are designed to make our brains adapt to only receiving small and short forms of media at once.”
As we become more addicted to short forms of entertainment, I believe that our real-world interactions with people will change. Conversations with people will become shorter, increasing the frequency of shallow relationships. People will be less connected to society and more focused on the entertainment from their devices that brings them more joy.
Attention switching has also been correlated with stress. In a 2023 interview with the American Psychological Association, Gloria Mark, PhD, explained that in her research she has found a “correlation between frequency of attention switching and stress.”
When participants from Mark’s study shifted their attention, their blood pressure increased and the participants recorded feeling more stressed. Mark argues that our shortened attention spans are unfavorable because unnecessary stress can negatively affect our health.
As our attention spans decline, our health and our relationships with others will become disconnected. So, next time you think about aimlessly scrolling on your favorite social media platform, go outside. Maybe talk to a friend, or even touch some grass because we need to put down our screens and connect with those around us to better our society.