By Daniel Gao, Staff Writer
TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Youtube shorts all have been go-to-platforms for students when they crave for entertainment to distract or unwind. However, which mindlessly-scrolling app is scientifically proven the best?
TikTok was the first platform that exclusively provided short video content and has created a brand name for itself since 2016. Its content ranges from 15 second shorts to 10 minute long videos about pranks, skits, lifehacks, and “tiktok dances”. Instagram Reels is also similar to TikTok providing short clips no more than a minute long in the Instagram app. Youtube Shorts similarly has a feature showing 60 second films within the Youtube app. With their similarities, it seems hard to distinguish which platform is the best.
In a recent student survey, 38.5% of students preferred TikTok, 30.8% of students preferred Youtube Shorts, and 30.8% of students preferred Instagram Reels. This makes TikTok the most preferred app with Youtube Shorts and Instagram Reels coming in at a tie respectively. With TikTok exclusively making short film content as its focus, it is easy to see why it’s the fourth most downloaded app in the Apple app store. According to Phoebe Zhang (12), she believed that “TikTok has more variety of videos and aren’t as repetitive as reels or shorts.” Many students also like the simplicity of TikTok with being on the landing page immediately after opening the app.
On the other hand, many students can debate on this perspective. Kyle Chan (12) said that “With TikTok, you couldn’t really choose what you watch and see the recommended clips beforehand, unlike Youtube Shorts. With Shorts, you can choose what you can watch by scrolling though on the main Youtube home page before watching it.” Youtube user Christie Tjandra (12) also finds that “having both short and long videos pertaining to the content I consume on one platform is convenient.” Others simply just stick to a single app as Charles Yao (12) who claims that he is too lazy to download extra apps on his phone.
Furthermore, this also seems to be the case with students who vouch for Instagram Reels. With most students already fostering an Instagram account, there is easy access for them to watch Reels on the explore page along with other trending posts. With Instagram providing more utility with integration of direct messages unlike youtube shorts, many see Instagram as the “does-it-all” app that would centralize their social media life into a single platform. Jamie Wong (12) prefers Instagram Reels because she felt that it would be a big waste of time if she downloaded TikTok. With many interviewees, time management seems to be the top deciding factor in which platform they use. Mills Senior, Serena Mezzetta (12) who chose Instagram Reels testified that “[although] TikTok has the best content and is the most interesting out of the 3 options, I found it too distracting and deleted it.”
Focusing on these points in mind, there are clear winners depending on the main factors of the user’s preferences. Depending how busy a student is, Instagram Reels or Youtube shorts could be their main sources of entertainment. These short video clips are already integrated within Youtube and Instagram apps which makes them winners in convenience. However, if time is not a problem and watching quality content creators is your choice, TikTok would be the best fit.
