By: Sara Meng, Staff-Writer
Addiction to this form of media can also affect learning engagement and possibly promote, or worsen, ADHD symptoms. Short-form content generally targets the “reward system” that our brain often operates on. A good example is hitting entertainment you’re interested in every time you scroll, releasing that sense of pleasure we crave so deeply. This can be especially dangerous for ADHD patients as they are more vulnerable to addictive media content compared to their neurotypical peers.
We live in a world where the average person checks their phone over 80 times a day. We have become immersed in a culture of constant media consumption, where, sadly, 30-second clips often dictate the pattern of our attention spans. The current trend, Short-form media, can be described as digestible snippets of entertainment or information present on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and or YouTube. While this new form of entertainment is undeniably convenient, it has also become one of our greatest concerns due to its link with deteriorating attention spans and mental health.
The point of Short-form media is to condense information/entertainment into sizable chunks, often no longer than a minute, to keep individuals entertained and encourage rapid consumption. The style of these videos triggers the constant release of dopamine in the brain, keeping consumers hooked. With the algorithm adjusting to each person’s likes, it is easy to see why so many people become addicted. “I have noticed my attention span has become shorter ever since I started using TikTok. It gets distracting over time, the algorithm makes you want to stay longer as it’s showing you what you want to see so you don’t want to leave.” Emma Pham (12). Skyline Professor, Vincent Favilla, supported “An algorithm always knows you better than you know yourself. It is extremely unnerving. Algorithms and companies behind it don’t care about you, they just want to make money.”
Studies have shown that repeated exposure to this form of media can cause cognitive and behavioral effects which are only magnified in adolescents. When attention span is decreased, impulsivity can increase in the individual. High impulsivity, defined as making impulsive actions without thinking of consequences, can be related to being unable to stop scrolling on apps. Skyline professor, Vincent Favilla touches more on his own experience “ I don’t know much about the new digital age but I will say it has affected me. Subjectively it has affected my attention, for instance when I am watching something on Netflix I still want to open another tab. I wasn’t like this when I was younger.”
While short-form media content is most certainly interesting and accessible, we still need to recognize the potential dangers it poses. As we navigate this new digital age, we need to be more mindful of what we as consumers are consuming and stop our mental health from being dragged in. Sadly, this is all we can do as there really aren’t any solutions for this issue, as it not only touches on psychological effects but is also intertwined with societal and industrial issues.
