People consume content daily in a variety of forms such as ads, social media and posters. Usually, people just view the content and go on with their day, but have they ever thought about the effects of the type of content viewed?
Content like Tiktoks, YouTube shorts, and Instagram or Facebook reels are examples of short form content that is brief, to the point, and usually less than a minute or on the longer side a few minutes, making it highly addictive.
However, even in this short time, content such as this can affect mental health and the way information is obtained.
Linganore High School (LHS) psychology and Spanish teacher Leane Pupo discussed the true impact of short-form content.
“It’s [short form content] highly addictive because it is releasing dopamine in the brain,” Pupo said. “Dopamine is what’s released when something feels good in your style, like ‘oh I like this, I’m interested in this.’ And so, you always want more dopamine, and with teenagers in particular, our brains crave that reward.”
People are increasingly wasting time scrolling on these apps, without realizing the impacts.
“I think it [social media] has a pretty big influence on this generation, especially just because every other kid has it, and since they’re young,” LHS freshman Yididia Alemayehu said. “You know, it’s easy for their minds to be influenced by different things they see on social media.”
Difficulty staying focused could be attached to time spent on content like Tiktoks, YouTube shorts, and Instagram or Facebook reels.
“Those small little birds of information are reducing your ability to pay attention to longer media because we’re used to [receiving] these little bits of information,” Pupo said. “So, I do feel that it’s affecting your attention span.”
As social media and technology evolves, people’s attention spans are further shortening, leading to difficulty focusing on longer tasks, achieving long term goals, and retaining information.
Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a New York based neuropsychologist and the director of Comprehend The Mind, a comprehensive consultation psychological services, discussed what short form content has on the mind.
“Their brains have gotten used to basically downloading information in 30-second bursts, and that’s not how you [humans] learn. That is not how you attend to things,” Hafeez said. “So the concept of critical thinking, abstract thinking, actually reading something, or coming to your own conclusion [does not function as well anymore].”
The mental health of an individual may be majorly affected as well. Self esteem and confidence might deteriorate and people may become depressed or anxious from the lack of dopamine from not watching short form content.
“When you don’t have that [dopamine], you start actually feeling depressed and anxious, because you’re not having that high,” Pupo said. “[In regards to] Your self esteem … you’re comparing yourself to other people, and it can create a lot of mental health issues and this is something that’s been studied.”
According to Hafeez, while the effects really impact the younger generations, older generations also suffer in their own way.
“Even in adults who’ve got fully developed brains, they struggle with paying attention,” Hafeez said. “But the younger brains really haven’t had a chance to form … This is all they’ve ever known. This is all they’ve ever learned.”
Despite a focus on the negative aspects of short form content, there are positives to it as well. People may glean inspiration from it, connect with people they usually would not, learn other cultures and find entertainment. However, some believe there is a fine line in how much it should actually influence people.
It is still possible to negate the negative effects short form content can have on the brain. They can be slowly but effectively reversed. Depending on the depth of the addiction, however, some people may need more assistance than others. People might not recognize they have an addiction. So a self-reflection of when and how often they reach for the phone is needed.
Pupo believes that people can develop strategies to reduce the use of short form content and limit its effect. She shared that some people, adults and teens alike, have chosen to delete social media accounts after realizing the harm it can cause.
“You know, the brain is like any other muscle,” Hafeez said. “If you don’t exercise it, if you don’t exert the muscle to do what it’s supposed to do … It stops working and the muscle dies. It’s not the way humans are supposed to function being stuck to a screen scrolling.
“That’s not the way human beings were meant to be. It’s a serious problem.”
Students like LHS freshmen Student Yididia Alemayehu see how short form content on social media can capture someone’s attention and keep them distracted. She suggests creating a balance in how much one uses social media and its proliferative short form content. Use of social media with short form content like Tiktok videos, YouTube shorts, Instagram or Facebook reels do not have to end, but people should be mindful of endless scrolling, take breaks and create balance.
“Whenever I find myself interacting with social media, it does grab my attention for some time,” Alemayehu said. “But you know, I still have a kind of control, like how much time I’m spending, but like I feel like for everybody else that does catch their attention and yeah kind of keep them distracted,” Alemayehu said.
