Why you can’t stop watching: the truth about short form videos

One more. And then another. And then just one more after that. Has it ever happened to you? You pop open Tik Tok, Instagram Reels or YouTube shorts, and 20 minutes later, you’re still stuck on autoplay. It’s common, especially for kids.

Kids love these apps, and it’s largely how they consume content on social media nowadays. While seemingly innocent, these quick content hits are fundamentally changing kids’ ability to pay attention, form social connections and regulate emotionally.

Understanding short form videos

Popular on platforms including Tik Tok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, short form videos have certain characteristics that make them appealing to kids and worrisome for the adults in their lives:

• Videos range in duration from 15 – 90 seconds
• Personalized algorithms influence the video feed, so anything you’ve watched, clicked on or engaged with will likely appear in your feed
• Autoplay is the default setting, so videos will just keep playing one after the other after the other
• Feeds are designed to keep attention locked in mindlessly for long periods of time

Ringing the alarm bells

Child and social psychologists, doctors, educators and parents are waving red flags about short form videos. Many of them feel it’s the most harmful type of content on social media.

Tania Johnson, Registered Psychologist and Co-Founder of the Institute of Child Psychology, sat down with CTV news to discuss short form videos and how they affect kids’ developing brains. In her view, the super-fast, algorithm-driven and emotionally charged content is unsafe for kids.

Johnson highlights some of the most concerning effects of short form videos and how they impact developing minds:

• They train the brain to constantly expect novelty
• They are designed to be like a personalized slot machine, delivering content that speaks to our interests, as well our fears and anxieties
• With the short bursts and emotional ups and downs, there is no time for the nervous system to settle
• With the expectation of constant stimulation, kids get bored doing things in real life
• The intensity of stimulation can create emotional volatility and irritability
• Emotional regulation and processing uncomfortable feelings become increasingly difficult Social psychologist and renowned author Jonathan Haidt sees the issue with short form videos as much bigger than mental health. He claims they are actively rewiring kids’ brains and destroying the human ability to pay attention.

He attributes a growing inability to pay attention for several minutes at a time to the “quick, cheap dopamine hits” and “the rapid turnaround between behaviour and reward.” According to Haidt, shrinking attention spans are chipping away at human relationships, potential and connection.

Taking back your time

How can you and the kids in your life enjoy short form videos without getting stuck wasting time? It’s not just about time spent – but also the pattern of use and your relationship with it.

• Turn off autoplay: you can control your short form video feed on YouTube by turning off autoplay (Tik Tok doesn’t offer this option). Autoplay is turned off by default for users aged 13 – 17.
• Use controls available: on April 2, YouTube launched new features in Canada to give users greater control. You can now set time limits for short form videos and ensure higher quality content in your feed.
• Set a scrolling window: be intentional about the time spent on short form video apps and stick to that schedule. Setting limits on time spent can help avoid the mindless scroll.
• Curate your feed: if you find you’re getting disturbing or anxiety causing content in your feed, take action. You can train the algorithm on what really interests you by liking and saving intentionally, using the “not interested” button on select videos and scrolling past videos that don’t suit what you want to see in your feed.
• Elevate your other interests: wasting too much time on autoplay? What would you prefer to do instead? Cut your time on mindless viewing by replacing it with other activities that energize you. Go outside, hang with friends, read a book, cook, draw, listen to music, play a sport.
• Keep talking openly: it’s easy to just talk about rules when it comes to social media. But conversations about feelings matter just as much. Find out how short form videos make kids feel during and after they watch. When kids can identify their own feelings, they are more open to taking ownership over changes that can help them feel better.

Short form videos are a part of how we consume social media now. And that isn’t changing any time soon. With what we know about the negative impacts, it’s important to be aware of how you’re spending time with this content and why. For kids, enjoy your feed but choose what you watch instead of letting the algorithm choose for you. For parents, it means less policing and more curiosity. Watch what your kids watch. Ask them what they love about it. Then talk about what you both noticed after 20 minutes of autoplay. Those interactions and conversations are more powerful than just relying on rules.