Groundbreaking Research Reveals Short-Form Video Platforms Like TikTok and Instagram Are Altering Human Brains and Cognition, According to Griffith University Study
A significant study by a research team at Griffith University in Australia has found that short-form video platforms such as TikTok, Douyin, and Instagram are subtly changing the human brain. Analyzing 71 studies involving 98,299 participants, the research investigated the relationship between short-form video use and 'cognition' and 'mental health.' Key findings indicate that increased short-form video consumption correlates with poorer overall cognitive levels, severe declines in attention span, significantly weakened self-regulation, and reduced memory capacity. The study highlights how constant exposure to fast-paced content habituates the brain, making it prone to distraction during slower tasks and over-activating the dopamine reward system, leading to a pursuit of instant gratification and a decline in patience and deep thinking. Furthermore, it details negative emotional effects, including emotional regulation imbalance and intensified social comparison, contributing to increased anxiety, loneliness, and disrupted sleep patterns.
A groundbreaking study conducted by a research team at Griffith University in Australia has revealed that popular short-form video platforms, including TikTok, Douyin, and Instagram, are subtly altering the human brain. The research, which synthesized findings from 71 individual studies involving a total of 98,299 participants, meticulously analyzed the intricate relationship between the use of short-form video content and its impact on both 'cognition' and 'mental health.'
The study's findings paint a concerning picture:
- A direct correlation was observed between increased short-form video usage and a decline in overall cognitive levels.
- Participants exhibited a severe reduction in their ability to focus and sustain attention.
- Self-regulation capabilities were significantly weakened.
- A noticeable decrease in memory capacity was also identified.
**1. The Relationship Between Short-Form Video and Cognitive Function**
Long-term engagement with short-form videos leads to several cognitive changes:
- The brain becomes accustomed to 'fast-paced' content, making it easily distracted when faced with 'slow-paced tasks' such as reading or studying.
- On a neurological level, there is a reduction in the activation of the prefrontal cortex and the brain's attention network.
- The brain's 'dopamine reward system' is repeatedly triggered, reinforcing an 'instant gratification' mode.
- The long-term consequences include a shortened attention span, decreased patience, and a weakening of deep thinking abilities. This constant stimulation leads to desensitization, making it difficult for the brain to focus on slower tasks. The reinforced reward system drives an increasing pursuit of novel stimuli, resulting in a cognitive system that becomes restless and fragmented.
**2. The Relationship Between Short-Form Video and Mental Health**
The 'negative emotional effects' of short-form videos primarily manifest on two levels:
- **Emotional Regulation Imbalance:** Individuals may rely on short-form videos to alleviate anxiety, but this often leads to a cycle of 'brief relaxation followed by long-term anxiety.'
- **Reinforced Social Comparison:** Algorithms tend to push highly stimulating, aesthetically pleasing, and high-achievement content, which can easily induce feelings of relative deprivation.
The research team points out that this mechanism is highly consistent with the 'over-activation of the dopamine reward pathway,' akin to the 'reward-reinforcement-desensitization' process observed in behavioral addiction models. Emotional variables such as anxiety, stress, and sleep are most significantly affected, leading to a severe increase in anxiety and loneliness, a decrease in feelings of social connection, and reduced happiness. Furthermore, sleep mechanisms are disrupted; watching videos before bed suppresses melatonin due to blue light, and emotional stimulation keeps the brain excited, leading to delayed sleep onset and shallow sleep. This results in fatigue and low mood the following day, creating a long-term vicious cycle of sleep disorders, anxiety, and low mood.
**3. Why Short-Form Videos Affect Mental Health**
- **1. Reward System Cycle: The Dopamine Trap:** Each time a short video is scrolled, the brain's reward system secretes dopamine, forming a 'anticipation → reward → re-anticipation' cycle. Long-term users may experience desensitization of the reward system, making real-life pleasures feel 'insufficiently stimulating.'
- **2. Emotional Dependence and Anxiety Cycle:** An 'anxiety' feeling may emerge when not watching videos. Watching a video immediately alleviates this anxiety, resulting in a cycle of anxiety - watching videos - temporary relief - increased anxiety.
- **3. Social Comparison and Emotional Contagion:** Short-form video algorithms tend to amplify 'extreme' content: beautiful people, luxury cars, success stories, and perfect lives. Users unconsciously engage in comparisons, leading to feelings of 'others are better than me,' which decreases self-esteem and increases anxiety. Simultaneously, negative videos (e.g., those depicting suffering, illness, or self-diagnosis) can induce 'empathic anxiety.' Some research, such as Olvera et al. (2021), has found that 'mental symptom sharing' videos on TikTok have led to adolescents mimicking tic-like symptoms.