06/01/2026
Children Are Losing Concentration Due to Easily Available Entertainment in Short Videos
In today’s digital age, short-form videos such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have become a part of the daily routine of children and adolescents. What began as entertainment is now affecting attention span, learning ability, and emotional control.
According to reports published in The Conversation based on research in neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral science, short-video formats are influencing how children’s brains develop.
What Does the Study Say?
Short-form video platforms are designed in a way that constantly pulls users’ attention. These platforms repeatedly release dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, creating a habit of instant reward in the brain.
As a result, the brain becomes conditioned to seek quick pleasure. In this state, the brain’s reward system develops rapidly, but self-control takes much longer to mature. This imbalance encourages constant scrolling and reduces the ability to focus on a single task for a long time.
Short videos present information in small, rapidly changing chunks. Because of this, long-term concentration does not develop.
Memory and Learning Process Become Weaker
Learning has three main stages:
Encoding – taking in information with attention
Consolidation – processing information deeply in the brain
Recall – remembering the information later
Short-video patterns disrupt this entire cycle. Rapidly changing content does not give the brain enough time to process information deeply. Studies indicate that children’s memory comprehension may decrease, especially if this habit replaces reading books or deep study.
Why Children Are Becoming Impatient
Concentration is not an inborn trait; it develops through practice. Reading books, playing outdoor games