“A few seconds of pleasure?” Children addicted to short-form… They can’t even sleep and become ‘like this’

Shortform, distributed through TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, is a short and engaging video that lasts from 15 seconds to several minutes. It is designed to grab attention quickly with fast-paced editing, catchy music, and trending topics.

However, according to a study published in BMC Psychology, teenagers addicted to short-form videos tend to have poor sleep quality and higher levels of social anxiety, PsyPost reported.

Researchers at Yantai University in China explored the relationship between the severity of short-form video addiction, social anxiety, and sleep quality. The researchers conducted a survey, assuming that short-form videos could reduce sleep quality and that social anxiety could play a role in this relationship. Short-form addiction was defined as “chronic or periodic compulsive use of short-form apps repeatedly, with symptoms that cause strong and persistent cravings and addiction.”

The study involved 1,629 high school students living in Shandong Province, China. Of the participants, 831 were male, and the average age of the participants was 16–17 years. Addiction to short-form content was assessed using a version of the Social Media Dependence Scale specifically adapted for short-form content, social anxiety was assessed using the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

The study results showed that the more severe the symptoms of short-form addiction, the lower the quality of sleep and the higher the level of social anxiety. In addition, the more severe the social anxiety, the lower the quality of sleep.

The researchers tested a statistical model that suggested that short-form addiction increases social anxiety, which in turn reduces sleep quality. The results suggested that this relationship is indeed possible, but they also found that the link between the severity of short-form addiction and sleep quality was not entirely mediated by social anxiety.

The researchers said, “Short-form addiction is correlated with adolescents’ sleep quality and the level of social anxiety. Social anxiety partially mediates the relationship between short-form addiction and sleep quality.” They added, “Schools should implement measures to improve adolescents’ sleep quality.”