Do you spend hours scrolling reels? Study warns it can lead to addiction

The study observed poor attention span and disturbed sleep among people with addiction to scrolling short videos.

Short videos and Instagram Reels can be very entertaining, and in the recent times, this short video format in social media apps have completely taken over. People scroll their phones throughout the day, watching one reel after another, so much so that it has turned into an addiction for some. However, short videos may not be good news after all. According to a study conducted by researchers from Tianjin Normal University, switching between short video clips can affect the brain’s ability to focus, and the overall cognitive functioning.

Switching between short video clips can affect the brain’s ability to focus, and the overall cognitive functioning. (Unsplash)

Findings of the study:

The study was conducted on 111 people, between the ages of 17 to 30, who frequently consume short videos. The participants were asked to view average of 95 minutes of short movies every day for two months, and their brain activities were tracked by MRI.

The results were shocking. It was observed that the participants demonstrated brain activities bordering on addiction. The brain’s areas related to decision-making and emotion control - orbitofrontal cortex and cerebellum, showed more gray matter in participants with more severe addiction.

More activities were also observed in posterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the areas of the brain responsible for attention and self-comparison, suggesting that participants with more exposure to short videos engaged in self-referential thinking, leading to lack of attention. 500 genes related to addiction and neural changes were also observed in these participants.

Do you scroll reels and short videos all the time?(Pexels)

Shorter attention span and poor sleep:

The researchers observed that more the participants exposed themselves to short videos, more they struggled with attention. They also demonstrated poor sleep quality, struggling with insomnia. Envy was observed to be one of the main factors of short video addiction. Participants often escaped reality of negative thinking, and sought attention in scrolling short videos. The researchers further advised the users to engage with such short video formats with caution.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.