Short-form video content like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have become a major source of entertainment for young adults. Attraction towards this type of content is dangerous. It starts slowly with the boost of dopamine, the pleasure hormone, from short-term content, but it soon becomes an unhealthy addiction. Short-form content ranges from 15 seconds to a minute or so. Traditionally, attraction to this type of content is thought to be primarily due to short attention spans.
But, there are more psychological reasons at work here. A study published in Computers in Human Behavior points to the role of negative childhood experiences in shaping this type of addiction. It may be vague, but childhood conversations naturally pull strings.
Also read: Raising happy kids: tips every parent should know to look after kids’ mental health
a form of migration
Researchers conducted a large survey of Chinese university students and found that when young adults have adverse childhood experiences, they are at increased risk of becoming addicted to short-form content videos, causing a deep sense of trauma in them .
Negative childhood experiences may be in the form of mental or physical abuse, complete neglect, disorganized family dynamics with regular conflicts, incidents of violence against other family members, etc. This shows that what started out as just a way to distract from family problems turns into a full-blown addiction.
And because this type of content is incredibly short, the mind remains distracted and temporarily distracted. The fast-paced nature of these videos helps not to focus on the emotional distress arising from all the family troubles surrounding them. It is a temporary relief that helps children manage their overwhelming emotions. This happens when they ignore the problems and laugh at the quick entertainment, without realizing the unhealthy addiction it is creating.
Also read: Childhood Anxiety: Common Causes, Coping Strategies for Parents and Children
Life satisfaction as a shield
Among the participants, those college students who reported higher life satisfaction despite childhood problems were less addicted to short-form video content. The positive attitude and flexibility reduced the strong need to rely on instant gratification from short-form video content. Researchers found that people who had less life satisfaction were more likely to be drug addicts.
So consuming short-form-video content became a way to get away from all the things that are triggering them in their homes. And soon their reliance on short-form video content like Reels and TikTok to cope with the trauma grew so much that before they realized it, it turned into an addiction. The researchers called for early intervention in childhood to ensure that children receive safe and emotionally protected environments.
Also read: Not just abuse, childhood neglect also causes mental and physical problems in adulthood: Study
