Do short videos ruin your attention span? What the studies actually show
Research links heavy short video use with poorer attention, but it hasn't shown that short videos cause it. A 2025 review of 71 studies (98,299 people) found that people who watch more short videos tend to score lower on attention and self-control, and most of that evidence is correlation. A small 2023 experiment found that a TikTok break made people worse at remembering to do something they had planned, and a 2025 trial found that blocking mobile internet for two weeks improved sustained attention. So cutting back is a reasonable bet, not a proven cure.
Written by Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo, an app that hides Reels and Shorts, so I have a stake in this topic. I have tried to report each study the way its authors do. Every study below was opened and checked on 2026-10-24. This page isn't medical advice.
| Study | What they did | What they found | What it can't tell you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nguyen et al., Psychological Bulletin (2025) | Combined 71 studies with 98,299 participants. | More short video use went with poorer attention (r = −0.38) and inhibitory control (r = −0.41), and with more stress and anxiety. Same in young people and adults. | These are associations. They don't show which comes first. |
| Chiossi et al., CHI 2023 | 60 people did a memory task with breaks spent on TikTok, Twitter, YouTube or nothing. | Only the TikTok group got worse at remembering to carry out a planned action. | A lab task with 60 people, not everyday life. |
| Castelo et al., PNAS Nexus (2025) | 467 iPhone users blocked mobile internet for 2 weeks. Calls and texts still worked. | Sustained attention, mental health and well-being improved. Daily screen time fell from 314 to 161 minutes. | It blocked all mobile internet, not just short videos. Only about a quarter kept it up on 10 of the 14 days. |
What people mean by "my attention span is gone"
It usually sounds like this. You sit down to read 10 pages and pick up your phone after two. A 20-minute YouTube video feels long. You open Reels for a minute between tasks and forget what you were doing. The studies below test pieces of this: attention, self-control, and remembering what you meant to do.
The big review: a link, not proof
In their meta-analysis in Psychological Bulletin, Nguyen and colleagues combined 71 studies covering 98,299 people. Heavier short video use was associated with poorer cognition overall (r = −0.34), and the strongest links were with attention (r = −0.38) and inhibitory control, the ability to hold back an impulse (r = −0.41). Heavier use also went with poorer mental health, most clearly stress and anxiety. The pattern held for young people and adults and across platforms. It was not linked to body image or self-esteem.
The authors describe these as correlates. A link this size could mean short videos wear down attention, or that people who already find it hard to focus, or who are stressed, watch more of them. Both can be true. Few of the studies looked at memory or reasoning.
An experiment with TikTok
Chiossi and colleagues (CHI 2023) asked 60 people to do a prospective memory task, which means remembering to carry out an action you planned earlier, with interruptions in between. During the breaks, separate groups used TikTok, Twitter, YouTube or nothing. Only the TikTok group's performance dropped. The authors put it down to the mix of short videos and quick switching from one to the next.
It is one small lab study, but it matches what many people notice: after a few minutes of Reels, it's harder to remember what you were about to do.
What happened when people blocked their phones
In a 2025 trial in PNAS Nexus, Castelo and colleagues asked 467 iPhone users to block all mobile internet (Wi-Fi and mobile data) with an app for two weeks. They could still call and text. Compared with the group waiting for their turn, they improved in sustained attention, mental health and subjective well-being. Daily screen time in the blocking group fell from 314 to 161 minutes, then went back up to 265 minutes after the two weeks.
Two cautions. Only 25.5% blocked on at least 10 of the 14 days, and most people who signed up already wanted to cut down. And because the study blocked the whole mobile internet, it can't say how much of the change came from short videos.
So should you cut back?
The evidence doesn't prove that short videos damage attention. It does show that heavy use and poorer attention tend to go together, that a TikTok break disrupted memory for plans in a lab, and that people who cut their phone use for two weeks focused better. If you feel your focus slipping, cutting back costs little and may help. If trouble concentrating is affecting school, work or daily life, talk to a doctor. That isn't something an app can fix.
Ways to cut short videos without quitting social media
- Instagram Following feed. Tap the Instagram logo and choose Following to see only accounts you follow. How to see only people you follow.
- YouTube Shorts feed limit. You can set it to 0, but the reminder can be dismissed. How to set it to 0.
- Screen Time. An App Limit stops the whole app, DMs included. How to block Instagram on iPhone.
- minulo. An iPhone app that opens Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and other networks with Reels, Shorts and For You feeds hidden, while DMs, search and regular videos keep working. Hiding is free. It can't change the official apps themselves, and it is iPhone only.
Do short videos really reduce attention span?
They are linked, but cause and effect isn't proven. A 2025 review of 71 studies found that heavier short video use went with poorer attention and self-control. Most of the studies were correlational, so people who already find it hard to focus might simply watch more.
Is TikTok worse for attention than YouTube?
One 2023 lab study with 60 people found that a TikTok break hurt memory for planned actions while YouTube and Twitter breaks didn't. The 2025 review found similar links across short video platforms, including Reels and Shorts. There isn't enough evidence to rank the apps.
Can you get your attention span back?
In a 2025 trial, people who blocked mobile internet on their iPhones for two weeks did better on a sustained attention test. That study blocked all mobile internet, not only short videos, and most participants didn't block every day. It suggests cutting back can make a difference within weeks.
How much short video is too much?
No study has set a safe number of minutes. The research compares people who watch more with people who watch less. Your own Screen Time report is a better guide: if the time is more than you would choose, or you can't focus on things you want to do, that is a reason to cut back.
Can I block Reels and Shorts but keep Instagram and YouTube?
Yes. On iPhone, minulo opens Instagram and YouTube with Reels and Shorts hidden while DMs, search and regular videos keep working. Hiding them is free.
Sources
- Nguyen L. et al. (2025). Feeds, feelings, and focus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the cognitive and mental health correlates of short-form video use. Psychological Bulletin
- Chiossi F. et al. (2023). Short-Form Videos Degrade Our Capacity to Retain Intentions: Effect of Context Switching On Prospective Memory. CHI 2023
- Castelo N. et al. (2025). Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being. PNAS Nexus 4(2)
- App Store (US): minulo
