Watching short videos may be having an effect on kids’ grades at school


According to a study coming out of China, the more this type of video is consumed by a student, the less likely they are to succeed at school. — AFP Relaxnews

Between Reels on Instagram, TikTok videos and Snapchat formats, short content on social media is a favourite among young users. But it's a trend that seems to be associated with a deterioration of scholastic achievement.

According to a study coming out of China, the more this type of video is consumed by a student, the less likely they are to succeed at school.

Yet another grievance of parents on the subject of social media. While a number of studies have already denounced the negative effects of short formats, for instance by promoting boredom, a new study by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, published in PLOS One, highlights the impact – once again negative – on the academic results of young school students.

By analysing the habits of 1,052 primary school pupils in Shenzhen, China, the researchers established a link between significant lack of attention and massive consumption of short videos: “Short videos are often designed with highly appealing visuals and fast-paced, engaging content, which may lead to addiction among young users. This addictive nature can result in prolonged engagement, potentially diverting students’ time and energy from studying,” the study states.

A problem that affects young students the most in China: "The proportion of minors using short video apps like Kwai and TikTok is as high as 65.3%, making short videos an essential platform for their online life. Statistics show that the usage of short video apps among elementary school students has reached 66%, even higher than that of high school students (62.7%)," the study states.

The findings of the study are unequivocal: the consumption of short videos is linked to a decrease in students' attention and, consequently, their ability to concentrate in class and thus pass their exams: "The research findings confirmed the close link between excessive short video usage among elementary school students and declining academic performance, highlighting the potential impact of media on students’ academic performance," outlines the study.

With the proliferation of media broadcasting short videos, the study highlights the "potential threat to student’s cognitive abilities" and the "long-term impact of digital media on children’s cognitive development."

However, it's not just children's habits that factor into this situation. Parental moderation and showing by example appear to be an important variable in this equation: "Parental short video usage demonstrates a modeling effect on children, making them perceive short video usage as acceptable behavior without generating negative attitudes or consciously exercising self-control,” explain the researchers.

Basically, if a parent watches short videos often, the child will have no qualms about consuming more of them, and will have less self-control in this regard.

According to the study, parents therefore have an essential role to play in their offspring's well-being and academic performance: "Digital media management within the family environment should be crucial in shaping children's attention and academic performance. Parents should be aware of the impact of their media usage behavior on their children and strive to establish positive patterns of short video usage.”

To help them in this task, the study suggests avenues such as respecting a time limit for this activity: "Parents and children could agree to limit the time spent using short videos and adhere to it collectively, encouraging more outdoor activities and face-to-face communication.” – AFP Relaxnews

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