Several scientists who have studied the effects of intense consumption of short videos on TikTokInstagram Reels, YouTube Shorts found an impact in brain areas related to concentrationto theself-controlat the memory and to theemotional balancewhich result from rapid and continuous stimulation that pushes the brain to seek immediate rewards over reflection. The short videos we watch during the scrolling influence the brain because they rapidly activate the reward systemgenerating peaks of dopamine which push you to want to watch more and more, creating a real addiction.
They also accustom attention to very short durations, making it more effective difficult focus on long taskscan interfere with memory, causing people to forget planned actions or lose track of activities, and EEG studies also indicate reduced activity in brain areas involved in control and decision-making. The results are decline in attention, cognitive overload, memory difficultiesalterations in brain responses, risk of behavioral addiction, mental stress, chronic boredom.
How much time do we spend scrolling in Italy?
In the Digital Wellbeing Report conducted by UnoBravo in 2025 out of over 1,500 Italian adults, it appears that the most active on social media are Italians between 18 and 34 years old: more than half (57%) stays up late scrolling through feeds, despite being sleepy, and the 44% he checks them as soon as he wakes up. “These habits,” explains UnoBravo, “can disrupt sleep cycles and increase anxiety by keeping the brain in a state of constant stimulation.” In all age groups, they spend more 12 hours a week on platforms: while older adults (over 65) spend an average of 7 hoursyoung adults between the ages of 18 and 24 arrive at 21 hours per week (which corresponds to almost a fifth of the time spent awake!).
The results of the report show a correlation between online behavior and a worsening in areas such as mental health, self-esteem and relationships, in particular in the groups that use it the most (25-34), which report for 40% than social media negatively affect their mental healthand for the 30% states that increase stress or anxiety. Basically, the more we use the phone, the greater the damage. Although we are increasingly aware of the negative effects, including our growing ability to disconnect, we continue to consider social media indispensable: 47% of 18-34 year olds consider it essential for staying up to date on news and trends.
Why short videos harm us
Those who consume more videos, in an addictive mechanism, according to a study published in Neuroimagepresents functional alterations of specific brain networks. These include areas involved in emotion regulation and the reward system such as the orbitofrontal cortex and bilateral cerebellum, and greater activity, due to hyperstimulation, in the area of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which regulates complex cognitive functions, the posterior cingulate cortex, associated with the ability to monitor one’s emotions, and the temporal lobe, which, if overstimulated, can lead to greater sensitivity to social stimuli, strong reactivity to emotional content and greater impact of social comparison (for example envy).
The problem with short videos is that they are designed to stimulate the brain’s reward systemwhereby a rush of dopamine, the molecule of pleasure and motivation, is produced. This constant consumption accustoms the brain to the search for immediate stimuli and, on the other hand, reduces the ability to carry out those activities that require prolonged attention. Furthermore, according to recent research, prolonged viewing of short videos could also compromise the “prospective memory”that is, our ability to remember to complete a planned action: for this reason it becomes more difficult for us, even in the short term, to remember to complete tasks that we have set ourselves, like when we get up from the sofa to go to the kitchen and at a certain point we don’t even remember why.
In children and adolescents the impact is also found on school performance. Recently a study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin (Feeds, feelings, and focus: A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the cognitive and mental health correlates of short-form video use) which analyzed 71 different searches dedicated to the consumption of short video content (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts), confirmed a correlation with the worsening of concentration and cognitive abilitiesin particular on elementary and middle school students: in general, a worsening of academic performance and a increased depression, loneliness, stress and anxiety. It should be specified that a review study does not demonstrate direct causality but associations observed in the data.
How to reduce the effects
According to several studies, balanced use and regular breaks should help the brain to do a sort of “reset” and return to thinking more clearly. Set notifications on individual applications and in general on smartphones to monitor and limit daily time can be very useful to avoid compulsive scrolling. Defining specific time slots in which not to use the phone is also a useful strategy, particularly during meals and before sleeping (at least an hour before!), so as not to ruin your sleep.
Of course, it is often notifications that lead us to pick up the phone even when we don’t want to: silent mode, or one limitation of notifications (for example, leaving only calls active) can protect us from continuous stimuli. All these measures can help us break those automatic loops that lead us to continuously scroll in search of dopamine, and regain greater control over compulsions and a better level of concentration and memory.
