Many consequences of being addicted to surfing short videos

Short videos are "taking over" all social media platforms, attracting millions of users every day, many of whom are so addicted that they "can't stop watching"

According to Appota's "Digital Entertainment Needs 2024 - 2025" report, Vietnamese people spend an average of 70 minutes/day watching long videos on YouTube and nearly 60 minutes/day on short videos - mainly on the social network TikTok.

Trends of social networks and press

Another survey shows that Vietnamese users prefer videos under 3 minutes long, with many young people only watching clips under 1 minute.

According to records, not only TikTok - the most popular short video platform in Vietnam with more than 67 million users - but most major social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube have integrated short videos. Most recently, the domestic platform Zalo also launched Zalo Video with an accessible interface and many other advantages, although it is not as attractive as cross-border platforms.

The explosion of short videos on social networks has even forced press agencies to join in. For example, VnExpress recently launched VnE-GO, which specializes in posting short videos, or VietnamPlus with its Short Video section...

Many users are increasingly spending time on this type of content, changing their habits of receiving information and entertainment online. "I only intended to surf the internet for a few minutes before going to bed, but I ended up getting caught up in countless short content about movies, food , or pranks on TikTok and YouTube," said Ms. Hong Minh (HCMC), adding that surfing short videos has become a hard-to-break habit.

Similarly, Phuong Thao, a marketing employee in Hanoi , is also addicted to watching videos online. "On weekends when I don't have to go to work, I can watch short videos for 8-10 hours a day. Many times I watch them without remembering the content, just skimming through them for a few seconds and then switching to another video. Since I became addicted to this type of video, I have found that my memory and ability to concentrate have decreased significantly," Thao admitted.

Social media users love to surf short videos not only because of the appeal of this type of information but also because of the fear of missing out on "hot trends" and being left behind. Not to mention, short videos often update information quickly, go straight to the point, giving users the feeling of saving time. However, the appeal of short videos makes them watch one video after another, leading to wasting time.

Too much indulgence in short videos will distract users and distract them from their work.

The "trend-following" generation

Not only adults, but also children are affected by short videos that are widespread on the internet. Ms. Hoang Thu Hang (HCMC) said that her 4-year-old daughter often says meaningless phrases that she does not understand, mostly imitating words from TikTok, such as "banh mi ram ram", "tung tung tung sahur"... "Sometimes I think my child is reciting a spell!" - Ms. Hang worried.

According to technology experts, short videos meet the need for instant entertainment of young people, especially the need to see new and funny things immediately. Gen Z and Y users tend to "follow trends" regardless, even when the content lacks meaning or has no real value. "Quick entertainment makes many people lose control of their time when they think they will turn off after watching a little bit, but in the end, hours pass by unconsciously" - an expert stated the reality.

Recent studies have shown that excessive use of short videos is causing serious consequences for users' cognitive abilities, mental health, and physical health. According to a scientific report by a research team in China in 2023, TikTok users had significantly lower intended memory performance than users of other platforms, suggesting that the short video format significantly affects the ability to concentrate and remember.

Several other studies in China in the period 2023 - 2024 also showed that short video addiction is directly related to symptoms of anxiety, sleep disorders and reduced learning performance, especially in students - a group that is easily drawn into watching entertaining clips leading to study procrastination.

Mr. Le Hong Duc, founder of OneAds Digital, believes that the problem is not the form of news but the way users interact with it. According to him, the suggestion algorithms of TikTok, YouTube Shorts or Reels are causing users to fall into a loop of fast content consumption. Each swipe, each video of a few dozen seconds is designed to keep viewers engaged for as long as possible, causing the brain to get used to the reflex of "watch - forget - continue scrolling", without time to think or debate. "If we do not realize this, we are letting the algorithm reprogram our own attention habits," Mr. Duc warned.

To escape this loop, technology experts recommend that users set a daily time limit for watching short videos, only follow channels that have real value such as learning skills, foreign languages, creating content..., and actively search instead of just watching what is suggested. For children, parents need to accompany them to guide them to distinguish between quality content and clickbait, fake content, and avoid being caught up in useless news.

However, the responsibility also lies with the platforms and regulators. There needs to be technological solutions to moderate and suggest safer and more appropriate content for young people.

TikTok accused of recommending pornographic content to children

Global Witness, a non-governmental organization that investigates and combats exploitation and abuse, has just released research results showing that TikTok's algorithm has directed child users to pornographic content through search suggestions.

To conduct the study, Global Witness created seven TikTok accounts, declaring their age as 13 – the minimum age to join TikTok. These brand new accounts were created on phones that had been factory reset and had no search history to ensure they weren’t influenced by previous viewing.

As a result, 3 out of 7 accounts were recommended pornographic content on their first use of TikTok. For the remaining 4 accounts, after only a few uses of TikTok, the platform began suggesting inappropriate content.

H. Duong

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhieu-he-luy-khi-nghien-luot-video-ngan-196251007214610618.htm