Many people want to keep their kids from watching TikTok and consider YouTube a safer solution, but realize YouTube Shorts is just as harmful.
Robert Verderese, a New Jersey stockbroker, was fed up with his 14-year-old son glued to his smartphone all day watching short videos. Instead, he turned to YouTube, where he found longer videos to curb his phone addiction.
But on YouTube, Verderese's son immediately became hooked on Shorts, a short-form video feature similar to TikTok. He didn't even hear his dad ask him to put down his phone, even without headphones.
"I told him I would give him $1,000 if he looked up and answered me right now. But it took at least a few seconds for him to look up and say, 'What is it?'" Verderese recalled.
YouTube Shorts is considered an addictive feature no less than TikTok. Illustration: WSJ
Verderese’s son often turns to YouTube for video game tutorials. But rather than spending time on long, detailed content, he mostly watches Shorts for reference. He also uses Shorts to entertain himself, to the point of forgetting to eat or sleep.
Verderese emailed Google to complain and ask if Shorts could be disabled on the platform, or at least limited. YouTube has not responded to Verderese's letter.
YouTube used to be a favorite place for teenagers with long and detailed videos on everything from knowledge to entertainment. Many parents banned their children from watching TikTok, supporting the switch to YouTube as an alternative.
But two years ago, YouTube launched Shorts, which works a lot like TikTok. A study found that watching short videos can damage kids’ attention spans, making it harder for them to engage in activities that don’t offer instant gratification—an effect known as “TikTok Brain.”
Long videos are still here on YouTube, but short videos are the new big draw on the platform. YouTube announced last month that Shorts, which are up to 60 seconds long, have attracted more than two billion monthly active users, up from 1.5 billion a year ago.
Some parents say their children, who were previously able to regulate their YouTube viewing time, are now unable to keep their eyes off short videos. Research from Guizhou University of Finance and Economics (China) and Western Michigan University (USA) found that short-form videos like YouTube Shorts, TikTok or Facebook Reels make it difficult for viewers to stop watching because of the “short-lived thrill” that can easily develop into addictive behavior.
YouTube spokeswoman Ivy Choi said research into the impact of short-form video content on young people is “still in its early stages” and the company is “monitoring closely.”
Gloria Mark, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, says that regularly watching fast-paced videos can make other things boring. This can cause a host of learning problems, such as an inability to focus on slower-paced activities like schoolwork or reading.
Scott Migliori, a financial manager in Mill Valley, California, says he can’t think of a convincing reason why YouTube Shorts is the reason his 14-year-old son hasn’t been interested in reading for the past six months. But watching his son lose interest in short videos has made him more uneasy than ever.
“I used to worry that my son might get addicted to gaming. But now I don’t think so anymore, and I even recommend Fortnite,” Migliori said. “I think gaming has less of a negative impact on the brain because at least it’s social and involves teamwork, as opposed to watching short videos alone.”
According to him, young people are no longer patient and "are programmed to achieve instant gratification".
According to Professor Mark, the best way for parents to limit their children's viewing of short videos is to set realistic goals for them in life, or at least create opportunities for them to go outside more. This will help children no longer get caught up in endlessly scrolling short videos.
According to WSJ/VNE
Source
Comment (0)