Feeds, feelings, and focus: A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the cognitive and mental health correlates of short-form video use.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of primarily observational and cross-sectional studies.
PubMed 41231585 · doi:10.1037/bul0000498
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizing data from 71 studies involving 98,299 participants to evaluate associations between short-form video use (such as TikTok, Douyin, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts) and cognitive and mental health indicators across youth and adult populations.
What was found
Increased short-form video use was associated with poorer cognition with a moderate mean effect size (r = -.34), driven most strongly by attention (r = -.38) and inhibitory control (r = -.41). Short-form video use was also associated with poorer mental health with a weak mean effect size (r = -.21), with stress (r = -.34) and anxiety (r = -.33) demonstrating the strongest associations. Findings were consistent across age groups and platforms. No significant associations were observed for body image or self-esteem.
Why it matters
This review provides quantitative evidence linking ubiquitous short-form video consumption to measurable deficits in executive functioning and higher levels of psychological distress.
Limits
The primary literature relies on observational and correlational designs, preventing causal conclusions. Most cognitive studies focused narrowly on attention and inhibitory control rather than memory or reasoning, and specific content exposure, physical health outcomes, and longitudinal trajectories were not fully evaluated.
Cited by
- supports A 2025 meta-analysis of 71 studies found that heavy short-form video use is associated with reduced thinking ability, shorter attention spans, and weaker impulse control.