Short Video Addiction Linked to Poor Sleep, Anxiety
If they're not playing games or taking pictures on their phones, teenagers might be watching short videos — lots of short videos.
Short videos are all over the internet — viral clips, funny videos, sports highlights and much more.
Some last just a few seconds, others are a few minutes long.
People can easily spend hours moving from one video to the next on apps like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
But experts say that addiction to these short videos is becoming a problem among teenagers.
And according to a new study by researchers in China and South Korea, it's causing sleep problems and social anxiety.
They asked more than 1,600 high school students in China about the time they spend watching short videos, their social anxiety and their sleep.
The research team used data software to look at the results.
They found that teenagers with more severe levels of short video addiction were more likely to have problems with sleep and higher levels of social anxiety.
Previous studies have found that this addiction may also affect young people's eyes and their mental health.
Other research has suggested that people who are addicted to short videos may have more difficulty paying attention.
The researchers said schools should be encouraging students to get enough sleep.
Last year, China suggested limiting the amount of time that children are allowed to spend using screens.
The Cyberspace Administration of China said that people under the age of 18 shouldn't be allowed to spend more than two hours per day using smartphones.
In 2021, the government said that under 18s could only spend three hours per week playing online video games. The goal was to improve young people's physical and mental health.
