Claim: Tiktok is making attention spans shorter

Question

https://www.arcurrent.com/opinion/2022/03/25/tiktok-is-shrinking-our-attention-span-with-every-swipe/

I find that when sitting down to do homework or something, my attention span runs out much quicker than it used to. I'm interested in seeing if apps like TikTok and the maximum length of videos being 1-3 minutes has trained people who use this app frequently to lose interest in things longer than that amount of time. There seems to be a little bit of back and forth about whether more people are getting diagnosed with ADHD now than before or if apps like TikTok is the issue.

Comments

I totally agree with this claim. I have found that this has also affected me as well, with spending so much time on tik tok Ive noticed my own attention span shortening a lot. I find it hard to focus on other tasks or long form shows. Ive noticed that this is a problem amongst my friends and people around me as well. I think a lot of people would agree that this is a worsening and serious problem. Upon further research, I found an article with a lot of evidence supporting this claim. It has expert insight from doctor who is quoted as saying that tik tok puts us in "pleasurable dopamine state" in which we get carried away. Tik tok puts us in a hypnotic type trance. It also had some quotes from students themselves who agree that spending so much time on the app has had negative effects on their mental and physical health. The link to this article I found is here: https://oakparktalon.org/15364/opinion/tiktok-is-shortening-our-attention-spans/#:~:text=Watching%20videos%20for%20hours%20a,an%20interview%20with%20Forbes%20magazine.

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Totally agree with this. I feel like before people would binge watch shows or 2+ hour movies but now we complain about 90 minute movies being long gone. It has definitely decreased our attention spans and ruined TV for a lot as well. Why would we ever need to read another book of watch another movie if someone could summarize it for me within 30 seconds to a minute?
Here's an interesting article that details more on it.
https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/34138/20211025/tiktok-bad-brain-constant-social-media-streaming-narrows-collective-attention.htm

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Personally, I do not agree with this claim. Although I do stick to watching short videos like TikTok and enjoy them. But I will also watch two hours of movies and one hour of TV series. And I am able to focus on that movie or TV series. I think we are able to adjust our attention in different environments.

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I completely agree with this claim. Ever since I started to use apps like TikTok, I have felt that my attention span is nowhere near what it used to be a couple of years ago. Even for watching longer videos or movies, I find myself opening TikTok to watch a couple of short videos before going back to the longer videos. Additionally, I think I was able to do work for longer periods of time before I started to use TikTok.


The article below discusses more about TikTok and our attention spans.

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@cocopeachhh @amtapia1@Eva Di @jasonchen58 for future fact-checks, please use the "answer" button rather than "comment" on a claim so that your fact-checks can be upvoted and be chosen as the best answer.

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@Eva Di and @jasonchen58 great responses with your personal take on this matter. For fact-checks, it's best to include a clear and detailed explanation that is evidence-based -- including source links -- as well as a rating (see the sidebar of this page).

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@cocopeachhh @amtapia1 nice work on your fact-checks. You've included an explanation and source links. Don't forget to add a rating, such as "true, not misinformation." For more information on ratings, please see the sidebar of this page.

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I do think that TikTok has an effect on people's attention span, however it is not as dire or drastic as we think. Personally, I do not have the app, but I find myself browsing other social media sites more than I should. Most grown adults are not on the app as much as young adults and kids. This may be due to lack of discipline.
I included an article that explains more: https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/34138/20211025/tiktok-bad-brain-constant-social-media-streaming-narrows-collective-attention.htm

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@Jrud future fact-checks, please use the "answer" button rather than "comment" on a claim so that your fact-checks can be upvoted and be chosen as the best answer. Good job providing an explanation and details as well as a source link. Don't forget to add a rating next time.

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I get what you're saying—it's like we’re getting used to content that's bite-sized, so longer tasks, like homework, feel way harder to focus on. TikTok and similar apps train us to expect constant quick rewards, which might make focusing on anything that requires more time seem dull by comparison. There’s debate about whether this is leading to more ADHD diagnoses or if it's just that ADHD is being more widely recognized.

Answer 1

I think that the claim of people's attention span decreasing is true, but I don't think that we directly pin it on TikTok as there are other social media platforms that we spend hours a day on. The source that this article originally got it's information from seems reliable, but again it only talks about the decrease in attention spans over the years and not how they know that TikTok is directly at fault for that. For this article, I couldn't find any other projects from him, but the original source author has had many other articles published. This article is from 2022 and the original source is from 2021, so I would say that this news is outdated and there are many other articles who report the same claim from this time. I don't think that these claims are bias, however it has been very popular these last couple of years to blame the decline of the new generation on social media use, which I think is valid, but we can't blame it all on TikTok.

Answer 2

In the United States, youths and younger adults' focus periods are undoubtedly shortened by TikTok. As a frequent user of TikTok, I've discovered that I can't just sit and watch a movie anymore without doing anything else. For example, it feels impossible to focus on one thing for hours these days, so I frequently play games on my phone while watching a movie. But TikTok isn't the only one. According to research published in Nature Communications, other factors contributing to this decline in human attention spans include Google, for instance, Reddit, and Twitter, with its hashtags.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09311-w

Answer 3

I strongly agree with this point. Since I began using apps like TikTok and Instagram reels, I’ve noticed my attention span has significantly declined compared to a few years ago. Even when watching longer videos or movies, I'll find myself opening TikTok for a quick break to watch a few short clips before returning to what I was originally watching. I also feel that I could focus on tasks for longer stretches of time before I started using TikTok. I feel that the repeated short term stimulation I have subjected myself to, has affected my attention span.

Answer 4

This claim can’t be entirely true or false because attention span is influenced by many factors, not just TikTok. A Nature study article shows that attention spans are linked to the overwhelming amount of content available today, not just one platform alone. While some may struggle to focus after frequent short-form content use, others adapt without issues. Blaming TikTok oversimplifies a larger trend on attention span.

Sources: 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09311-w 

Answer 5

I found this claim to be true. According to a study done in 2019, there is more intense attention towards specific topics, but the duration of attention spans is decreasing. This is due to a rise in content production and consumption, which TikTok has facilitated. However, this started a while ago so it can't be completely attributed to TikTok.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09311-w

Answer 6

Overall from my research I have found that there hasn't been much research on attention span and TikTok use. Research from the Technical School of Denmark has found that having a constant stream of information can narrow our attention span overtime. Most articles I found talked about their own personal experience with their attention span and TikTok use. From my personal experience, I feel my attention span has gotten worse since using TikTok. I feel like the claim that TikTok use is shortening our attention span is true, but we won't have all the facts until more studies are done in the future.

https://www.indiependent.co.uk/has-tiktok-made-our-attention-spans-shorter/

https://theoxfordblue.co.uk/tiktok-and-the-death-of-the-attention-span/

Answer 7

Before I decided whether this claim is true or false, or exaggerated/misleading, I looked at the provided article, "Tik Tok Is Shrinking Our Attention Span With Every Swipe", by Jahson Nahal. In his article he talks about how the use of Tik Tok had an increase when the pandemic hit. He says he notices his own attention span decreasing, as he used to be able to watch a youtube video that was 30 minutes long. In the second sentence of the article he provided a link to an article from The Science Times that came out in 2021. From The Science Times article they state if you use the app for over 90 minutes your attention span can start to decrease over time, but they don't provide any specific evidence that this is true. I decided to look at another source from The Journal of Law and Technology website where they talk about the decreased attention span being referred to as "Tik Tok Brain", and how the constant hits of dopamine reinforces the use of Tik Tok. Later in the article they say that Tik Tok isn't the only app that can impact our brain. Therefore, after doing the researching I think the claim isn't true or false. There wasn't direct evidence and data gathered to prove that Tik Tok is the cause of shorter attention spans. I chose this claim because I am one of those people that spends a lot of time on Tik tok, and the time often gets away from me. I wanted to see if this was actually true. 

Answer 8

I believe TikTok is a factor in attention spans shortening, but is not the main reason. The short videos that we receive in a high rate cause dopamine rushes that can alter our concentration on uninteresting activities. An article by Philadelphia Integrative Psychiatry revealed that "This constant barrage of quick clips creates an environment where the brain is continually seeking new and exciting stimuli, which can lead to a shortened attention span over time​". I think this backs up the claim that TikTok can shorten our attention span, but it is not the only factor.

https://phillyintegrative.com/blog/tiktok-brain-the-declining-attention-spans-of-our-kids

Answer 9

I agree with the claim that social media is decreasing people's attention span. The use of short-term content like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and TikTok can cause a lack of attention span and "continuous partial attention". Research from Humane Tech explains how the ideal TikTok video is 21 to 34 seconds long because people find longer videos stressful. In 2022 the average person spent 2 hours and 27 minutes a day on social media. Social media is an addiction that provides rapid high stimulation causing our brains to have trouble focusing on longer tasks such as homework which is mentioned in your claim. Regarding ADHD being linked to social media use could be a factor but there isn't enough information at this time. In conclusion, I agree social media is causing us to have shortened attention spans and there may be a link with ADHD but needs more research.

Sources: 

https://www.humanetech.com/attention-mental-health?

https://www.additudemag.com/is-tiktok-causing-adhd-or-just-making-it-worse/