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

@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.

---

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

---

@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.

---

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.

---

I think that the article is mostly correct however the information is travelling through a game of telephone. What I mean by this is that the article is citing an article from "The Science Times" and they are citing most of their information from an article in "The Independent" who cites an actual study that has been done. The research is reliable but most of what the article is saying is information that doesn't come in a reliable way. Instead of citing studies they are citing non-peer reviewed articles.

Answer 1

This article claims that tiktok is effectively shortening the attention span of its users. It states, “...I’ve noticed my own attention span decreasing. I used to be able to watch YouTube videos or shows that were 30 minutes long but now I find myself losing interest in those same videos or shows very quickly. ”, using “I” statements can raise some concerns as they often appeal to feelings over facts. It quotes three sources, but not all of the quotes support the claim. Although they are related and relevant. 

Referenced below: TikTok is Bad For Your Brain: Constant Social Media Streaming Narrows Collective Attention Span, Adversely Affects Mental Health

There are also some problems with the sites cited.“With every swipe on TikTok we see our attention span decrease. According to a 2021 article by The Science Times, those who use the app for over 90 minutes a day can narrow their collective attention span over time.” The article that was quoted has relevant information, but the first sentence is a hyperbole. It is also quoting a quote within an article. Within that article, it references another article which is a broken link. This is not looking good. To recap, the statistic that claims, “ those who use the app for over 90 minutes a day can narrow their collective attention span over time” cannot be traced back to its original source. It is also an extremely broad claim.

TikTok Brain: Can We Save Children’s Attention Spans? – Richmond Journal of Law and Technology

Although the article is lacking and unstable, the overall claim of the article is factually backed up by the Richmond Journal of Law and Technology (a .edu site), “Many experts believe TikTok and social media platforms like it are killing children’s attention spans.[21]  This decreased attention span has been (not so affectionately) referred to as “TikTok Brain.”[22]  Emerging research suggests that watching short-form videos make it difficult for children to engage in activities that don’t offer instant—and constant—gratification.[23]  The constant hits of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that gets released when the brain is expecting a reward, reinforces use of apps like TikTok.[24]  Pediatricians have described TikTok as a “dopamine machine.”

Overall the claim is backed up by other research, but the article itself is flawed. Its citations are weak and it leans too heavily on “I” statements and emotional appeal.

Answer 2

While there is evidence that does suggest that TikTok’s content can contribute to shortened attention spans, there is no actual scientific proof that TikTok permanently damages attention spans. Science Times talks about how the rapid and high stimulation filled content trains the brain to become less engaging. 

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

https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/34138/20211025/tiktok-bad-brain-constant-social-media-streaming-narrows-collective-attention.htm

Answer 3

Even without doing any research, I could tell you that this claim is true. I find that when I do small tasks such as homework or cleaning, I lose interest very quickly. When I lose interest, I tend to go on TikTok and spend multiple hours watching one to three minute long videos. It has made me more impatient as well. After doing research,  It has come to my attention that across the Internet, this claim is true whether that be through personal opinions or proven true by researcher. A Microsoft study found that “people who use TikTok for 20 minutes already have experienced a significant decrease in their attention span and working memory.”  I believe that TikTok along with other forms of social media have a negative impact on our brain and body. 

Answer 4

The article published by "The American River"---'TikTok is shrinking our attention span with every swipe' makes a lot of statements about TikTok shortening attention spans because of its short videos, often leading users to lose interest in longer activities which is the design of the app in itself. It cites a 2021 article by 'The Science Times' which 'claims' that staying on TikTok for 90 minutes on average daily can lead to reduced attention span. However, both of these articles don't provide any credible, authoritative studies that justify their statements. Even so, there is some truth to TikTok or social media apps such as TikTok leading to a shorter attention span, because these short videos provide a charge of dopamine which on the other hand leads viewers to get bored or distracted much faster. The author uses personal pronouns such as 'I' to indicate his anecdotes and experiences to justify certain statements that don't generalize the issue. While studies suggest that constant exposure to quick, fast-paced content like TikTok may impact cognitive engagement, it isn't definitive in this article. The body of this article is formed as an opinion rather than a fact. Research on social media's effects on attention span is ongoing, but there is evidence that habits formed by rapid content consumption could make focusing on larger tasks more challenging. I do believe that attention spans are shortening since I deal with it, but I believe that other factors related to technology consumption patterns need to be delved into further to create a straightforward link. One such study by National Library of Science investigates the role of attention in learning in the digital age. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6430174/)

(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387697885_THE_IMPACT_OF_TIKTOK'S_FAST-PACED_CONTENT_ON_ATTENTION_SPAN_OF_STUDENTS#:~:text=Key%20findings%20from%20existing%20research,during%20tasks%20requiring%20prolonged%20concentration.)

Answer 5

I think this is false. It could depend on the person, but tik tok is the new way of learning AND helping us do our homework. TikTok is becoming more of a learning platform, especially with its STEM feed, than just a place for dancing and sharing funny videos. It has introduced an individual tab called "Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, often abbreviated as STEM that displays videos around subjects like engineering demonstrations,experiments, and math tricks. This allows students to scroll through brief, interesting videos that provide information, like fundamentals of coding, the engineering behind common devices, etc. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/tiktok-stem-feed-now-available-to-all-users-by-default?.Research indicates that students find TikTok videos more engaging and think the app's features such as comments, effects, and quick cuts can enhance learning. https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/evaluating-tiktoks-educational-impact-an-analysis-of-student-perspectives/?According to    https://www.edutopia.org/article/harnessing-educational-potential-of-tiktok-science-class/, science teachers found that TikTok helped them make  difficult ideas into more approachable, engaging content for their students. According to the platform, millions of videos about STEM have already been uploaded, and the STEM feed is now accessible in nations like the US, UK, Canada, and others. Of course, there are some downsides to it. TikTok is still a social media platform, so the quality of content vary, and not everything comes from sources and is right. The fact checking is up to you. As well as the videos might be short and not go into great detail about the subjects. Some users  are concerned about the platform's preference for entertainment over in-depth education, even though they also see advantages.

Answer 6

So I was really interested in how this could be measured but I found a research article by Communityresearchinstitute.org that was able to explain how this is true.
https://communityresearchinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TikTok-Attention-Spans-White-Paper.pdf
According to a study conducted by microsoft in 2015, just one year after tiktok hit the digital world, gen z's attention span was measured to be 8 seconds, 4 seconds shorter than gen x. Research shows that TikTok has the most advanced algorithm, ever changing to target audiences with content they may be interested in. Because this shortens the time spent looking for videos to watch, as well as the actual average watch time, we have become very accustomed to content being simply handed to us. This means that when we have the option between schoolwork and short format videos, TikTok is partially responsible for increased academic procrastination.

As if that isn't enough, CLRN.org wrote a comprehensive article explaining how the constant switch of content can overstimulate our cognitive load, leading to a barrier of our ability to deeply comprehend information. It also brings up the idea of multitasking and how the constant switch of information diminishes our ability to focus on something for a long period of time. Overall it's hard to fully blame tiktok as many other services provide algorithmic short term content formats, but tiktok was certainly the first to fully implement this structure and is somewhat responsible for the shortening of attention spans.

CLRN: https://www.clrn.org/how-does-tiktok-affect-attention-span/

Answer 7

Newer generations tend to have shorter attention spans. This is not to be blamed all on TikTok, but technology and apps like TikTok have definitely played a role in contributing to our fast paced world. According to the Keystone Education Group research conducted by Microsoft in 2015 found that the average attention span for Gen Z was about eight seconds. Gen Z is used to immediate and accessible information, with the world essentially in their pockets thanks to the iPhone. This study was conducted 10 years ago, tracking the shortening of attention spans back before TikTok was as popular as it is today. PhD Gloria Mark uses psychology to explain how all types of media has a critical influence on younger generations brains because executive functioning skills, such as self control, are still developing. Therefore, digital media has played a role in shortening attention spans because it constantly exposes people to quick and short bits training the brain to expect faster stimulation and making it harder to focus on longer, more complex information.

sources:

https://www.keg.com/news/the-first-8-seconds-capturing-the-attention-of-gen-z-students

https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/attention-spans

Answer 8

This article, although it is true, could have given better scientific evidence as to why this claim is true. When reading through it I felt like it relied heavily on the authors own personal feelings and experiences, when a quick google search would give enough scientific data to prove their point. In the article they used sources that, although were right, did not have evidence to back there claim.

Article 1: https://ojs.stanford.edu/ojs/index.php/intersect/article/view/3463/1779

When I did a search I found a study done by Stanford University on a class of high school Freshman. In the study they found that their null hypothesis was rejected, which concludes that TikTok does have a negative effect on the attention span of high school freshman in class. This evidence can be found in the conclusion section of the article

Article 2: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11236742/

Another study done that was published in the National Library of Medicine, studied adults. They found that indeed watching shortened videos does reduce your executive and impulse control, among other things. This can be found in the conclusion section in the article.

Although this article was correct, I think it could have cited real studies done, instead of more opinion based articles.

Answer 9

Yes, this claim appears to be accurate. A 2025 study published by Stanford University indicated that TikTok can cause an excessive release of dopamine in the brain, which disrupts memory function and consolidation in developing minds. The study concluded that TikTok usage, particularly among children and teenagers, leads to lower academic performance and a decreased ability to retain information. Additionally, when students have a strong connection to TikTok, especially in classroom settings where focus is essential, it often results in distractions and diminished focus with academic content compared to those who do not use TikTok or short videos (15 seconds- 1 min ) for entertainment. While I will acknowledge that there could be underlying factors to one's ability to retain focus, TikTok will fundamentally make it worse for those with these already existing problems. 

Link to study: https://ojs.stanford.edu/ojs/index.php/intersect/article/view/3463