Stop scrolling for a moment. Think about how you feel after an hour of Reels, Shorts, or TikToks. A bit drained? A bit foggy? A bit restless? According to a new study, heavy short-form video use is linked to poorer cognition, stress, anxiety, and lower mental wellbeing.

Attention took the biggest hit. The review found that people who use short-form videos more tend to have poorer attention and poorer ability to stop themselves from acting on impulse. So, the more you scroll Reels, Shorts or TikTok, the harder it may become to focus and the easier it becomes to get distracted or act impulsively.

The strongest negative effects were linked not to hours spent, but to compulsive patterns of use, the kind where people cannot stop scrolling even when they want to.

People who scored high on ‘short-form video addiction’ showed the biggest drop in cognitive performance,” the study authors said. 

Across 61 studies reviewed, heavier short-form video use was linked to:
stress
anxiety
depression
poorer sleep
greater loneliness
lower wellbeing

Stress and anxiety showed the strongest associations.

The review also noted that many people turn to short videos because they already feel stressed or low, which complicates the relationship.

Do short videos affect sleep quality?

The review found a weak but consistent link between heavier short-video use, especially late at night, and poorer sleep quality. Blue light, overstimulation and “just one more scroll” all contribute.

Poor sleep, in turn, worsens anxiety, mood and cognitive clarity.

The study doesn’t call for quitting, but it raises important warnings.
If you notice:
trouble concentrating,
irritability after long scrolling,
compulsive checking, or
sleep disruption

…it may be your brain asking for a reset.