These days, more often than ever, I find the Amish style of life appealing. Think about it — their core life values include humility, family, and community. They are separated from most of the world, and they are reluctant to adapt to the conveniences of modern technology.
On top of that, they are very self-sustainable.
Imagining is one thing, but trying it out is something else. While I often long for complete isolation somewhere far away in the woods, I am frightened by the idea of how I would feel after a couple of weeks.
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I guess balance is always the answer.
The answer is simple, but putting it into practice is another thing. Parents these days have a hard time harmonizing work and family. According to Ask Mom with Sue Donellan, a parenting coach, the biggest problems faced by parents include:
- Balancing work life and family life;
- Dealing with stress;
- Raising children in a digital age;
- Managing a household on a budget;
- Teaching children about money;
- Helping children stay safe online.
The first piece of advice for raising children in a digital world is to talk to them about the benefits and risks of technology. We all know that completely banning some things from children may work like a boomerang hitting you in the face.
That’s why clear guidelines and healthy limits should be set. To be able to do this, you need to stay informed about the latest trends, apps, and studies on the impact of digital media.
Image source: Matt Cardy/Getty Images
YouTube co-founder stresses dangers of short-form videos
TikTok was launched at a time when YouTube was already a mega-popular video streaming platform. Its only chance of success was to offer something different, and it did — short-form video content with a user-friendly interface, allowing for more personal engagement with videos.
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It turns out it was precisely what most people would fall for. TikTok is now one of the five biggest social media platforms behind Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It was downloaded more than 4.7 billion times.
During a recent talk with Stanford Business School, YouTube’s co-founder and former tech chief, Steve Chen, said he wouldn’t want his children to watch only short videos on platforms like TikTok, Reels, and Shorts, reported Business Insider.
“I don’t know if I want my kids to be watching short-form content as their only way, and they can’t be able to watch something that’s more than 15 minutes in length,” Chen said.
“There’s this delicate balance between what is going to get users’ eyes and what’s going to monetize more versus what is actually useful,” Chen continued.
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Chen co-founded YouTube in 2005 with his colleagues at PayPal, and he was the platform’s chief technology officer until the video platform was sold to Google for $1.65 billion.
He later co-founded the company AVOS Systems, Inc. and built the video-sharing app MixBit, before joining Google Ventures.
According to the internet entrepreneur, TikTok is purely entertainment.
What could possibly be wrong with that?
Studies confirm damaging effects of short clips like TikTok videos
While short-form videos are relatively a new form of entertainment, several studies have already managed to highlight their negative effects.
According to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology in December 2023, short-form video addiction increases academic procrastination both directly and indirectly.
In a direct way, addiction to these videos leads to more procrastination. However, in an indirect way, addiction to short-form videos impacts students’ control of their attention (attentional control).
With less attentional control, students can’t maintain focus on their academic tasks.
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Other research published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience confirmed “strong negative correlation between short video addiction and self-control abilities, indicating that higher addiction levels are associated with diminished self-control.”
According to the published study “Impact of Short Reels on Attention Span and Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students,” short reels have a seriously damaging impact on students.
Short videos impact study key takeaways:
- Students who watched reels more intensively had noticeably lower GPAs.
- Higher time spent on reels significantly reduces attention spans.
Next time you think there’s nothing wrong with simple entertainment, remember that “these findings reveal that excessive reel consumption is a notable risk factor for both cognitive decline and academic underachievement.”
Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and professor at the NYU Stern School of Business, wrote a book called “The Anxious Generation,” highlighting how the spread of smartphones, social media, and overprotective parenting leads to “rewiring” childhood and a rise in mental health conditions.
To deal with this terrifying and growing problem, the psychologist advises parents to implement the following four “new norms:”
- No smartphones before high school
- No social media before 16
- Phone-free schools
- More independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world.
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