According to research published in the Psychological Bulletin, short-form videos are really, really bad for your mental health. Researchers at Griffith University have compiled the data from 71 different studies tracking the short-form video consumption of 98,000 participants and found that teenagers and adults who binge short-form videos show increased signs of mental deterioration.

Their findings concluded that increased short-form video usage led to a decrease in attention span, an increase in stress and anxiety and often caused users to experience signs of depression.

Bingeing TikTok reels may be hazardous to your well-being.

71 studies, >98k people: The more short-form videos teens and adults watched, the more they struggled with attention, self-control, and stress and anxiety.

Read a book. Watch a movie. Long live longform. pic.twitter.com/Yzyv68kBDh

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— Adam Grant (@AdamMGrant) November 14, 2025

When it comes to cognition, researchers found poorer cognitive performance, weaker attention spans and even “inhibitory control” in short-form video watchers. Meaning, people became dumber and more compulsive the more they watched TikToks and Reels.

Most shockingly, these findings were consistent when tracked across age groups. Adults were just as likely as teens to lose cognitive ability and experience higher anxiety and depression with heavy short-form video consumption.

However, the research found that while short-form video negatively affected users’ mental health and cognitive abilities, one important psychological area is unaffected: self-esteem.

So, while people are becoming more compulsive, sadder and dumber, they are feeling pretty good about themselves.

Go figure.