Addicted to Instagram reels, YouTube Shorts and more? Childhood trauma could be the cause, claims study
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Nov 5, 2024, 7:30 AM ISTShort-form video platforms are especially popular among younger users due to their fast-paced, highly engaging content. These apps, through their personalized algorithms, can encourage prolonged usage, which many users find difficult to limit.
Short-form video content, like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and more has become a dominant form of entertainment for young adults. While these videos offer quick bursts of dopamine—the "happy hormone"—their rapid, brief format can quickly lead to addiction. Initially providing a simple pleasure, these platforms can soon foster an unhealthy dependency. The typical length of this content ranges from 15 seconds to about a minute, making it ideal for capturing the short attention spans often cited as a reason for its popularity.
However, there are deeper psychological factors at work. A new study in Computers in Human Behavior reveals that addiction to short-form video platforms may be influenced by negative childhood experiences, making certain young adults particularly susceptible to these highly engaging apps.
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Conducted among a large sample of Chinese university students, the research found that adverse childhood experiences—such as abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction—could significantly increase the likelihood of becoming addicted to short-form content.
Psychological impact of short-form videos
Short-form video platforms are especially popular among younger users due to their fast-paced, highly engaging content. These apps, through their personalized algorithms, can encourage prolonged usage, which many users find difficult to limit.
According to an official report from Meta, over 200 billion Reels are played daily across Facebook and Instagram, doubling the figure from a year ago when the company reported 100 billion daily plays.
“We became interested in this topic due to the rapid growth in active users of short-form video platforms such as TikTok and Douyin globally in recent years. In China, short video users now account for 96.4% of the overall internet population,” said study author Hai Huang, an associate professor of psychology at the China University of Geosciences.
“However, many individuals, especially young people, have developed an addiction to these platforms, leading to physical, psychological, and social dysfunctions. This prompted us to investigate the current state of short-form video addiction among Chinese college students," Huang added.
“Previous research has shown a link between adverse childhood experiences — a global public health concern — and internet addiction. We were particularly interested in exploring how adverse childhood experiences relate to addiction to new media, such as short-form videos. Therefore, our research primarily examines the association between adverse childhood experiences and short-form video addiction, while also exploring the potential mediating roles of resilience and life satisfaction in this relationship," he further stated.
Role of childhood experiences in digital dependency
Researchers collected data from 11,425 students in Wuhan, China, assessing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) through a detailed survey that evaluated various types of trauma, including abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence. Using an adapted internet addiction questionnaire, the researchers measured students’ level of addiction to short-form video platforms, focusing on signs such as craving, withdrawal, and difficulty reducing usage.
The study found that students who reported higher levels of ACEs, particularly those involving neglect and abuse, were significantly more likely to exhibit addictive behaviors on short-form video apps. Those with five or more types of adverse experiences were up to 4.7 times more likely to show signs of addiction compared to students without such experiences.
The researchers also examined resilience and life satisfaction as potential mediating factors. Students who had endured ACEs generally reported lower levels of resilience and life satisfaction, which were associated with higher rates of short-form video addiction. “Resilience and life satisfaction seem to serve as buffers,” Huang explained, noting that higher levels of these factors could help protect young people from developing excessive reliance on short videos as a coping mechanism.
“From our findings, people can understand that adverse childhood experiences serve as a significant risk factor for short-form video addiction,” Huang told PsyPost.
The study highlights the role of childhood trauma as a significant risk factor for digital addiction, suggesting that interventions focused on preventing ACEs and promoting resilience and life satisfaction may help reduce the risk of addiction among young people. However, as a cross-sectional study, it provides only a snapshot of associations rather than proving causation. Future research, according to Huang, could benefit from a longitudinal approach, tracking childhood experiences and online behaviors over time.
“Specifically, adverse childhood experiences characterized by violence, abuse, and neglect have a stronger impact compared to other types of adverse childhood experiences. Interventions focusing on the early prevention of adverse childhood experiences, along with promoting resilience and life satisfaction, may prove beneficial in preventing short-form video addiction among young people," he added.
The study, titled “Adverse childhood experiences and short-form video addiction: A serial mediation model of resilience and life satisfaction,” was authored by Jiao Xue, Hai Huang, Ziyu Guo, Jing Chen, and Wenting Feng.
India's dominance in short-form video market
According to Demandsage, India is the largest market for Instagram Reels, boasting 327 million users, followed by the United States with 169 million and Brazil with 133 million.
Several factors contribute to India's significant engagement with Reels. Firstly, the country's vast population creates a large user base, and secondly, the ban on TikTok in 2020 has left a gap in the short-form video market. With a high percentage of internet users, India has turned to Instagram Reels as a primary platform for this type of content, with YouTube Shorts being its only direct competitor.
The most viewed Instagram Reel in the world, featuring India’s freestyle footballer Muhammed Riswan (@riswan_freestyle), has amassed over 491 million views. In the video, Riswan showcases his skills by juggling a football in front of a waterfall before striking the ball straight into the water.
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