Presenter: Hongyu Lin

Attention, Learning, and Digital media: A Proposed Qualitative Study of Youth and Short-From Videos

Type of Presentation: Poster Presentation

Abstract

As short form videos like TikTok and Instagram Reels become increasingly common in young people, I became interested in how social media influences their attention span, learning processes, and academic engagement. Existing neurocognitive and educational literature on the topic suggests a number of negative correlations between short form video use, attention levels, and academics in general (Yan et al., 2024; Haliti-Sylaj & Sadiku, 2024; Loomba, 2025). However, there is currently little research that considers how adolescents personally experience this influence in their own lives and interpret the consequences. This leads to my research question: How do young people interpret the ways in which short-form videos shape their attention, engagement, and attitudes toward learning? By applying media and adolescent experience literature, I would gather my sample of youth aged 13-25 years via interviews and self-produced social media content provided by participants themselves. Thematic analysis will be applied to discover recurrent themes in participants’ narratives about attention, procrastination, emotions associated with studying and concentration, and overall learning experience. This research may reveal that short-form videos influence youth learning habits in ways quantitative research cannot fully explain. The presentation will also discuss limitations such as the small number of participants and differences in personal experiences.

Biography

Hongyu Lin is a first-year international student in the Vantage One Arts program at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on how online media influences young people’s emotions, attention, and learning habits. She is personally interested in this topic because short-form videos have become the major part of young people’s daily lives and habits.