Course:VANT149/2026/Capstone/Arts/Presentation37

Beyond Attention Scores: How University Students Interpret the Influence of Short-From Videos on Learning?

Abstract

Short-form video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels have become a regular part of university students’ daily lives. Research shows that watching short videos leads to particular measurable effects which include reduced ability to focus and students who delay their schoolwork and experience decreased control over their actions (Yan et al., 2024; Xie et al., 2023; Jain et al., 2025). However, there is currently little research exploring how students interpret the influence of short-form videos on their own learning experiences and daily academic lives. This leads to my research question: How do university students aged 18–22 interpret the influence of short-form videos on their concentration, study habits, and learning experiences? I will conduct semi-structured interviews with university students to collect data which will answer this question. The study will collect information from participants about their video watching behaviors, academic activities, and complete experience with short video platforms during their learning process. The data will be analyzed using thematic analysis to identify common themes across participants’ experiences. This research may reveal that short-form videos influence university students' 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.