02/08/2025
Brain scans show that watching a lot of short videos literally rewires your brain.
New brain imaging research published in NeuroImage looked at young adults with signs of addiction to short videos.
These users were less sensitive to financial losses during decision-making and showed brain activity patterns similar to those seen in other types of addiction, like gambling.
Participants with stronger short-video addiction symptoms were more likely to take risks and made decisions more quickly, with less mental reflection. Brain scans showed reduced activity in areas linked to self-control and long-term thinking, and more activity in regions tied to movement and sensory input when facing possible losses.
These brain differences may help explain why some people focus more on short-term rewards, like endless video scrolling, and ignore long-term downsides like lost time, poor sleep, or mental fatigue. The researchers also found that people with similar addiction levels had similar brain response patterns. Though the study was small and focused only on university students, it adds to growing evidence that short-form video use can shape how the brain handles risk and reward.
The researchers warn that the fast-reward design of short video apps could gradually rewire how people make decisions.
source
Chang Liu a et al. "Loss aversion and evidence accumulation in short-video addiction: A behavioral and neuroimaging investigation" NeuroImage (May 2025)
