In this op-ed, Erin Core, managing director, Veracity Research explores the price paid for attention in a short form content environment from a marketer’s perspective. Isn’t it high time Adland starts treating attention with the respect it deserves, rather than relying on short-term impact, she asks?
Short form videos – TikToks, Reels, YouTube Shorts – are now part of daily life for millions. These bite-sized clips, usually under 30 seconds, are entertaining, addictive, and everywhere. But behind their viral charm lies a deeper concern: they may be reshaping our brains, fuelling a youth mental health crisis, and quietly damaging the very foundation of marketing itself – attention.
We need to talk about this. Not as alarmists, but as marketers, parents, and humans.
The “Pocket Pokies” Effect
Short form video operates on the same psychological principle as a poker machine: random reinforcement. Each swipe brings the possibility of surprise, humour, shock, or inspiration. It’s a digital gamble that keeps users coming back – again and again.
Algorithms play a central role. They learn what we like, then deliver just enough of it to keep us scrolling. This creates a powerful feedback loop. Our brains get a little dopamine spike with every swipe – and those tiny hits add up.
In fact, researchers have coined terms like “TikTok brain” to describe what happens when those dopamine spikes occur repeatedly. Studies have linked short form video addiction to physical changes in the brain, particularly in areas responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation.
Young Brains Are Especially Vulnerable
Recent research by Zhu, Chengwei & Jiang, Yiru & Lei, Hanning & Wang, Haitao & Zhang, Cai, 2024 found that adolescent brains – which are still developing until their mid-20s – are particularly susceptible to the effects of this kind of media. A 2025 study (Yuanyuan Gao et al, 2025) of over 100 Chinese university students showed that short form video use was associated with brain changes in regions tied to reward and emotion. These changes aren’t just academic – they may have long-term impacts on how young people process stress, regulate moods, and make decisions.
Why does this matter? Because we already restrict things like gambling, alcohol, and smoking for teenagers. But there are no such barriers when it comes to content designed to hijack attention. The result: increased screen time, less real-world engagement, and a growing body of evidence (Conte et al, 2025) linking short form video consumption to anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal.
Mental Health and the Decline of Focus
Jonathan Haidt’s 2023 book The Anxious Generation makes a compelling case that social media – and short form video as a contributor – has “rewired” how young people experience the world. A study from Common Sense Media found that 50 per cent of kids aged 11 to 17 spend nearly two hours a day on TikTok. That’s time not spent outside, with friends, or in meaningful face-to-face interactions.
The side effects are far-reaching, including poor sleep, increased social anxiety, memory fragmentation, academic procrastination, and a general sense of mental fog.
Attention spans are shrinking, and short form video may be more cause than symptom. One study (Siehoff, 2023) found that heavy TikTok users struggled to filter out distractions and reported more difficulty concentrating on schoolwork.
Marketing’s Role in the Attention Crisis
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: marketing is fuelling this crisis.
Attention is the foundation of marketing, but with short form video, we’re burning through it for quick wins. These formats deliver the numbers: views, clicks, and likes. But if the content isn’t remembered, if it never lands in the mind, or worse, if it’s damaging our audience’s ability to focus or form memories, what are we really paying for?
We’re spending money on attention that vanishes – and possibly training people to ignore us in the process.
Governments and platforms are beginning to respond – with features like teen mode and proposed age restrictions. But regulation alone won’t fix this. We need to rethink what we create and how we measure success.
What Can We Do?
On a personal level, here are a few steps worth trying: engineer your environment: Delete apps during the week, set time limits, or use a dedicated device for social media.
Be intentional with attention: Ask yourself how your content shapes your habits and notice what you pay attention to, and why.
Test a break: Try a week without short form video. I did – and saw a 36 per cent drop in screen time, along with clearer focus and better sleep.
But as marketers, it’s time for a shift. The industry needs to stop feeding the scroll and start creating content that respects attention, not exploits it. Content that cements brand memories instead of fragmenting them. That means prioritising depth over dopamine, designing for meaningful engagement, not just metrics, and exploring healthier formats like audio and long-form storytelling.
Rethinking success is just as important: it’s not just how much we reach, but how deeply we resonate.
If we want to build lasting brands and protect the minds of the people we speak to, we must stop cannibalising the very thing we rely on most: attention.
