Abstract

The rapidly increasing popularity of short-form video appli- cations such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Youtube Shorts, where most videos are under 1 minute long, have created new fears about technology causing attention deficits. However, given how new these platforms are, we are unsure whether this new media format is actually worse than the existing video formats that have caused concern in past decades. This study provides a direct comparison between the impacts of long- form video and short-form video on students’ ability to pay attention to and learn from lectures. We evaluate this impact via a between-subject study where participants watch either short-form video, long-form video, or nothing immediately prior to watching a video lecture.