WACO, Texas (KXXV) — A new study from Baylor University reveals that TikTok users can become addicted to the platform after viewing as few as 200 videos — which could happen in less than an hour of scrolling.
The research, conducted by Dr. James Roberts, a professor of Marketing at Baylor University's Foster School of Business, and Dr. Meredith David, examined how short-form video platforms impact users' ability to sustain attention and delay gratification.
"TikTok's own research said people can become addicted to TikTok in as few as 200 videos," Roberts said. "200 times divided by four, you know, four per minute, that's only 50 videos. By 50 videos, we could already be hooked."
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The study surveyed 455 college students and compared TikTok to other short-form video platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Researchers found TikTok superior in three key areas that drive user engagement: ease of use, recommendation algorithm accuracy, and serendipity — the platform's ability to introduce new content when users might be getting bored.
Short-form videos eroding attention spans
Roberts and David have been studying technology and social media's impact on well-being for about 10 to 12 years. They found that short-form videos represent "a whole new ballgame" compared to traditional social media platforms like Facebook.
"We're raising a generation, but I don't want to point my finger just at young people, even though they're the ones who, you know, adhere and pick up anything that's technologically related fastest," Roberts said. "But I think it's true with adults as well. We're just losing the ability to sustain our attention on one task for very long."
The impact extends beyond personal use. Roberts has observed changes in his own classroom over 20 to 30 years, noting that textbooks have evolved from thick, hardcover books with lots of text to thin, softcover books with short chapters and many pictures.
"It's just that they've lost the ability to sustain attention," Roberts said. "So we've had to accommodate education for that."
The science behind the addiction
The research identifies that constant consumption of short-form videos undermines self-control by diminishing users' ability to delay gratification. This creates a cycle where users become programmed to want immediate satisfaction and quickly move on to the next piece of content.
"All the things that we can do that are worthy of our time and effort, they all take sustained attention," Roberts said. "That means to have a good relationship, or to do well in school or work, or to do anything that happens, it takes longer than a few minutes."
The study found that behavioral addiction to short-form videos follows the same patterns as addiction to substances like alcohol or cigarettes. The most important indicator of addiction is relapse — repeatedly trying to quit and failing to maintain that break from the platform.
"That's really an important indicator that you are unhealthily attached to your short-form videos," Roberts said. "The first thing it says, I acknowledge that I'm doing this too much. I want to quit. But then what it also tells us, I tried and I failed."
Recommendations for users
Roberts advises that people who haven't started using TikTok should avoid beginning, and parents should wait until their children are at least 16 before allowing access to the platform.
"Their prefrontal frontal cortex is just not developed enough to handle the emotions and all the processing that's required on these short form videos," Roberts said. "They're not great at 16, but they're better than they were at 13."
For current users, Roberts recommends setting strict limits on usage time and being aware of when social media use interrupts important activities like relationships or work performance.
The research also highlights the concept of "phubbing" — phone snubbing — where people ignore others while using their devices, a behavior that has become increasingly common as short-form video consumption rises.
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