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Scrolling through Instagram Reels has same effect on brain as alcohol
https://www.indiatoday.in/health/story/binge-watching-insta-reels-are-rewiring-your-brain-like-alcohol-addiction-2774286-2025-08-21Scrolling through Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, or YouTube shorts may feel like a harmless way to kill your time, but neuroscientists warn that the effects on the brain could be more alarming and concerning than we think.
Several studies suggest that short-form videos trigger reward pathways in ways similar to addictive substances like alcohol, while neurologists in India caution about long-term rewiring of motivation, focus, and even memory.
According to a peer-reviewed study published in NeuroImage, led by Professor Qiang Wang from Tianjin Normal University, heavy short-video users show increased activity in the brain’s reward pathways, the very circuits that light up during addictions like alcohol or gambling.
“Short-form video addiction is a global public health threat, with users in China spending 151 minutes daily on average, and 95.5 per cent of internet users are engaged. This high-intensity ‘instant reward’ consumption not only impairs attention, sleep and mental health but also increases depression risk,” said Prof. Wang. Other research has shown how short-form videos can negatively impact attention spans, cognitive skills, and even short-term memory.
Several studies suggest that short-form videos trigger reward pathways in ways similar to addictive substances like alcohol, while neurologists in India caution about long-term rewiring of motivation, focus, and even memory.
According to a peer-reviewed study published in NeuroImage, led by Professor Qiang Wang from Tianjin Normal University, heavy short-video users show increased activity in the brain’s reward pathways, the very circuits that light up during addictions like alcohol or gambling.
“Short-form video addiction is a global public health threat, with users in China spending 151 minutes daily on average, and 95.5 per cent of internet users are engaged. This high-intensity ‘instant reward’ consumption not only impairs attention, sleep and mental health but also increases depression risk,” said Prof. Wang. Other research has shown how short-form videos can negatively impact attention spans, cognitive skills, and even short-term memory.
Linked study:
Neuroanatomical and functional substrates of the short video addiction and its association with brain transcriptomic and cellular architecture
PDF is open acess there.
Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all, but I get my kicks out of you --- tube.
7 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
Especially if the narration shotguns onto the screen with each word, that'd be cool thx bye.
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