Short videos raise concerns over children’s focus
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Excessive exposure to short-form videos may be linked to weaker concentration, distraction and difficulty staying focused on one activity among children and teenagers, sociologist Hassan Hamdan told Shafaq News.
Hamdan said on Friday that prolonged exposure to short videos can make it harder for children and teenagers to remain engaged with one activity for extended periods. He also called on parents to monitor both the amount of time their children spend on digital platforms and the type of content they watch.
Academic Alaa Najah said the problem lies less in the use of digital platforms themselves than in excessive consumption of superficial content. He explained that users may gradually shift from actively engaging with and discussing content to repeatedly moving between short clips, a pattern that can weaken concentration and critical evaluation if it becomes dominant in daily life.
Teenagers may be particularly drawn to short-form content because of its variety and constant flow of new material, according to Najah, who said managing screen time and monitoring content have become increasingly important for parents and educators.
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Several parents described similar concerns. Abdullah Hassan told Shafaq News that his three children had become more withdrawn, struggled to remain focused on one activity, and showed less interest in outdoor play after spending much of the summer on their phones.
Hassan said he had been unable to stop them from using the devices because phones had become their main source of entertainment, while taking them away often made the children more irritable and restless. With the school year underway, he is trying to reduce their screen time and restore a balance between digital entertainment and daily activities.
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Moataz Al-Tai, 42, said he had noticed less physical activity, weaker interest in school and declining academic performance among his children. Repeated attempts to stop them from constantly watching short videos had not produced the result he wanted, prompting him to consider other solutions, including medical advice. Al-Tai called for cooperation between families, schools and relevant authorities and urged clearer rules governing children’s and teenagers’ use of social media platforms.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry continues to monitor online content and take legal action against content creators found to have violated the law.
Read more: Iraq lacks laws to protect children from harmful social media content
