Short-Video Use and its Impact on the Developing Brain: A Nation-wide study in India
A Multi-centric, cross-sectional, observational study to investigate the effects of excessive short-video consumption on young children’s brain development.
Background of the Study
Short-form videos are social media clips that last 15-90 seconds. The dynamic nature of these videos can make them irresistible to young children and toddlers, who may not be able to regulate their usage themselves. Evidence for the negative impacts of screen time in young children is already well established, but this form of media consumption is incomparable to screen time on television, as short videos are more addictive, personalized, novel, and interactive. This research will study how short-form video affects children’s mental health and development. Studies on the impact of mobile phone use are limited and widely underestimated. New guidance is needed in this area because short-video viewing on mobile phones is an entirely unique form of screen time that has multiple modalities, interactive capabilities, personalized content, and near ubiquity in their lives.
Aims and Objectives
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To describe the patterns and characteristics of short-form video use in young children aged 1.5 to 5 years.
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To identify potential socio-demographic variables that may influence the usage patterns and effects of short-form video use in these children.
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To identify problematic use of short-video apps in these children.
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To examine the associations between short-form video use and mental health outcomes, such as conduct disorder, hyperactivity, depression, anxiety, and autism in these children.
Materials and Methods
Multi-centric, cross-sectional, observational, single-visit study design. Data collection will be done by collaborators from different centers across the country, after obtaining ethical clearance from their respective centers. Investigators from tertiary health centers who can conduct surveys in their centers can participate in the study. Each center will have a study team that will obtain local approval, identify eligible patients, and collect data. Data will be collected anonymously through a secure online platform.
The data collection methods will include standardized measures and caretaker reports for assessing mobile short video use habits and outcome variables to assess psychosocial and development issues in the child. The questionnaires will be administered to the parents via face-to-face interviews. ​
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