Algorithmic Attention Fragmentation: How Short Videos Affect Teen Attention

Short form videos are present everywhere today, especially on apps like TikTok and Instagram. These platforms constantly show users new personalized content designed to keep them engaged. While many studies have looked at screen time, fewer have examined how these algorithms themselves affect thinking. In this study, I explored whether algorithm driven short videos affect attention, focus, and memory in teenagers. Sixty students were divided into three groups: - one watched algorithm based short videos, one watched the same videos without personalization, and one watched a longer, continuous video. After 20 minutes, they completed tasks to test attention, focus, and memory. The results showed that students who watched algorithm-based content had more difficulty focusing, they switched tasks more often, gave up faster on difficult tasks, and remembered less after a delay. This suggests that the way content is delivered, not just what we watch, it can affect how our brains work.