Watching reels and shorts, hurts your brain
Watching reels and shorts, hurts your brain
November 2025
Study
"Feeds, feelings, and focus: A systematic review and meta analysis examining the cognitive and mental health correlates of short form video use"
In
Published in Psychological Bulletin
Findings of the study
heavier use of short videos was linked to reduced attention, weaker inhibitory control, and smaller but noticeable dips in memory and working memory.
Poor attention
people who use short-form videos more tend to have poorer attention and poorer ability to stop themselves from acting on impulse
Easier to get distracted
easier it becomes to get distracted or act impulsively.
How do short videos trigger dopamine spikes in the brain?
- fast cuts
- emotional content
- unpredictable novelty
Reading, Problem solving feels effortful
the brain adapts to whatever it repeatedly consumes. Short videos flood the senses with novelty, speed, and instant rewards. Over time, this may make slower tasks such as reading, problem-solving, and deep work feel unusually effortful.
Compulsive patterns of use
The strongest negative effects were linked not to hours spent, but to compulsive patterns of use, the kind where people cannot stop scrolling even when they want to.
Heavier short-form video use was linked to
- stress
- anxiety
- depression
- poorer sleep
- greater loneliness
- lower wellbeing
Poor sleep quality
a weak but consistent link between heavier short-video use, especially late at night, and poorer sleep quality. Blue light, overstimulation and “just one more scroll” all contribute. Business Standard
March 2026
Gross underspend cripples India's community-level mental health battle
- States have consistently underspent funds under the District Mental Health Program, a part of National Mental Health Programme (NHMP), which involves OPD (outpatient psychiatric services), community outreach, awareness, and training of health care workers in every district.
- The activities are run by states and UTs.
Data presented in Lok Sabha, by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Pratap Rao Jadhav:
In 5 years between 2020-21 and 2024-25, states and union territories spent Rs 328.27 crores out of Rs 691.24 crores approved under the district mental health programmes, about 47.5% of the total allocation.
Over the past five years, the government data shows that state and unit derogatory spent around 50% of the allocated funds.
| Year | Approved (in ₹crores) | Spent (in ₹crores) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 83.26 | 33.92 |
| 2021-22 | 122.90 | 59.78 |
| 2022-23 | 159.59 | 66.55 |
| 2023-24 | 168.86 | 85.65 |
| 2024-25 | 156.62 | 82.35 |
Focus area under DMHP
- A major proportion of the union mental health budget is spent on tertiary apex care institutions like NIMHANS.
- The funds available through the DMHP allow for a focus on a key area in mental health: primary and secondary care.
Reasons for increasing mental health problems
- Shortage of mental health specialists
- Varied among states.
- 0.05 per lakh population in Madhya Pradesh to 1.2 per lakh population in Kerala
- ! WHO Mental Health Atlas 2020: The global average of availability per 1 lakh population is 1.7 psychiatrists.
- Stigma, particularly among the middle and upper middle class
- Environmental and Social Changes
- Air and noise pollution in large cities.
- Decline of joint family systems and increasing social isolations have reduced avenues for emotional support.
- According to the World Health Organization, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% in the first year of the pandemic. The rise was linked to factors such as social isolation, fear of infection, financial stress, and disruption of daily life.
- Increase exposure to violent or distressing content on digital platforms.
National Mental Health Programme (NHMP)
- Launched in 1982
Focus on:
- training mental specialists
- strengthening psychiatric departments in medical colleges
- turning district-level services through the DMHP so that the treatment becomes available closer to the people's homes
Schemes under NHMP:
- Scheme A covers Centers of Excellence.
- Scheme B is for upgrading psychiatric departments across the country.
Expenditure under NHMP as budget estimates %
| Year | Expenditure as a % of budget estimates | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 35 crores - spent | 35.42 crores |
| 2016-17 | 30.93 crores - spent | |
| 2017-18 | 44.34 crores - spent | |
| 2018-19 | 1% - 2.02 crores spent 2.31 crores -revised estimates | 50 crores - Budget estimate |
| 2019-20 | 4% - 2.50 crores spent | 35 crores budget estimate |
| 2020-21 | 20.43 crores spent | |
| 2021-22 | 25.16 crores spent | |
| 2022-23 | 34.59 crores spent | |
| 2023-24 | 15.14 crores spent | 31.5 crores budget estimat |
| 2024-25 | 16% - 5.27 crores spent | 30.71 crores budget estimate |
- The revised estimate depends on utilisation reported by the Centres of Excellence
National Mental Health Survey 2015-2016
- By National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences
- 10.6% of the adults in India were living with a mental disorder.
- The lifetime prevalence of mental disorders at 13.7%, meaning roughly one in seven Indians may experience a mental health condition at some point in their life. Print
