The study points to the highly addictive nature of short-form videos, which are typically between one and five minutes long and designed for rapid, continuous consumption. (Image courtesy of YonhapNews TV)
SEOUL, April 7 (Korea Bizwire) — The explosion of short-form video content on platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts may be fueling a surge in smartphone overdependence among young South Koreans, a new academic study has found — prompting calls for greater social and platform accountability in addressing digital addiction.
According to research published by Yonsei University’s Barun ICT Research Center in the Journal of Knowledge Management Research, short-form content is contributing significantly to problematic smartphone use, particularly among those in their 20s.
The study points to the highly addictive nature of short-form videos, which are typically between one and five minutes long and designed for rapid, continuous consumption.
The findings build on the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT’s 2024 smartphone dependency survey, which revealed that 34% of people in their 20s fall into the “at-risk” category for smartphone overuse—the highest among all adult age groups.
Smartphone overdependence is defined as a significant increase in usage that disrupts daily life and reduces users’ ability to control their habits, often leading to issues such as sleep disturbances and depression.
Short-form content has emerged as the most popular type of mobile viewing among South Korean consumers. (Image courtesy of Kobiz Media)
Professor Lee Geon-woo of the Barun ICT Research Center analyzed data from the Korea Media Panel Study spanning 2019 to 2023, focusing on the introduction of short-form video services in 2021.
His analysis showed that the launch of short-form features led to an average increase of 1.7 OTT (online video streaming) viewings per week among people in their 20s. The trend was especially pronounced among those who identified Instagram as their primary social media platform.
Given that higher OTT usage correlates strongly with smartphone overdependence, Lee argues that the proliferation of short-form videos has had both direct and indirect effects on worsening digital habits among young adults.
“If the popularity of short-form videos continues to encourage prolonged smartphone use, platforms will collect more behavioral data — which in turn fuels further engagement and reinforces the cycle,” Lee wrote.
“We must stop viewing this solely as a matter of personal self-control or individual addiction, and instead recognize it as a structural outcome of current economic and technological systems.”
The study urges both tech companies and users to take active roles in mitigation. Lee recommends that platforms introduce built-in reminders encouraging breaks after extended viewing, and that young users develop stronger self-regulation habits to limit screen time.
As South Korea continues to grapple with its tech-savvy population’s growing dependency on smartphones, the study adds weight to broader societal concerns over the mental health implications of algorithm-driven content consumption.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
