Political debates about age restrictions for social media are gaining momentum, as scientific studies confirm the particular vulnerability of adolescent brains. Short videos on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, which fire off colorful images in rapid succession, pose an enormous burden. Young people find it particularly difficult to escape this constant flickering, underscoring the urgency of discussions surrounding new regulations.
A comprehensive Australian review study, which evaluated 71 individual studies with nearly 100,000 participants and was published in the Psychological Bulletin in 2025, provides startling insights. Participants, averaging 23 years old, showed significant effects in the cognitive domain, especially regarding attention. Consuming many short videos makes it harder to concentrate on tasks like reading texts and reduces the ability to solve complex problems step by step. Psychologist Lan Nguyen from Griffith University emphasizes that this weakens cognitive endurance.
The phenomenon is neurobiologically based: the brain enters a state of exhilaration due to the release of dopamine, a happiness hormone. Likes and positive feedback activate the reward system, enticing users to keep their phones close. While adults can often resist better, adolescents find it extremely difficult due to the still developing prefrontal cortex, the center for impulse control. This “pleasure principle” also makes the adolescent brain more susceptible to other forms of addiction, as biologist Martin Korte explains. The EU Commission is already investigating whether TikTok has an “addictive design.”
Experts like Martin Korte are calling for stricter rules for social media, which he compares to opiates, given these developments. The constant availability of apps comes at the expense of real social contacts, physical activity, and learning time. Although many young people themselves wish to be less online, they are caught in algorithms that personalize content and generate reward kicks. However, a study by Christian Montag shows that even two weeks of abstinence can lead to improvements in mental health. Governments, schools, and families must counteract to address addictive tendencies and restore balance in the lives of young people.
