EFFECTS OF ALTERNATING BETWEEN EDUCATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT VIDEOS ON ATTENTION DEFICITS CAUSED BY CONSTANT SCROLLING IN ADOLESCENTS

Adolescents today are highly engaged in scrolling short-form videos. The widespread inclusion of both educational and entertainment videos online is prevalent in the media we consume as we scroll. While these platforms offer both cognitive stimulation and distraction, their impact on attention span remains unclear. This paper investigates how alternating between educational and entertainment videos affects attentional deficits associated with constant scrolling. Based on recent studies in cognitive psychology, media consumption, and adolescent development, this research reviews evidence of how switching from educational to recreational content affects working memory, executive function, and sustained attention. Findings suggest that while educational videos can temporarily re-engage focus, rapid alternation with entertainment content may reinforce fragmented attention patterns. This paper argues that the structure of the encounter between the content and adolescents plays a significant role in affecting sustained attention. Understanding this concept is crucial to mitigating the effects of attention deficits in adolescents growing up in a digital environment.