Attention Is a Skill We Can Practice
Short videos compete for our attention. The answer starts with understanding the evidence and making room to read, think, and ask for help.
RAHMAT WIBOWO | 28 OCTOBER 2026
A phone can carry a library and an endless stream of videos in the same pocket. The challenge is not to treat one as inherently good and the other as proof of a damaged mind. It is to decide what we want our attention to do.
The report behind this series describes a 2025 review linking heavier short-video use with weaker attention and impulse control. Its evidence is largely correlational: it cannot establish that short videos alone cause those outcomes. The report also notes that it relied on a secondary summary, so the original study should be checked before repeating its figures.
Do not confuse a score with a person's worth
Studies in Norway and the United States have reported declines in some cognitive test scores in particular samples. They do not establish that Indonesian Gen Z has a lower IQ. Even the Norwegian cohort described in the report was born before the usual Gen Z range.
Reading and mathematics assessments can tell us something about learning opportunities, but they do not measure the value of a person or justify calling a generation stupid. A useful response to a learning gap is better support and practice, not humiliation.
Give reading a small place in the day
Try choosing one article or chapter, putting the phone out of reach for a short period, and writing three sentences in your own words: What is the claim? What supports it? What is still uncertain? Explain the idea to someone else, or revisit the source when an answer is unclear.
This is not a cure for every attention problem. It is a repeatable exercise in comprehension and judgment. Begin with a duration that fits your circumstances, then adjust.
Care is not weakness
Stress and depression deserve more care than a label like “weak.” Difficulty concentrating can have many causes. If distress persists or interferes with daily life, speak with someone you trust and consider a psychologist, doctor, or local health service. A conversation with an AI tool cannot replace professional assessment.
We can take attention seriously without shaming people for struggling. A better reading habit and a willingness to ask for help are both ways to make learning possible.
Sources: Bratsberg and Rogeberg, cognitive test scores in Norway; Ritchie and Tucker-Drob, education and intelligence. The discussion of short-video research follows the source report's account and its stated verification limits.