Advancements in technology and communication have given rise to various platforms for social networking and entertainment, allowing people to share information through text, photos, and videos.
Recently, a team of UGM students from the UGM Faculty of Philosophy and the UGM Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA UGM) has been conducting research on the influence of short TikTok videos on students’ attention spans and its consequences on the declining literacy scores in reading, mathematics, and science among 15-year-old students.
The team members include Rizqi Vazrin (Philosophy), Romdhoni Afif N (Philosophy), Radhita Z Jannah (Philosophy), Della Ayu Banon (Philosophy), and Immanuella Rere (Statistics).
In a statement to reporters on Monday (May 20), Rizqi Vazrin explained that their research stemmed from academic performance results, usually measured through the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey.
Since 2010-2024, Indonesia has seen a decline in scores. Meanwhile, in 2022, TikTok emerged as one of the most popular social media platforms, offering users short videos ranging from five seconds to three minutes.
“At that time, technology massively began to penetrate the cultural life of Indonesian society. The advancement of technology, including TikTok, opened new discourse on its impact on a student’s academic performance,” said Vazrin.
Based on literature reviews, it is suggested that the consumption of short video content can decrease attention span. Continuous exposure to short videos may result in shorter attention spans.
“A short attention span will negatively affect a student’s academic performance,” he explained.
This research, targeting surveys of junior and senior high school students aged 15, aims to determine academic performance in relation to the habit of watching TikTok short videos and whether students’ attention spans are declining.
Funded by the Student Creativity Program for Social Sciences and Humanities Research (PKM-RSH), the research titled “Short Video Storm: Examining the Impact of TikTok Short Video Content on Students’ Attention Span and Its Consequences on the Declining PISA Scores” hopes to uncover the potential implications of this phenomenon, both positive and negative, and formulate measures to improve Indonesia’s education system.
“The findings from this research are expected to contribute to new discourse on addressing the declining attention spans and PISA scores, encouraging society to be more prudent in implementing these values,” Vazrin concluded.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Image: Freepik