One evening, Zhang Luyang was working on her math homework. The 12-year-old girl from Sichuan opened the Tik Tok, known as Douyin, to watch some short videos. She just wanted to take a short break, but half an hour later, she was still watching short videos.
Zhang is one of many teenagers who enjoy watching short videos on apps like Douyin. The videos typically last from 15 seconds to 5 minutes. According to a survey by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, 20 percent of teenagers watch short videos during whatever free time they have. About 10 percent check short video apps several times a day.
Sun Zhenyao, a 14-year-old boy from Anhui, says he likes short videos because they are interesting. "It's the perfect thing to do when I want to kill small amounts of time," he said.
Zhang says she learns a lot by watching short videos. She follows a Chinese vlogger living in the US on Douyin. The vlogger does funny things, like selling pancakes on the street and inviting foreigners to watch The Wandering Earth, she said, "His videos teach me about cultural differences."
However, Zhang and Sun also say they sometimes waste too much time watching short videos. Apps like Douyin and Kuaishou have features that prevent users from watching videos for too long. Users can use "teen mode", which sets 40 minutes a day for watching short videos. Sun says this has helped him cut down the amount of time he spends watching videos.
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Lost in short videos |
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Short videos typically last 15 seconds to . 20 percent of teenagers watch short videos they are free. About 10 percent short videos several times a day. |
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Two teenagers' ideas on short videos |
Zhang Luyang |
She is a 12-year-old girl from Sichuan. She learns about different by watching short videos. She sometimes too much time watching short videos. |
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Sun Zhenyao |
He is a 14-year-old boy from Anhui. He finds short videos. He thinks watching short videos is a good way to time. He sometimes watches short videos for too long. Now he spends time on short videos because of the "teen mode". |
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Conclusion |
People can learn a lot from short videos, but they need to the time they spend on short videos. |
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