Sheynin, M. (2025). Quick, stop scrolling: The impact of short-form TikTok video characteristics on video engagement and teenagers’ focused attention. The Young Researcher, 9(1), 52-69. http://www.theyoungresearcher.com/papers/sheynin.pdf

Abstract
On social platforms, short-form content has grown to be one of the most dominant forms of media. This study investigated how the different content characteristics (video length, pacing, text overlay, format, music) of short-form videos influenced both video engagement and the focused attention of teenagers aged 14 to 18 years old. A content analysis was conducted to analyze how the characteristics influenced a video’s engagement metrics. In the analysis, 100 TikTok videos were collected and a codebook was developed to assign characteristics to the videos. A TikTok Video Engagement Score (TVES) was then calculated for each video to standardize and compare their engagement metrics. To examine how the characteristics affected teenagers’ attention, a quasi-experimental survey was taken by 438 respondents. Participants watched two TikTok videos–one with “desirable” characteristics and one with “undesirable” characteristics–to gauge how the characteristics differed in maintaining attention. The results of the content analysis and survey suggest that a medium video length, fast-pacing, present text overlay, vertical format, and music without creator speech are the most desirable short-form video characteristics for maximizing engagement and retaining teenagers’ attention. These findings can be used by short-form content creators and advertisers to better optimize their videos for a teenage audience.

Keywords: Short-Form Video, Video Characteristics, Focused Attention, Engagement Metrics


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