Fragmented learning from short videos modulates neural activity and connectivity during memory retrieval - npj Science of Learning

The widespread rise of short videos has raised growing concerns about their influence on cognitive processing and memory, yet direct neural evidence remains scarce. In this study, 57 participants viewed either a continuous long video or multiple short videos matched for duration and content. Memory was tested with a recall task, and brain activity was measured with fMRI. Short video exposure led to poorer memory accuracy compared to the long video condition. Neuroimaging revealed reduced activation in the claustrum, caudate nucleus, and middle temporal gyrus, as well as weakened claustrum–caudate connectivity. These neural alterations were significantly associated with memory performance and habitual short video usage. Our findings indicate that learning through short videos impairs memory by disrupting brain systems involved in information integration, cognitive control, and semantic processing, providing novel neurobiological evidence of the cognitive costs of fragmented media exposure.