IS TIKTOK MAKING YOU A WORSE READER? THE HIDDEN IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON ACADEMIC READING COMPREHENSION

Abstract

This article examines the growing tension between social media consumption habits and academic reading comprehension skills among adolescent students, with a specific focus on 11th-grade students in Pekanbaru. Drawing on recent empirical research, cognitive science, and classroom observations, the article identifies four key mechanisms by which excessive social media use—particularly on short-form video platforms like TikTok—undermines students' ability to engage in deep, critical reading: alterations in neural pathways leading to superficial information processing, the reinforcement of skimming habits, cognitive load resulting from fragmented attention, and reduced reading stamina. A 2025 study from JAMA and a systematic review involving Filipino students provide empirical support for these claims, while Carr’s (2011) framework of neuroplasticity offers a cognitive science perspective. The article argues that the core issue is not social media itself, but rather its excessive and uncontrolled use, which trains the brain to form patterns incompatible with the sustained concentration required for academic reading. Evidence-based strategies—including scheduled digital breaks, active reading techniques, and digital mindfulness—are proposed as practical measures for students, teachers, and parents. The article concludes that addressing this challenge requires informed, purposeful action rather than a mere rejection of technology.