[11] Despite the "TikTokification" of Reels and the parent company Meta spending millions on courting content creators, user engagement continued to lag way behind TikTok as of 2022.

[14] On February 26, 2025, Instagram Reels came under fire after numerous users reported a sudden surge in violent and graphic content appearing on their feeds.

[23] These researchers found that college students in the U.S. and China watch short-form videos for entertainment, knowledge, and to build social identities.

[24] The Wall Street Journal reported that some parents are concerned about the effects of short-form videos on their children, as there is no way to disable Instagram or set limits.

When children watch short-form videos, they learn to expect continual stimulation and fast-paced changes, which can cause problems when engaging in activities that require greater focus, such as reading.

[24] Recent studies highlighted the connection between short-form videos such as Instagram Reels and the brain's reward system, specifically dopamine release.