Life in clips

Liang once downloaded Douyin and the news portal Toutiao but soon deleted them because "they have too much useless, similar and low-grade content".

He'd rather expand his knowledge, he says.

He also plans to share short videos showing his interviews with financial experts.

"Videos convey information in a more vivid but less rigorous way than text," Liang says.

He points out many accounts just copy others' videos without regard for copyright.

Huang Yifu, a 26-year-old financial-technology researcher in Shanghai, says short videos are successful because they "stimulate the senses" by pushing content that catches attention after "customized big data analyses".

"But on second thought, you think, 'What's the point?'"

He says he deleted Douyin a week after downloading it when it first became popular two years ago.

"The advantage is that you can quickly access lifestyles that are far from yours and others' experiences that you want but have yet to try, such as traveling to Switzerland. Besides, people need entertainment," he says.

"The disadvantage is that too much time is wasted, and few videos leave any impression in your mind afterward."

He says he often watches videos about animation, games, talk shows and science on Bilibili while having dinner.

If he has questions to answer, he turns to the open courses and Q&A platform Zhihu.

"But it's still something to learn, not only from high-quality content but also from how these companies have succeeded."

Raymond Wang, partner of the global consultancy Roland Berger, says the tendency to receive fragmented information, to some extent, results in short-video apps' popularity. The advance of networks, mobile internet and artificial intelligence also contributes to the trend.

He says use determines if the influence is positive or negative.

"You can spend 'fragmented' time learning new information and improve personal expression through short videos," he says.

"But you should also avoid poor content and wasting too much time."

Daniel Zipser, senior partner at the consulting firm McKinsey &Company, says the rise of smartphones in recent decades provides consumers with an opportunity to watch content on-the-go, such as in subways, cars and trains. This creates a platform to watch content using minimal time.

He says that partly explains why short video apps are now part of everyday life in China.

"As with most innovations, there are positive and negative effects of short videos on the young generation," he says.

"For consumers to engage with digital content, per se, is something I think of in a positive way. Regulations have been and will continue to be tightened to contain some of the negative sides it has brought, particularly on the young generation."