How Does Short Video Viewing Influence Young Children’s Everyday Language Practices? A Case Study of China

ABSTRACT:This study offers the first examination of the most widely downloaded short video app, TikTok, in its launching country, China, and the app’s impacts on young children’s language development. The analysis of quantitative data (N = 216) and qualitative data demonstrates significantly positive correlations between time spent watching TikTok and young children’s use of Standard Chinese in verbal communication. This suggests an earlier occurrence of Standard Chinese fluency in young children in dialect-speaking areas of China. The research findings of this study contribute to our understanding of the newly emerging and increasingly popular form of screen media—short-form video clips—and its impacts on young children’s language practices.