The Role of Short Video Platforms in Social Education

The educational potential of short video platforms has attracted increasing scholarly and public attention, yet their effectiveness and challenges remain insufficiently addressed.This paper analyzes the dual role of platforms such as TikTok and YouTube Shorts in promoting social education, focusing on their capacity for informal learning, mizhang crolearning, accessibility, and interactive engagement.The analysis shows that while these platforms open new opportunities for democratized and community-based learning, they also face significant challenges, including algorithmic bias, dominance of entertainment over education, and limitations in attention span and knowledge retention.At the same time, their rapid growth and widespread adoption by younger generations make them too influential to ignore, requiring researchers, educators, and policymakers to consider both their strengths and weaknesses.Based on these findings, the paper proposes targeted solutions, including greater algorithmic transparency, verification systems for credible creators, structured learning modules, and strengthened media literacy education.Together, these measures aim to enhance the educational value of short video platforms while preserving their entertainment-oriented essence and ensuring their long-term relevance in the broader landscape of social education.