New research flips a prevailing belief on its head about "one of the most common ways that people try to cope," say subject matter experts.
A daily meditation practice can offer relief from the constant demands on our attention, and the stress those demands can inflict. The mainstream mindfulness movement has fostered the message to pause media consumption, step away from the computer, and turn inward to meditate—a stress-relieving strategy that works for some. Easing stress is growing more essential—notes the Cleveland Clinic: “Long-term stress—defined as stress that happens on a consistent basis—can contribute to many health issues, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic gastrointestinal problems, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety.”
But if you’ve struggled to meditate, or still aren’t quite sure how to do it, you’re not alone: many Americans cite time constraints, difficulty focusing, and physical discomfort as common barriers to an effective practice.
It turns out, maybe scrolling your phone has more benefit than what’s been discussed. An October 2025 study published by the American Psychological Association (APA) challenges some of our assumptions about media use and stress: the study suggests that when they’re used with certain intention, platforms like YouTube and TikTok may be just as effective at reducing stress as guided meditation.
It all depended on what users watched. A group of media studies researchers recruited roughly 1,000 participants and divided them into five groups, each instructed to watch one of the following four types of media or to participate in a media-free control group:
- Professionally produced hope-inspiring content
- Comedic content
- Guided meditation
- Self-selected mobile media content
Using self-reported questionnaires to gather data, the team found that participants who watched hope-inspiring media content experienced the same level of stress reduction as those in the guided meditation group. Men and women enjoyed equal benefits, but inspiring content was especially effective for older participants, “as well as for those with higher baseline stress and self-esteem, and lower resilience.”
“What we found is that even a few minutes of watching content that makes people feel hopeful can put a dent in stress,” lead researcher Robin Nabi, PhD, a professor of communication at the University of California-Santa Barbara, said via news release. “It’s a short, simple and even enjoyable break—and it can make a meaningful difference in helping people feel more optimistic and able to handle what’s in front of them,” she added.
The effects also appeared to last. Those who watched hopeful videos reported lower stress levels up to 10 days after they’d consumed that content. Less overtly positive media didn’t have the same effect, as the researchers report that comedic videos and self-guided scrolling failed to take the edge off tough emotions long-term.
It’s likely that brain imaging and those who have studied the benefits of meditation wouldn’t quite align with this takeaway, since repeatedly science has shown that meditation is a superlative way to relax the brain. APA experts agree that media overload is still harmful to mental health—this research simply suggests that strategic use of uplifting videos could serve as a simple and effective way to self-soothe. “Media use is one of the most common ways that people try to cope with stress, and it has the capacity to provide benefits, particularly when it comes to relaxation,” Dr. Nabi reflected.
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