Pham Tuan, 27, from Hanoi, says he spends 6‑8 hours a day watching AI short films. He also pays money to unlock full episode sets within the apps.

Thuy Trang, 25, from Ho Chi Minh City, reports that her parents regularly spend VND150,000 (US$6) to unlock episodes. They watch for hours, even while eating meals, and often ignore phone calls from their children.

Data from consulting firm Deloitte shows global revenues from in‑app short dramas reached $3.8 billion in 2025 and are projected to hit $7.8 billion this year. Sensor Tower reported that short‑drama apps have become one of Vietnam’s most popular entertainment apps and surpassed OTT streaming services in download volume in Q4 2025.

Lecturer Dinh Ngoc Son says AI short dramas tap psychological compensation mechanisms and that the rapid‑fire editing shrinks viewers’ patience for analytical content. He warns that this fast‑paced format can reduce the ability to engage with deeper material. A 2023 Oxford University NeuroImage study found that consuming short videos for more than 3 hours daily reduces gray‑matter density, lowers deep‑thinking capacity, and increases anxiety and social isolation.