Anime, Netflix, and Tiktok and AI in education, who has the better control over the attention span of students.

At the heart of platforms like Netflix and TikTok is a sense of personalisation. The recommendations on Netflix or the “for you page” on TikTok does not treat every viewer the same; instead, it adapts to preferences, delivering content that feels tailor-made. This creates a sense of recognition, as if the system understands the individual.

Applied to education, AI has the same potential. Rather than presenting one-size-fits-all study material, it can adapt to each student’s strengths and weaknesses, offering lessons at the right difficulty level, in the right format, at the right time. Just as Netflix knows what we want to watch next, AI could know what we most need to practice next.

Another is the method of storytelling. Anime in particular thrives on stories with mysteries,  cliffhangers, and character development. Each episode leaves viewers wanting to see how the story unfolds. Education often feels fragmented, a series of disconnected assignments, but AI tools can reshape it into a narrative. Learning can be framed as challenges to overcome. And these challenges can be different methods of learning with the help of study tools, that personalises and tailors by recognising each student’s personal study style.

This makes the students feel confident in what they are doing and rather than struggling through a syllabus.

In education, lectures and textbooks can get overwhelming in their length and density. AI can borrow the TikTok way of showing smaller clips that helps the viewer stay engaged by breaking knowledge into smaller parts. This approach, known as micro-learning, reduces stress to completely study huge chunks of syllabus in one go. A student may not have the energy to tackle a one-hour lecture, but a two-minute concept feels manageable. By presenting material in this way, AI can keep attention alive without overwhelming the learner.

Finally let’s also look at feedback. When a Netflix episode ends, a new one immediately begins. When someone interacts with TikTok, they receive likes, comments, or the possibility of going viral. Each action creates a loop of reward and response. In education, feedback often comes slowly, assignments are graded weeks later, exams results don't necessarily come with detailed feedback.

AI has the power to change this by offering instant corrections, encouragement, and insights. Every answer, whether right or wrong, can come with feedback. This helps students adjust and improve in real time, keeping them motivated to continue. 

Yet, while the strategies of entertainment are powerful, they are not without risks. The same techniques that make TikTok addictive could easily lead to shallow learning if used uncritically in education. Gamification, for example, may encourage students to chase points instead of understanding concepts. Personalisation might lead learners to remain in their comfort zones rather than stretch into new areas. The purpose of AI in education cannot simply be to maximize time spent on an app, as entertainment platforms do; its goal must be to maximise meaningful learning. 

Still, the parallels are striking. Anime, Netflix, and TikTok reveal a great deal about what captures human attention. If AI study tools can borrow wisely, using personalisation to make learning feel relevant and purposeful, micro-learning to make it feel approachable, and feedback to make it feel rewarding, they may transform the way students engage with education.

The task of AI is not to replicate entertainment but to harness its insights in service of something greater: helping learners stay motivated long enough to achieve mastery. 

Perhaps the classroom of the future will not look like a streaming platform or a social feed, but it may feel just as captivating. And if students can find themselves as drawn to solving problems as they are to watching the next episode or video, then AI will have achieved something remarkable promoting responsible use of AI.