Many of us have experienced moments where we just keep swiping through short videos (or 'shorts') on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Facebook trying to kill our boredom, but paradoxically, we end up feeling more bored than we already were.
Interestingly, new research published by the American Psychological Association backs up this experience of achieving the exact opposite of what we intend. It turns out that constantly switching between online videos can actually make us more bored and less satisfied with the content we're consuming. In this article, we will go over why.
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Why Sticking to One Video Could Boost Your Enjoyment
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto, involved over 1200 participants spread over seven different experiments. Participants were given the option to either watch a single video in its entirety or switch between multiple short videos.
Remarkably, those who stuck with one video reported feeling less bored and found the experience more satisfying and engaging compared to those who frequently switched videos.
The lead author of the study, Dr Katy Tam, explained that the act of so-called "digital switching" – fast-forwarding or skipping between videos – can make the content feel meaningless.
Without giving ourselves time to fully engage with or understand what we're watching, we miss out on the opportunity to enjoy it. Dr Tam likened the experience to paying for an immersive experience in a movie theatre; by focusing on a single video, viewers can find more enjoyment, just as they would in a theatre setting.
The Broader Implications of Boredom and Digital Habits
The research also points to a broader issue related to how we deal with boredom in our increasingly digital lives. It's common to reach for a smartphone whenever we have a few spare moments, whether we're waiting in line or riding an elevator. However, previous studies have shown that this behaviour can actually increase feelings of boredom and reduce our enjoyment of social interactions.
Furthermore, chronic boredom has been linked to various negative mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as risk-taking behaviour.
While this particular study did not explore the link between short attention spans and increased boredom, it raises important questions about how our digital habits might be contributing to these feelings.
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Watching long-form content instead of shorts
In summary, while it may be tempting to swipe through videos to keep your boredom at bay, this research suggests that you might find a lot more satisfaction by focusing on one video at a time. It may be worth spending the extra initial that it takes to watch longer-form content, but the reward is worth it for your mental health and the general enjoyment of the content.
If you are interested in more details about the underlying study, be sure to check out the article published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, listed below.
Sources and further reading:
Fast-Forward to Boredom: How Switching Behavior on Digital Media Makes People More Bored (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General)
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