Why swiping through online videos can make you more bored, not less
New research shows that swiping through online videos to cure boredom might have the opposite effect, leaving you feeling even more bored and disengaged.
Tam and her team discovered that switching rapidly between short video clips, or fast-forwarding through them, actually increased feelings of boredom. (CREDIT: CC BY-SA 3.0)
Research published by the American Psychological Association reveals that swiping through videos online to cure boredom might actually make things worse. Instead of relieving boredom, constantly switching between videos makes viewers feel less satisfied and more disengaged, according to the study’s findings.
The study, led by Katy Tam, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto, involved over 1,200 participants. These participants were either U.S. residents or college students from the University of Toronto.
In the initial experiments, participants were allowed to switch from one online video to another whenever they felt bored. The participants assumed that switching videos would help them feel less bored, compared to watching a single video from start to finish.
However, the study found the opposite to be true. Tam and her team discovered that switching rapidly between short video clips, or fast-forwarding through them, actually increased feelings of boredom.
As Tam explained, "If people want a more enjoyable experience when watching videos, they can try to stay focused on the content and minimize digital switching. Just like paying for a more immersive experience in a movie theater, more enjoyment comes from immersing oneself in online videos rather than swiping through them."
In one experiment, all participants were asked to watch a 10-minute YouTube video without the option to fast-forward. In another part of the experiment, they were given the freedom to switch between seven five-minute videos within the same 10-minute timeframe.
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Those who watched the single video reported feeling less bored. They also found the experience to be more satisfying, engaging, and meaningful than those who flipped between multiple shorter videos.
Similar results emerged in another experiment where participants were asked to watch a 10-minute video in one segment, but in the other, they could fast-forward or rewind through a 50-minute video within the same 10 minutes. The pattern remained the same: those who stuck with one video felt more engaged and reported less boredom than those who switched through content.
Tam explained why this happens. "Digital switching may make the content of online videos seem meaningless because people don’t have time to engage with or understand the content," she said.
In today’s world, scrolling through short videos on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook is incredibly common, especially as people spend more time on their smartphones. Many individuals try to avoid the restless or empty feelings associated with boredom.
Previous research shows that in attempts to escape boredom, people have engaged in harmful or extreme behaviors, like giving themselves electric shocks, shopping impulsively, or endorsing extreme political views.
This new research didn’t focus on whether short attention spans could contribute to boredom or increase the tendency to switch between digital content. Since many of the study’s participants were Canadian college students, Tam noted that the findings might not apply to everyone, especially those with different levels of experience with digital media. Further studies could explore whether these results hold true for other age groups or people in different countries.
Even though many people instinctively turn to their smartphones during idle moments, like waiting in line or riding in an elevator, earlier research shows that using smartphones can actually increase boredom in social situations, making interactions less enjoyable. This new study suggests that digital switching might be a related cause of boredom and could potentially have more serious mental health effects.
Chronic boredom, Tam explained, is associated with mental health issues such as depressive symptoms, anxiety, risk-taking behaviors, and even sadistic aggression. While this study didn’t focus on mental health directly, it hints at a possible connection between excessive digital switching and these more severe outcomes.
Although more research is needed to fully understand the impact of this behavior on mental health, the findings suggest that switching between digital content may not be the boredom cure people think it is.
In the end, Tam’s research suggests that if you want to feel more engaged and less bored while watching videos, it’s better to resist the urge to switch between them. Focusing on one video at a time and immersing yourself in the content is more likely to lead to a satisfying and enjoyable experience.
Note: Materials provided above by The Brighter Side of News. Content may be edited for style and length.
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