Study suggests swiping through videos is likely to bore you even more

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Puppies, dancing babies, celebrity soundbites: A popular remedy for boredom is swiping through videos on your social media platform of choice. But this habit is likely making your problem worse, new research shows.

“Our research shows that people fast-forward or skip videos to avoid boredom, but this behavior actually increases boredom,” said lead study author Dr. Katy Tam, a postdoctoral researcher in psychology at the University of Toronto at Scarborough.

“It also makes their viewing experience less satisfying, less exciting and less meaningful,” she added.

Given the wide range of entertainment options available to us, it's reasonable to assume that people are less bored today than ever before, Tam said. However, from 2008 to 2020, research has shown a growing trend of boredom among young people, she added.

“This is worrying because boredom is associated with negative mental health, learning and behavioral outcomes, such as depressive symptoms, poorer school grades and even sadistic aggression,” Tam said.

To investigate the impact of fast-forwarding and switching videos on boredom, researchers conducted two experiments with about 1,200 people, according to the study published Monday in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.

In the first experiment, study participants had two different viewing experiences. Participants watched a 10-minute video at a time without the ability to skip or fast-forward, and then had a 10-minute period in which they could switch between seven 5-minute videos, according to the study.

In the second experiment, participants watched a 10-minute video in one round and were allowed to fast forward or rewind a 50-minute video in the other round.

Participants said they would be less bored if they had the option to skip or fast-forward in both experiments, but reported afterwards that they found watching an entire video more exciting, satisfying and meaningful, the study found.

“Boredom is closely related to our attention,” Tam said. “We get bored when there is a gap between our engagement and the engagement we want. When people are constantly switching between videos, they are not really engaged with one video, but are instead looking for something more interesting.”

The good and bad sides of boredom

To understand what to learn from this study, it's important to examine more closely what boredom really is, said Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center, an independent research organization. She was not involved in the research.

“A study like this can easily be misinterpreted as another sign against digital media, rather than understanding boredom as a motivating signal,” Rutledge said.

Boredom, like anger or sadness, is an unpleasant feeling and is often misunderstood or stigmatized, she said.

“While some people equate boredom with laziness or lack of ambition, it can have both positive and negative effects,” Rutledge said. “Boredom, like all negative emotions, is a signal that motivates us to change our behavior. In that sense, it is healthy and adaptive.”

If you view boredom as a deficiency rather than a motivator, you will respond to it differently, she added.

Viewing it as a deficiency can lead to reacting quickly to get the other person's attention and feeling less frustrated and guilty, Rutledge says.

“The other might encourage me to examine what I'm doing and think about what activities would be truly meaningful and worthwhile,” she said.

If you want to break out of the loop of scrolling out of boredom, intention is key.

“Take your time before hitting the fast-forward or skip button, and find ways to stay focused while watching videos,” Tam said. “Just as we pay for an immersive experience at the movies, the enjoyment often comes from engaging with the content rather than just swiping through it.”

Knowing that there is more and more – and potentially better – content online can increase fear of missing out and get in the way of “rational assessment” if you don’t consciously engage with the content, Rutledge says.

It's also important to think about what you want to avoid when reviewing the videos – because not everything can always be exciting, Tam added.

You shouldn't feel guilty or ashamed if you're bored, but you can use it as an opportunity to reflect on what activities give you meaning and challenge, Rutledge said. Research shows that activities that use a skill in a challenging but meaningful way provide a greater sense of satisfaction than those that just keep you busy or help you relax, she added.

In conclusion, Rutledge urges people to “be more conscious of how they use media of all kinds.”

“Be aware of your moods when using media so you can recognize when a positive experience turns negative – a few relaxing minutes watching funny cat videos can turn into a downward spiral of self-doubt,” she added.