Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, scrolling through videos bores you more; new study shows how

Scrolling through videos on social media to combat boredom can actually make the feeling worse, a recent study suggests. Dr. Katy Tam, a psychology researcher at the University of Toronto, explains that while people often skip or speed through videos to avoid boredom, this habit actually tends to increase boredom. Moreover, it reduces the overall enjoyment and value of video watching.

The maximum length for Instagram Reels is 90 seconds, while YouTube Shorts can be up to 60 seconds long. However, videos as short as 1 second are also quite popular.

“Our research shows that while people fast-forward or skip videos to avoid boredom, this behavior actually increases boredom. It also makes their viewing experience less satisfying, less exciting and less meaningful,” CNN quoted Dr. Tam as saying.

Tam mentions that research from 2008 to 2020 indicates that young people are more likely to experience boredom despite the abundance of entertainment options.

She points out that this trend is worrying because boredom can have negative effects on mental health, learning and behavior, including depression, poorer academic performance and even harmful behavior.

Researchers investigated how fast-forwarding and switching between videos affects boredom. They conducted two experiments with around 1,200 participants.

In one experiment, participants were shown a 10-minute video that they could neither skip nor fast-forward. They then had a session where they could choose between seven shorter videos. In the follow-up experiment, they first watched a 10-minute video and were then allowed to freely navigate through a 50-minute video by fast-forwarding or rewinding.

Interest in longer videos

The study, discussed in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, shows that participants initially thought they would enjoy being able to switch between videos or fast-forward them during the experiments.

However, after the experiments, they reported that watching a single video from start to finish was more exciting and fulfilling. According to Dr. Tam, boredom occurs when there is a difference between the level of excitement we experience and the level we desire.

Constantly switching between videos, a common practice when watching Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, prevents people from fully immersing themselves in a video and causes them to look for something more entertaining.

Meanwhile, searches for “Instagram” on Google continue to enjoy great popularity: