Scroll toll? Swiping through videos makes you more bored: study

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

Swiping through online videos actually increases boredom, according to a new study.

Watching entire videos may be more engaging and meaningful, say scientists.

Researchers found that swiping monotonously through online videos to relieve tedium may actually make people even more bored and less satisfied or engaged with the content.

The study consisted of seven experiments involving more than 1,200 participants from the United States or college students at the University of Toronto in Canada.

In two experiments at the outset, participants switched from one online video to the next when they were bored, and they predicted they would feel less bored by switching videos instead of watching them in their entirety.

However, study lead author Dr. Katy Tam found that digital "switching" - watching short snippets of videos or fast-forwarding through them - actually made people more bored.

Dr. Tam said: “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 theatre, more enjoyment comes from immersing oneself in online videos rather than swiping through them.”

In one experiment with two segments, all the participants watched a 10-minute YouTube video without having the option to fast forward.

In another segment, they could freely switch through seven five-minute videos within 10 minutes.

Participants felt less bored when they watched the single video.

They reported the viewing experience to be more satisfying, engaging and meaningful than when they switched through different videos, according to the findings published online in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.

There were similar findings for another experiment where participants watched a 10-minute video in one segment but could fast forward or rewind through a 50-minute video for 10 minutes in another segment.=

Dr. Tam, of the University of Toronto, said: “Digital switching may make the content of online videos seem meaningless because people don’t have time to engage with or understand the content.”

Watching short videos on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook or other online media platforms has become a common habit as people spend more time on their smartphones.

The new study didn’t examine whether short attention spans contributed to any increases in boredom or digital switching.

Dr. Tam said that because the participants in several experiments were Canadian college students, the findings may differ by age or experience with digital media.

She added: "Even though many people are quick to grab their smartphones while waiting in line or riding in an elevator, previous research has found that smartphone use increases boredom and undermines enjoyment in social situations.

"Digital switching may be a related source of boredom, which could have negative mental health consequences.

"Chronic boredom is linked with depressive symptoms, anxiety, sadistic aggression and risk-taking."