Just One More Clip
Have you ever opened an app to check just one thing, and looked up twenty minutes later wondering where the time went?
I have. I use Instagram for work, education, and yes – sometimes for pure entertainment, and I notice how quickly I get sucked in. The short video format is built for exactly that. Each clip is so short that stopping never feels necessary, and the next one has already started before you have decided anything. Oh, and, there’s no end! And because our brains are in constant search for dopamine kicks, we get triggered since the next video might be super interesting. And the next one. And the next one.
What the Research Says (and Doesn‘t Say)
The Atlantic recently asked neuroscientists what short-form video does to our brains. The perhaps unnerving answer is that science still knows surprisingly little. Many studies are small, over a limited time, and it is hard to separate the effect of the format from the effect of everything we are not doing while we watch. In a way it doesn’t really matter. Not saying research doesn’t matter but rather that we cannot wait for definitive bulletproof cause-effect studies before acting.
Because the signals are worth taking seriously. A large review in Psychological Bulletin pooled 71 studies with close to 100,000 participants. People who used more short-form video had poorer attention and weaker inhibitory control, which is our ability to stop ourselves from acting on an impulse. They also reported more stress and anxiety. These are associations, so they do not prove that the videos are the cause. Still, think about it for a second: the capacity that seems most affected is the one we need to put the phone down.
This is attention-grabbing technology (AGT) at its most refined. When we struggle to stop, it is not a lack of willpower. We are up against some of the best engineers in the world, and their job is to keep us watching.
Short is Not the Problem
I don’t think short videos are evil. A two-minute clip can teach you a recipe, make you laugh, inspire you, connect you to communities around the world. The difference is whether you chose the clip, or the clip chose you.
Taking Back the Choice
Here are five ways to start. Pick one, not all of them.
- Decide before you open. “Ten minutes of fun” or “I’m only checking messages.” Close the app when you are done.
- Add friction. Move the app off your home screen, or log out after each use, so opening it becomes a decision instead of a reflex.
- Try grey scale. Content loses a lot of its pull without color. My phone is in grey scale almost all the time.
- Go long on purpose. Watch a whole film (without multi-screening!), read a long article, listen to a full song or album. Remind your brain what it feels like to stay with one thing.
- Protect the edges of the day. The first and the last scroll of the day tend to be the longest. Keep the phone out of the bedroom for a week and notice what happens.
Five minutes less scrolling today is a start. And focus on what you are getting, not on what you are giving up.
Want to learn more like this?
I’m sharing regularly on the topic of how technology is impacting our lives and how to find a better balance. If you liked this post, check out my book Tech-Life Balance: 101 Ways to Thrive in a Digital World.
Taíno Bendz is the founder of Phone Free Day and his own consulting business, and his message on mindful and intentional technology usage has reached and inspired hundreds of thousands of people around the world. He is a public speaker, workshop facilitator, and conducts research on digital technology usage. Taíno holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management and has spent the last 10 years working in technology sectors such as renewable energy, healthcare IT, and software automation. He currently lives in Sweden with his family. He is the author of Tech-Life Balance.
