Using TikTok out of boredom increases feelings of boredom, study finds
Switching between TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts might appear to be an effortless remedy for boredom. However, research from the University of Toronto reveals that this form of digital content consumption may actually intensify feelings of boredom.
Researchers at the University of Toronto have explored the paradox of scrolling through videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts. Although we often turn to our phones and begin scrolling in response to boredom and a desire for stimulation, their findings suggest that rapidly flipping through vast amounts of content may actually heighten the very boredom we seek to escape.
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Switching between videos increases boredom
A team of researchers led by Dr Katy Tam conducted seven experiments involving over 1,200 participants. In one online study of 231 people, participants believed that having the ability to skip forward or backwards in a video or switch to another would make the experience less boring. However, the findings published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General suggest the opposite may be true.
Data from a group of 166 students revealed that participants felt more bored when they were allowed to skip through a video than when they were not. Similarly, an experiment involving 159 undergraduates found that boredom levels were higher when participants could freely switch between a collection of five-minute videos compared to watching a single 10-minute video.
Longer content provides more enjoyment
Interestingly, this effect diminished when a wider age range than the student group took part in the same study with five-minute films they could switch between or a single 10-minute video to watch.
"We speculated that people of different ages may have different habits when it comes to watching videos and switching," Dr Katy Tam told The Guardian. "How people consume videos and how this affects boredom may vary based on age and digital media habits, but further research is needed to explore this."
Dr Tam suggested it was worth taking your time before pressing fast-forward or skip buttons and finding a way to stay focused.
"Our research shows that while people fast-forward or skip videos to avoid boredom, this behaviour can actually make them feel more bored," she said. "Just as we pay for an immersive experience in a movie theatre, enjoyment often comes from immersing ourselves in videos rather than swiping through them."
Source: theguardian.com
