TikTok and YouTube short videos actually increase boredom, study shows

A new study has revealed there could be a correlation between boredom and endless scrolling on TikTok and YouTube Shorts.

While many of us are guilty of 'easing boredom' with a nightly swipe through some of the more popular apps, it turns out it could be having the opposite effect.

Titled 'Fast-Forward to Boredom: How Switching Behavior on Digital Media Makes People More Bored,' the University of Toronto Scarborough’s Department of Psychology asked over 1,000 participants to spend 10 minutes consuming quick form content. They were also asked to watch a single longer-form video for the same amount of time.

The results suggested that participants felt more engaged and overall more satisfied when they watched the standalone clip.

"People often switch between videos and fast-forward through them on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Netflix. We show that people consume media this way to avoid boredom," the study authors explained. "However, this switching behaviour makes people feel more bored, less satisfied, less engaged, and less meaningful in some instances."

The study lifted the lid on the modern-day consumption of digital media and how "enjoyment may be better attained by immersing oneself in videos rather than swiping through them."

In the news release, lead study author Katy Tam advised people to "stay focused on the content" and "minimise digital switching" for a more enjoyable experience.

"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."

Tam concluded that the boredom from digital switching could result from the clips seeming "meaningless because people don’t have time to engage with or understand the content," rather than fully immersing in them.

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