Study Finds Scrolling Aimlessly Through Online Videos Increases Boredom 

Scrolling through videos on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube can actually lead to increased levels of boredom, according to a new study. 

Researchers have found that switching between different media online or rewatching the same videos can increase levels of boredom. Dr. Katy Tam from the University of Toronto Scarborough was the lead author of the research, and stated that “boredom was closely linked to attention,” according to the Guardian.

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“We feel bored when there’s a gap between how engaged we are and how engaged we want to be,” she stated. 

“When people keep switching through videos, they become less engaged with the videos and they are looking for something more interesting. This can lead to increased feelings of boredom.”

The results of the study were published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. The team of researchers noted in the beginning of the study that past research has shown that the use of social media is often thought of as a relief from boredom, however, the use of modern technology can make that feeling even worse. 

Tam and colleagues reported that they carried out seven experiments involving more than 1,200 participants. The first experiment involved 140 participants and showed that people often switched videos when they experienced boredom, while the second experiment showed individuals would rather skip through a video to make it less boring. That study involved 231 participants. 

This team of researchers, however, soon found that these results didn’t exactly reflect the truth. 

In another set of data from a group of 166 undergraduates, the team found that individuals were more bored when they were able to skip around a video. Results from another study with 159 undergraduates showed higher levels of boredom when they were given a collection of five-minute videos that they could switch between; compared to a single 10-minute video. 

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The researchers also found similar results using the same study with 174 undergraduates who were given the opportunity to pick their own videos from YouTube. 

When looking at results from a set of 175 participants with a wider age range, “they found no difference in reported boredom when the participants were given five-minute videos they could switch between, or a single 10-minute video to watch. What’s more, unlike in the earlier experiments, the order in which participants undertook the viewing tasks had an influence on their levels of reported boredom,” wrote Nicola Davis, a Science correspondent for the Guardian. 

Tam said “one explanation for the differences could be demographics, noting the later experiments involved participants with a broader age range and an older mean age than the earlier experiments.”

“We speculated that people of different ages may have different habits when it comes to watching videos and switching. 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,”  she said. 

“Ultimately, it could be worth taking your time before hitting the fast-forward or skip buttons, and find ways to stay focused while watching videos,”  said Tam. 

“Our research shows that while people fast-forward or skip videos to avoid boredom, this behavior can actually make them feel more bored,” she said.

 “Just as we pay for an immersive experience in a movie theater, enjoyment often comes from immersing ourselves in videos rather than swiping through them.”