Study: You Should Watch this Video to the End

Summary

This video explores the counterintuitive effects of switching between digital media to alleviate boredom. Recent research suggests that skipping around in videos or switching to different ones might actually increase boredom. The study involved various experiments with different age groups and found that while some people felt more bored when switching, others preferred it. The video also touches on the importance of attention span and the negative impact of multitasking on mental health and productivity, encouraging viewers to consider their media consumption habits.

Takeaways

• 😀 Skipping or fast-forwarding videos doesn't necessarily reduce boredom; it might make it worse.
• 🧠 A study shows that watching a single video in full is often less boring than skipping around multiple videos.
• 🎬 Allowing people to skip through content often results in them feeling more bored compared to watching without skipping.
• 🔄 Switching between tasks or videos may lead to a mental penalty, making us less efficient and more distracted.
• 📉 Attention spans have decreased significantly over the past two decades, negatively impacting mental health.
• 🚫 Multitasking, such as switching between tasks or media, places more stress on the brain, making it harder to focus.
• 📊 A study showed that students were more engaged when watching a 10-minute video in full, compared to skipping between shorter clips.
• 🎥 Even when allowed to choose any video on YouTube, people reported more boredom in the condition where they could skip around.
• ⏰ Setting natural break times during tasks, rather than frequently switching between them, can improve focus and reduce boredom.
• 👩‍🔬 Research shows that people's ability to stay focused varies based on time of day and their individual preferences.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the relationship between boredom, attention spans, and the tendency to switch between digital media in an attempt to alleviate boredom.

What does the video suggest about the effectiveness of switching videos to reduce boredom?

The video suggests that switching videos or skimming within a video might not actually reduce boredom and could potentially make viewers more bored.

What was the purpose of the studies mentioned in the script?

The purpose of the studies was to investigate whether people feel less bored when they switch between videos or skip ahead in a video compared to watching a single video without interruption.

What was the finding of study three mentioned in the script?

Study three found that undergraduates felt less bored when watching a single 10-minute video compared to when they were able to switch between videos.

Why were 30 people excluded from the study mentioned in the script?

Thirty people were excluded from the study because they failed an attention check, indicating they were not attentive enough to qualify for a study on inattention.

What did study four reveal about the impact of skipping around in a video?

Study four revealed that students reported feeling more bored when they were allowed to skip around in a video compared to when they watched the first 10 minutes of a 50-minute film without interruption.

How did the researchers control the quality of the videos in the study?

The researchers controlled the quality of the videos by selecting and testing the videos themselves before showing them to the students.

What was the outcome of study five where students were allowed to watch YouTube videos?

In study five, students reported feeling more bored when they were allowed to skip around on YouTube compared to when they watched a single uninterrupted video.

What was the key finding from the study with an older and more diverse audience?

The key finding was that people reported being significantly less bored when they were not allowed to switch between videos after initially being allowed to skip around.

What does the script suggest about the impact of multitasking on mental health?

The script suggests that multitasking, which includes switching between tasks or media, can have a negative impact on mental health by increasing stress and reducing efficiency.

What advice does the script offer for improving attention span and reducing boredom?

The script advises trying to change the way one works and relaxes, such as scheduling screen-free time, putting phones away during movies, or watching videos without interruption to potentially improve attention span and reduce boredom.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 The Paradox of Boredom and Video Consumption

The paragraph introduces the concept that skipping through videos or switching between them when bored might actually increase boredom rather than alleviate it. It discusses a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, which suggests that people tend to get more bored when they switch videos or fast forward, contrary to their expectations. The speaker also shares a personal anecdote about their attention span and the impact of multitasking, highlighting the importance of natural break times as discussed by an expert, Gloria Mark, in a podcast.

05:02

🧠 Attention Spans, Multitasking, and Individual Differences

This paragraph delves into the implications of having a shrinking attention span and the negative effects of multitasking on mental health and productivity. It mentions a podcast by Dr. Gloria Mark, who emphasizes the importance of taking breaks and the differences in how individuals manage attention and boredom. The speaker reflects on personal work habits and productivity, suggesting that setting aside screen-free time or focusing on a single task without interruptions could be beneficial. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to consider changing their work and relaxation habits to improve focus and potentially enhance their mental well-being.

Keywords

💡Boredom

Boredom is a state of being weary or uninterested in one's current activity. In the video, boredom is a central theme as it explores how people react to it and how it influences their behavior, particularly in the context of watching videos. The script mentions that people often try to alleviate boredom by switching videos or skipping ahead, but research suggests this might not be effective and could even increase boredom.

💡Multitasking

Multitasking refers to the act of engaging in multiple tasks or activities simultaneously. The video discusses how multitasking can be detrimental to attention span and mental efficiency. It is mentioned that multitasking, including switching between different media or tasks, can put additional stress on the brain, leading to decreased productivity and a negative impact on mental health.

💡Attention Span

Attention span is the length of time a person can concentrate on a single task without becoming distracted. The script highlights a decrease in collective attention span over the past 20 years, which is linked to the rise of digital media and the habit of switching between tasks or media sources. This decrease is suggested to have negative effects on mental health and efficiency.

💡Digital Media

Digital media encompasses any form of media that is encoded in digital formats, such as online videos, podcasts, and social media. The video script discusses how digital media consumption habits, like skipping around in videos or switching between them, might contribute to increased boredom and a shorter attention span.

💡Research

Research in the context of the video refers to the scientific study and investigation conducted to understand human behavior, particularly regarding boredom and media consumption. The script cites a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, which explores the effects of video switching on boredom levels.

💡Undergraduates

Undergraduates are students enrolled in an undergraduate program, typically pursuing a bachelor's degree. In the video, undergraduates are used as subjects in the research studies mentioned, providing insights into how younger individuals might react to boredom and media consumption.

💡Natural Break Time

Natural break time refers to a period of rest or pause that occurs organically during a task, rather than being artificially imposed. The video script mentions an expert's advice on the importance of setting natural break times when switching tasks, which can help maintain focus and reduce the negative effects of constant task-switching.

💡Mental Health

Mental health is the state of an individual's psychological and emotional well-being. The video discusses how habits formed from digital media consumption, such as frequent task-switching, can have negative impacts on mental health by increasing stress and decreasing the ability to focus.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency refers to the ability to perform tasks with minimal waste of time and effort. The script argues that frequent task-switching or multitasking can reduce efficiency by increasing the mental penalty the brain experiences when switching gears between different tasks.

💡Podcast

A podcast is a digital audio file made available for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series. In the video, the creator mentions listening to a podcast about attention spans and multitasking while writing the script, indicating that podcasts can be a source of information and inspiration for content creation.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency of productive work or the rate of output. The video script discusses how different individuals have different levels of productivity at various times of the day and under different conditions, such as with or without distractions, and how this can influence the effectiveness of work and relaxation.

Highlights

New research suggests that skipping ahead or switching videos when bored may lead to increased boredom.

The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General and involved multiple experiments.

In the first two studies, participants reported feeling less bored when watching a single 10-minute video compared to switching between videos.

Study three involved 159 undergraduates who felt less bored watching a single video without the option to switch.

Study four showed that allowing participants to skip around in a documentary increased their boredom.

In study five, students reported more boredom when they were allowed to freely switch between YouTube videos.

An additional study with a more diverse group found that people were less bored when not allowed to switch after initially being able to do so.

The study's pre-registration means the researchers couldn't manipulate results, adding credibility to the findings.

The research indicates that the impulse to switch media to alleviate boredom might have the opposite effect for some individuals.

Dr. Gloria Mark's podcast discussion on attention spans and multitasking is relevant to the study's findings.

The study acknowledges individual differences in attention and productivity, suggesting that one size does not fit all.

The research implies that our collective attention span has decreased, which could negatively impact mental health.

Switching tasks frequently puts stress on the brain, leading to decreased efficiency, as shown by multitasking studies.

The study suggests that changing work and relaxation habits, such as taking breaks or minimizing screen time, could be beneficial.

The video concludes by encouraging viewers to consider how they work and relax to potentially improve focus and reduce boredom.

Transcripts

hey there are you bored of course you

are that's why you're on YouTube well

whatever you do do not scroll past this

video don't skip ahead don't close the

tab don't go read social media while

listening to me talk don't do any of

that and I'm not just saying this

because it benefits me monetarily to

make sure your precious eyeballs stay on

my video throughout the entire runtime

no I'm also saying that because new

research suggests that if you are bored

if you think this video is boring and

you want to skip ahead to the point or

maybe go find some other better more

entertaining video you're just going to

end up more bored than you were before

crazy right I know don't worry I'm right

there with you this study attacks me

personally and I do not like it but

truly appreciating science means

accepting that sometimes things are true

even when we desperately don't want them

to be true in fact you know I wrote the

script for this video while listening to

a podcast about how and why our

attention spans are shrinking and why

multitasking is so bad and as a fun

addition to that around the 12 minute

Mark um the expert on that podcast

Gloria Mark talks about the importance

of setting a natural break time if you

want to switch tasks and that is exactly

the point when Indie started barking at

something and I had to stop what I was

doing to go see what was wrong it was

just the mail lady delivering a package

it it was a new bike rack for my car I

have one but it's like 10 years old and

a bolt came loose and I was going to fix

it but then I was like you know maybe I

could get a better one and um sorry what

was I talking about oh yeah attention

spans and boredom and stuff fast forward

to boredom how switching behavior on

digital media makes people more bored is

the news study in question published

just last month in the Journal of

experimental psychology General in this

paper researchers first asked if few

hundred people how they felt about

skipping around within a video or

switching videos when they're bored this

comprise studies one and two and they

found that in general yeah people do

tend to get bored and then think that if

they switch around to a different video

or fast forwarding ahead into a video

that that will make them less bored but

the next few studies the researchers

completed suggested that that might not

actually be true in study three they

asked 159 undergraduates to watch a

single 10-minute video to relax and

entertain themselves before they went on

to complete an unrelated task they then

were given a selection of five minute

videos they could switch between at

their Leisure again telling them just

entertain yourself it's worth noting

that the researchers randomized the

order in which they got these different

video conditions students reported that

regardless of which condition they got

first they felt less bored when watching

the the single 10-minute long video

compared to when they were able to

switch between videos fun fact that

study was originally going to have 189

subjects but 30 people were excluded for

failing an attention check imagine being

so inattentive you don't even qualify

for a study on inattention what absolute

Legends those students are in study four

researchers gathered a similar size

group of undergraduates and this time

they showed them just the first 10

minutes of a 50-minute film a

documentary before again giving them an

unrelated task to do and then they came

back and they were given another

50-minute documentary but this time they

said uh go ahead and Skip around in this

video as much as you want just watch for

the next 10 minutes enjoy yourself again

the students reported being more bored

when they were allowed to skip around in

those studies the researchers were able

to control and quality test the videos

that they were showing to the students

so for study five they gave a new group

of students the ability to go on YouTube

and pick any video they wanted and watch

it for 10 minutes without interruption

after another unrelated task the

students were allowed to skip around

YouTube all they wanted for 10 minutes

and yeah once again the students

reported being more bored in the

switching condition so there you have it

hopping from video to video or skimming

within a video is just going to make you

more bored well not necessarily and yet

another another study these researchers

did they expanded their test to an older

and more diverse audience uh in other

words not just undergraduates from the

same University this time they found

that the only time people reported being

significantly less bored was when they

were in the no switching condition first

if they were first allowed to skip

around they ended up being more bored in

the later round when they couldn't skip

around this could mean one of two things

either older adults from more ver

backgrounds can be primed to prefer

either skipping around or being fully

immersed in a video or some other task

depending on which one comes first or

people just run out of steam later in

the testing day and they get more bored

by whatever comes second the researchers

don't know which it is and so future

studies are going to have to figure that

out ideally by comparing boredom between

subjects as opposed to uh between the

same subject at different times I

actually really like this result yes it

makes things Messier but that's reality

you know so much psychological research

has come out in the past few decades

where everything comes out nice and tidy

and in line with expectations and then

it turns out to have been cherry-picked

or just outright fraudulent meanwhile

this study was pre-registered so the

researchers couldn't go back and try

different techniques to get the result

that they may have wanted but yeah this

study does suggest that maybe for some

people their impulse to skip around to

different media in order to cure their

boredom is actually causing the opposite

effect but maybe not for everyone case

in point Dr Mark points out in the

podcast that I did eventually pause in

order to finish writing the script

everyone is different if you sat me down

and told me to work for 4 hours straight

with absolutely no breaks I would go

batshit get burnt out and accomplish

very little other people would probably

benefit from that situation if you make

me work on my phone with all of the push

notifications on I would also go batshit

get distracted and end up switching

between TV Tropes articles all day but

other people might like that that mode

of working there are even differences

within individuals you know there are

different hours of the day when I tend

to be more productive which actually

matches what Dr Mark says in that show

uh which tends to be mid morning at

midafternoon for most people and if I'm

really focused on something really

absorbed in my work I could write for

hours without noticing the time go by at

all so you know there are all these apps

and stuff that will ping you every 30

minutes or something and be like okay

it's time you can take a break now you

have to work for half an hour then you

can take a break that would actually be

really distracting for me when I am

operating at my best when I'm super

absorbed in my work research shows that

our Collective attention span has

decreased significantly in the past 20

years or so and that does seem to have a

significant negative impact on our

mental health every time you switch

tasks you're putting more stress on your

brain to switch gears when we multitask

which includes working on two things at

the same time or a bunch of things in

quick succession research shows that we

pay a mental penalty that ends up making

us less efficient overall and of course

you can see that when it comes to for

instance high stakes things like driving

driving while talking on the cell phone

is very dangerous for that reason your

brain has trouble making split-second

decisions when it's focusing on two

things at once so yeah it might be worth

taking the time to try changing up the

way you work and even the way you relax

to see if you can get any benefits out

of it like schedule some time when there

are absolute no screens around not even

a phone in your pocket put your phone

down when you're watching a movie it's a

tough one for me or even you know dare I

say it watch a YouTube video clear all

the way to the end because you know you

might get a pleasant

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