University of Toronto study: Rapid scrolling heightens boredom

Jumping between TikToks, reels, and shorts seems like a straightforward way to alleviate feelings of boredom. However, research from the University of Toronto has shown that this method of consuming digital content only intensifies boredom.

Researchers from the University of Toronto have studied the paradox of scrolling through videos on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts. We reach for our phones and start "scrolling" motivated by boredom and the need for stimulation. It turns out that quickly jumping between a plethora of content only heightens the feeling of boredom.

The research team led by Dr Katy Tam conducted seven experiments involving over 1,200 participants. An online study involving 231 people showed that people believe the ability to skip a video or switch to another will make watching videos less boring. However, experiments published in the "Journal of Experimental Psychology: General" suggest that the opposite may be true.

Data from 166 students showed they felt more bored when they could skip forward and backwards in the video than when they did not have this option. Conversely, results from an experiment involving 159 students indicated that they reported higher levels of boredom when given a collection of five-minute videos, among which they could freely switch, compared to a single ten-minute video.

Interestingly, this effect diminished when a group with a wider age range than the student group participated in the same study with five-minute videos and "skipping" or one ten-minute video. Dr Tam commented to "The Guardian": "We speculated that people of different ages may have different habits when it comes to watching videos and switching." The researcher added: "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 pausing before pressing scroll or skip and finding a way to focus. She stated, "Take your time before hitting the fast-forward or skip button, and find ways to stay focused while watching videos. Just as we pay for an immersive experience in a movie theatre, enjoyment often comes from engaging with the content rather than swiping through it."