I took my mobile phone with an intention to send an important message to my husband. When I picked it, there were some messages in some groups. I thought of checking them first. I clicked the link, it took me to YouTube.
I watched the short video, then another, then another, and then the I was doing compulsive swiping. Nearly twenty minutes passed and I had literally forgotten what I had picked the mobile for.
It is not just once that I have fallen victim to these short videos. I open YouTube for something needful while a short video drags my attention towards it. With an intention of watching just one, I find myself immersed in binge watching. A lot of time is wasted.
Many times, I simply forget what I originally wanted to do with my mobile when I picked it. Most of the time I am aware that my precious time is being wasted but I feel compelled to watch them one after the other. It feels like an addiction, despite being aware of the adverse effects of which, I cannot shake off.
I have never been fond of traditional social media. I have no account on Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, or the like. The social media accounts I created on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn were meant for some useful purpose, and I am not really active on them. It is because I always believed that the traditional social media has brought more harm than good in our lives.
Nevertheless, the introduction of short video content on YouTube in the form of YouTube Shorts has finally caught me. I have fallen into the trap and have started developing the addiction.
The other day I was discussing with my brother about the wastage of time due to these Shorts. He told me that he once wanted watch an episode of a season but than he thought he did not have enough time for the episode, so he decided to watch Shorts instead. Consequently, he ended up spending more time on screen than he would have spent watching the entire episode.
It is because of several reasons. Firstly, the short videos create an illusion in our mind that they are consuming lesser time. We don’t see the time spent as 20 minutes but a 30 to 60 second video. Secondly, the quick transition in the content keeps us stuck to it. Furthermore, it gives an illusion of being empowered with an enormous amount of knowledge .
After consuming YouTube Shorts for a few months I have noticed some alterations in my cognitive abilities, especially the ability to focus.
I had always been a person who would read each and every word of an article carefully. Now, I feel the urge to skip the material at hand quickly. Staying on one article or a chapter has become difficult for me. I feel the urge to switch to something else quickly.
I was a person who would even go through a boring material word by word carefully. Something alarmed me is the fact that now I feel the urge of switching in case of an article or a subject that interests me.
Though reading is the area where I first noticed the change, it is not merely my reading ability that has been impacted. Other areas of my functioning, such as focus on chores has also been impacted.
There is a growing body of research suggesting that short video content is associated with several negative psychological consequences. It fosters an urge for instant gratification source, impatience, lack of self control, poor emotional regulation, poor time management and difficulty in maintaining focus source. By creating cognitive overload it hampers one’s abilities to process complex information deeply.
The development of these negative traits not only affects the individuals temporarily but also have a lasting effect on their growth, development, mental and physical well being.
Short video content is just one kind of the content, the negative effect of which I have personally noticed and experienced. The internet is flooded with poisonous kind of content, fake information, lies and propaganda.
In this era of technological dominance, it is not possible to avoid internet and cyber technology altogether. We have to adapt to it in order to survive. Nevertheless, it is crucial to be mindful of what we consume.
My advice to this and the next generation is to be prudent about their activities online. Whatever you consume, consume with caution. If anything appears to be bringing negative consequences, we should make conscious efforts to counter the problem.
Moreover it is also important to maintain strong relationships in the physical world. Conversations with real humans face to face, learning from books and engaging in outdoor activities contributes to a balanced and fulfilling life.
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This post is my entry for Hive Learners featured contest for week 121, edition 2.
Image, created by me using Bing AI.
