Most people are addicted to watching short videos on YouTube or Instagram reels whenever they are bored, hoping that it will alleviate their boredom. Not just on YouTube, Instagram or Facebook, short videos and reels have become part of even OTT platforms like Netflix. The habit of scrolling through videos as they cannot engage with the viewer is called digital switching. Scrolling one video after another might seem like the best way to entertain yourself. However, a study conducted by the University of Toronto revealed that this habit would only make your boredom worse and it can affect your mental health.
According to researcher Katy Tam, watching a long video completely is healthier, compared to swiftly scrolling away from videos to get rid of boredom. The experiment warns that those who freely switch through videos hardly experience any satisfaction as boredom is directly related to our ability to focus. You might be able to appreciate a video or its content only if you are fully immersed in that single experience. The study conducted in 1200 participants was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
Here are a few practical steps to break reel addiction:
1) Set deadlines to watch reels. You can set time aside on each day for the same.
2) Turn off social media notifications to avoid temptations to check new content.
3) Pursue hobbies that engage and entertain you better than online content.
4) Reward yourself if you meet your screentime goals. You can also pursue the same with other like-minded friends or family members.
5) Instruct and allow your friends and family to stop you if they spot you scrolling away mindlessly.
6) Engage in social activities that give you a 'time-well-spent' feeling.
