The pace is the format. Even if you're just watching turtles for 30 seconds, the loop and the switch to next video are fast-paced context switching, which is stimulating. I suspect it has similar mental effects to constant interruptions, like a bad day at work where slack and email prevent you from getting into flow state/real work.

The format also encourages maximum aggressive video editing where the short video is further chopped up with cuts and zooms etc, techniques designed to tickle your brain and keep you engaged, more stimulation.

Look at what twitter et al. did to long form reading. Short video is the same.

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MetaWhirledPeas 2 hours ago | parent [-]

> The pace is the format. Even if you're just watching turtles for 30 seconds, the loop and the switch to next video are fast-paced context switching, which is stimulating.

I've been over-indulging in context switching long before short-form videos ever showed up. The internet itself is all about context switching. But the UX around short-form videos definitely encourages doomscrolling, similar to how microtransaction games encourage neverending grinds.

We definitely need better habits as a collective, but I think a list of "do's" is just as important as a whack-a-mole list of "don'ts".

	▲	chickensong an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Yep, the internet as a whole and is the real culprit. We love instant gratification and short feedback loops and the internet provides. I feel like things will likely get worse before it gets better, but I have long-term hopes that eventually we'll see some cultural change that promotes doing vs consuming.