Short-form content such as reels, shorts, and endless scrolls has become a formidable entity of digital consumption particularly in the youths. Although meant to provide fast entertainment, such platforms keep dopamine pumping going, and it conditions the brain to be looking to get something immediately.
Eventually, the habit diminishes the capacity of attention and focus, and makes long tasks, such as reading, learning, or critical thinking, to be the most mentally taxing ones. This causes the brain to become sensitive to fast stimulation resulting in restlessness, lack of patience and deficiency in engaging to slower and meaningful activities.
Motivation and emotional regulation are also the outcomes of this constant dopamine loop. Some of the users feel mentally exhausted, irritated and less satisfied with the offline experiences. What seems to be an innocent entertainment is silently changing cognitive behavior and learning behavior.
The mindset of rebuilding attention will take a toll on conscious effort; restrictions on screen time, deliberate digital breaks, consuming long-form content, and giving the mind rest without stimulation.
Do you think the way you pay attention has been affected since you started consuming content on short-form content on a daily basis?