Loved This Part: ‚The impact of digital slop - which, by the way, is increasingly generated by machines not humans - is sending our brains off a steep cliff.‘ Needed some time to digest it, but hardly true! Because I have to use TikTok for work, I've set a time limit for my personal TikTok account. That helps a lot.
I agree that setting self-imposed constraints is going to be increasingly important for all of us. For what it's worth, I've simply chosen not to be on TikTok at all because anything benefit isn't worth the costs. But everybody (and their situation) is different.
I really liked the main point of the essay and the overall message of moving away from short form slop, but the study you cite doesn't substantially implicate short-form content as the villain you paint it to be. The study states in the conclusions that "an association" between depression, stress, poorer cognition, and SFV (or short form video). I'm all for building a world where the next generation has the attention span to read a full book, but no need to fearmonger and misrepresent a scientific study. On a last note, the passage you quote as "from the research" is just a discussion of a 1970's framework, which is by no means a definitive way to understand the impact of SFV. The author's note this by using "may" during aforementioned discussions. It missed the point of the meta-analysis that the authors conducted.
Great post. My students are often surprised to learn that phone and social media companies take their playbooks from casinos and gambling. Intermittent reward. Beeps and boops. Bright screens and fast food content. Casinos want butts in seats and phones and apps want eyeballs on screens.
Gamification. I worked in a casino for years. Dealing 3 card poker was a wild insight into it. It was the worst game for winning but people had the most hope.
Thanks for responding! I can imagine you have a ton of insight from seeing this up close and personal. I think the general public would be surprised how calculated casinos are even down to the lack of windows and the amount of oxygen pumped into the air. While most people who gamble can do so responsibly, this is a rough environment for those who struggle with addiction.
I always felt there was an OCD element to it, people did odd rituals etc. I worked in Mayfair so most of the customers could afford it, but they were never happy. In fact they were some of the most miserable people I've met.
I’ve never understood how people can scroll all day. My brain feels fried from scrolling for 20 minutes. But I’m also not great at “multitasking” (if that’s a thing) so maybe that’s why.
I just stumbled across this. Thank you for writing it. I'm printing it out to give to my 15 year old. I have not allowed her to have social media (and she is mostly glad I didn't), but her friends send her links to short videos, and she gets stuck watching the next one and the next one. It breaks my heart. I can't monitor her 24 hours a day, so I just hope she can rationalise herself into rejecting short-form video. It's a uniquely challenging time to be a parent.
Its crazy how since the rise of capitalism, some forces have tried to put things into the market and normalise them which have harmed the collective human species. Alcohol, drugs, and now this - short-form content. Just milking the human psychology for financial profits. These things have been so well-advertised and normalised that for an average consumer it feels odd to choose to not use these.
I am a student right now, and when I see all my peers use phones and tiktok and reels like anything, while myself it hurts my brain, I feel somewhat left out if don't use those. That's a way of connecting to the peers for my generation I guess. Similar to how alcohol and ciggs and drugs are spread into society. The worst part about this digital slop thing is it makes you cognitively weaker so you can't think your way out of it. I am very worried on what our future would look like...
The study cited is a respectable synthesis that will be misused. As meta-analysis, it’s careful and transparent; as evidence for “short-form video harms cognition and mental health,” it’s far thinner than the confident prose suggests. The data say “weak, noisy associations concentrated in self-reported problematic users”—not “TikTok is melting your brain.” It also does not say what the blog post implies. Confirmation bias.
So we can also see that it is in fact misused here in grey literature. Sad.
And the interesting part is that no one I've met will actually say they enjoy scrolling for hours on end. I think there is a deeper issue here that (in addition to the addictive nature of the algorithms/ platforms) people are fulfilling their unmet values/ needs vicariously by consuming them. Substituting genuine in-person connection for a greater volume of shallow interactions with strangers, substituting movement towards valued goals with self-improvement & motivation videos, etc. What do you think?
Loved This Part: ‚The impact of digital slop - which, by the way, is increasingly generated by machines not humans - is sending our brains off a steep cliff.‘ Needed some time to digest it, but hardly true! Because I have to use TikTok for work, I've set a time limit for my personal TikTok account. That helps a lot.
I agree that setting self-imposed constraints is going to be increasingly important for all of us. For what it's worth, I've simply chosen not to be on TikTok at all because anything benefit isn't worth the costs. But everybody (and their situation) is different.
This right here: “…algorithmic conveyor belt to nowhere.”
The best imagery to describe what’s going on. There’s no deviating from the belt - no autonomy.
The rewiring, that’s possible, happens when we make the conscious decision to step off. Good read. 🙏🏻
I really liked the main point of the essay and the overall message of moving away from short form slop, but the study you cite doesn't substantially implicate short-form content as the villain you paint it to be. The study states in the conclusions that "an association" between depression, stress, poorer cognition, and SFV (or short form video). I'm all for building a world where the next generation has the attention span to read a full book, but no need to fearmonger and misrepresent a scientific study. On a last note, the passage you quote as "from the research" is just a discussion of a 1970's framework, which is by no means a definitive way to understand the impact of SFV. The author's note this by using "may" during aforementioned discussions. It missed the point of the meta-analysis that the authors conducted.
Great post. My students are often surprised to learn that phone and social media companies take their playbooks from casinos and gambling. Intermittent reward. Beeps and boops. Bright screens and fast food content. Casinos want butts in seats and phones and apps want eyeballs on screens.
Gamification. I worked in a casino for years. Dealing 3 card poker was a wild insight into it. It was the worst game for winning but people had the most hope.
Thanks for responding! I can imagine you have a ton of insight from seeing this up close and personal. I think the general public would be surprised how calculated casinos are even down to the lack of windows and the amount of oxygen pumped into the air. While most people who gamble can do so responsibly, this is a rough environment for those who struggle with addiction.
I always felt there was an OCD element to it, people did odd rituals etc. I worked in Mayfair so most of the customers could afford it, but they were never happy. In fact they were some of the most miserable people I've met.
I’ve never understood how people can scroll all day. My brain feels fried from scrolling for 20 minutes. But I’m also not great at “multitasking” (if that’s a thing) so maybe that’s why.
I just stumbled across this. Thank you for writing it. I'm printing it out to give to my 15 year old. I have not allowed her to have social media (and she is mostly glad I didn't), but her friends send her links to short videos, and she gets stuck watching the next one and the next one. It breaks my heart. I can't monitor her 24 hours a day, so I just hope she can rationalise herself into rejecting short-form video. It's a uniquely challenging time to be a parent.
Its crazy how since the rise of capitalism, some forces have tried to put things into the market and normalise them which have harmed the collective human species. Alcohol, drugs, and now this - short-form content. Just milking the human psychology for financial profits. These things have been so well-advertised and normalised that for an average consumer it feels odd to choose to not use these.
I am a student right now, and when I see all my peers use phones and tiktok and reels like anything, while myself it hurts my brain, I feel somewhat left out if don't use those. That's a way of connecting to the peers for my generation I guess. Similar to how alcohol and ciggs and drugs are spread into society. The worst part about this digital slop thing is it makes you cognitively weaker so you can't think your way out of it. I am very worried on what our future would look like...
The study cited is a respectable synthesis that will be misused. As meta-analysis, it’s careful and transparent; as evidence for “short-form video harms cognition and mental health,” it’s far thinner than the confident prose suggests. The data say “weak, noisy associations concentrated in self-reported problematic users”—not “TikTok is melting your brain.” It also does not say what the blog post implies. Confirmation bias.
So we can also see that it is in fact misused here in grey literature. Sad.
I've sent this to quite a few people. Including a client of mine who wanted me to become an influencer. Short answer: Hell NO.
And the interesting part is that no one I've met will actually say they enjoy scrolling for hours on end. I think there is a deeper issue here that (in addition to the addictive nature of the algorithms/ platforms) people are fulfilling their unmet values/ needs vicariously by consuming them. Substituting genuine in-person connection for a greater volume of shallow interactions with strangers, substituting movement towards valued goals with self-improvement & motivation videos, etc. What do you think?
Beautifully written, entirely true. Thank you for leading on this topic, Brad! 📚