by Faith Lovell
Image via The Cosmopolitan
As controversial as TikTok is, there is no denying the popularity of this social media app. With over 1 billion users, and expected rise to 2 billion by 2024, TikTok’s short video format has exploded in popularity and is taking over modern media.
The transition from long ten to twenty minute videos to a mere 10 to 20 seconds has caught on across other apps, with the introduction of Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts in 2020 following TikTok’s rise in popularity.
This “short-form” content format is taking over social media and appears to be a new paradigm in modern digital content and user preferences. It appears, as this media format becomes more prevalent, that short-form content is significantly affecting online spaces and the users experiencing the shift in their content consumption.
With this change, there are many effects on digital media we should consider: Is short-form content simply an entertainment trend, or is it here to stay long-term? Will this affect the production of long-form video content, such as regular YouTube videos, or even movies?
On the other hand, what about users? How is this transition to shorter content affecting user preferences? How about their brain chemistry and attention span?
The Decline of Long-Form
Short-form content appears to be taking over social media… but it is also taking over online media production in general. YouTube, the video streaming platform, has allowed users to upload videos since 2005. On average, YouTube videos are around 12 minutes long; that’s a lot longer than a 12-second TikTok.
YouTube has been the leading platform for hosting user-created videos for nearly the past 20 years, but even this platform bas begun adapting. Historically, YouTube has been home for uploading videos for many purposes: students may host their project demos online, news channels will upload clips of recent reporting, aspiring video-makers produce documentaries, and most famously, internet celebrities will upload videos for their millions of frequent viewers.
More Minutes, More Ads
Two years after YouTube was created, the ability for YouTube creators to obtain ad revenue from their videos was introduced. This has fostered a unique content medium online, where any grass-roots creator can produce videos and make money from users viewing their video.
For a while, longer content was preferred over shorter content for YouTube and was promoted more frequently by the platform. Videos over 10 minutes were able to run multiple ads, which was a win-win-win for the platform, creator, and consumer. YouTube and the content creators both earned cuts of the revenue generated by ads watched on the platform, and viewers were able to get more content from their favorite creators.
What Changed?
Large in part due to TikTok’s rise in popularity, many platforms were realizing the potential of offering an avenue for short-form content. This adaption caused the introduction of YouTube Shorts: YouTube’s version of TikTok. It works practically the same way as TikTok, with users able to post short snippets of videos and a separate way to view these away from the “normal” long-form content.
The introduction of other TikTok copycat features is not the only threat to long form content, though. Short-form content is prevalently preferred over longer content on YouTube now, with noticeably more engagement being tracked on YouTube Shorts. This is detracting from the normal viewership of long videos, and is also being picked up on by YouTube’s recommendation algorithm.
Via Statistica
Outside of the YouTube Shorts sphere, YouTube recommends videos to users based on many behind-the-scenes metrics such as viewer retention. Before the rise of short-form content, retention was measured in minutes watched. If the video was long, YouTube picked up on viewers sticking around on the platform longer and would recommend these videos more frequently.
However, YouTube has switched to percentage of the video watched, no matter if it was 3 minutes or 3 hours long. Even if viewers watched a 3-hour documentary all the way through, it’s likely that many watched some and returned later, or clicked away after a few minutes and significantly reduced the video’s retention. Short-form videos do not require a significant amount of the user’s time, and often, the viewer will remain watching for the entire video. After all, it is not a significant time commitment.
But why? YouTube still makes money on the amount of ads played for users, so why would they want users to watch shorter videos?
Long-Term Addiction, Short-Form Attention Span
Athough one singular 30-second video will not keep a user on a platform for long, watching multiple short videos will add up. Being “addicted” to a social media app is a phrase used colloquially, but it rings truth; short form content brings people new, funny, unique videos constantly. The bursts of dopamine from watching these videos keep users hooked and eventually leads to an addition to short-form content.
Short-form videos, and the constant stream of content to scroll through, immerse the users in an enjoyable connection to the platform. When short-form content apps “hook” a user, they feel such strong emotions of entertainment that they want to keep scrolling… and when they have to stop, users experience an addiction-like feeling of withdrawal.
Withdrawal from anything forces the user to crave the thing they are addicted to and prevent the feeling of withdrawal again. This means that users of TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or any short-form content medium will attempt to prolong their use of the platform and prevent long periods of time without consuming the content.
This explains YouTube’s choice to promote shorter media, even outside of their Shorts feature. Encouraging the consumption of shorter content is proven to keep users on the app for longer periods of time.
Via Medium
Certainly I’m Not Addicted
Addiction feels like a strong word, especially when many of us use short-form content platforms frequently. What’s the difference between addiction and simply enjoying time to unwind on social media?
Factors of short-form content addiction occur gradually, which possibly contributes to the addiction itself. Many users do not associate digital media use with addiction, when that strong of a term is often used for drugs or life-ruining ailments. Many studies disagree with the terms used (as many call it “addiction behavior” instead of an outright addiction), but it all means the same thing in relation to the takeover of short-form content.
A side-effect of consuming short-form content also appears to be a shortened attention span. When consumers are used to a quick payoff before moving onto the next video, they are interested in this same payoff all of the time. This contributes to the lasting popularity of this new content trend, and will likely last as users continue to become more addicted and more used to short content.
Aside from this boosting the popularity of short-form content, it is affecting users in their daily lives. Users report a lessened attention span when they participate in activities, attempt to watch longer videos, and sit in prolonged classes as students.
Here to Stay
As it appears, the self-preserving cycle of short-form content suggests that this may not merely be a trend, rather a new era of videos and media. From this style of content being adapted into other large platforms (such as Instagram and YouTube) to the addictive nature of consumption, it appears that short-term content is here to stay. In fact, it is dominating popularity in online spheres.
Advertisers are also adopting this new form of media, producing their ads to fit in with the new culture and style of short-form content so users do not have to watch a long ad in a sea of short content. In fact, Hollywood has become extremely reliant on TikTok for advertising movies. Ironic, right?
All indicators point to the future of short-form content sticking around. TikTok’s already impressive user base is rapidly expanding, and more apps such as Facebook are considering adopting similar features to capitalize on its popularity. Research on addiction and negative impacts on attention span still remain a concern, but it appears that there is no good remediation to this at the moment.
The longevity of short-form content seems to be the only known factor in this rapidly growing industry. Many questions still remain unanswered as research is desperately trying to catch up. What does this mean for us? Will we experience the effects of this type of entertainment more significantly? Will this cause long form content to go “extinct?”
Only time will tell, and you’ll probably hear about it through a 30 second video.
I love how you touched on a lot of things in this blog. I think it is very interesting to see how the world has changed specifically on social media such as TikTok. I used watch 10-15 minutes videos on YouTube of my favorite content creators and now I am seeing them make their videos within 10-15 seconds on TikTok.
Short term really does seem to be the new thing in. It almost feels as if it is calling back to the older day of content like vine and some of the first YouTube videos which were much shorter.
Such a good and relatable topic. Your writing is amazing! I also think you have a good conclusion sentence it's very witty. Amazing job in my opinion. - Maren Franklin
I love this topic and you did a great job at explaining it. Occasionally when I am scrolling on TikTok I come across a creator I had previously watched on YouTube. I find it interesting how their 15-20-minute-long videos suddenly turned into 30 second videos with all the same information. The biggest example of this is haul videos. Content creators used to upload a 30-minute video to YouTube about what they got at the mall and now these content creators can make a much quicker video with the same amount of products.
-Clare
Your post is super interesting! In my experience, I definitely feel like short-form content is largely what makes social media so easy to be addicted to. I also liked the question that you posed, concerning how the popularity of short-form content will affect long-form content, like movies. You would think that movies would get shorter, but it seems like they're doing the opposite nowadays. Most movies seem to be upwards of two hours, which can feel like forever, given my short attention span. It is definitely an odd dichotomy.
-Lexi Oybkhan