Have you ever put on a film and then within a few minutes you’re already reaching for your phone? The truth is we’ve all been there. The rise of short form content is changing the way we consume media. After all, why wait for a 2 hour plot to unfold when TikTok can give you this in 15 seconds?
From Vine to TikTok
The creation of Vine in 2013 changed the game for content creation and consumption, introducing a platform dedicated purely to ultra-short videos. In fact if it was longer than 6 seconds, it simply wasn’t allowed.
Vine was a place for past paced humour and creators to share short snippets of their lives. With this, the internet began to welcome the world of short form content, and when Vine shut down in 2017 it left a void in the world of online entertainment waiting eagerly to be filled.
First came the transition of Musical.ly to TikTok in 2018, bringing with it a range of new content that started to shift away from just lip syncing and dance videos. This was quickly followed by the introduction of Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts in 2018. One by one these platforms began to redefine the idea of the short form video.
Suddenly we had access to viral dances, vlogs, skits, tutorials, and so much more, all in under 60 seconds. The realm of internet entertainment quickly became a space of fast scrolling, thriving on speed and the ability to hold your attention within seconds.
But what exactly was it that made this short form format gain so much popularity?
“By 2025, short-form content will claim a staggering 90% share of internet traffic”
Laura Chaves
Why Can’t We Stop Scrolling?
So what is it that we can’t get enough of? Well first of all short form content is almost designed to be addictive, it provides us with fast hits of dopamine that our brains crave. The combination of quick pace and a personalised algorithm creates the perfect recipe for endless scrolling, it becomes not only a source of entertainment, but a force of habit.
This habit of mindless scrolling, like any habit, is a hard one to break. It doesn’t help that the internet is quite literally at our fingertips. With the modern world relying so much on the use of technology, it can be challenging to put in place measures that break our short form cravings. The cycle of scrolling is repeated over and over.
This leads onto my next point, the popularity of short form content heavily lies in the fact it is so hard to escape. I’m sure you’ve gone to check an email and before you know it you’re 2 hours deep in a TikTok scroll, or gone to reply to a text and found yourself laughing at a Reel.
The internet isn’t the same place as it was a few years ago, we now have constant access to content. Only we are able to control our consumption, making it undeniably easy for short form content to fill every spare minute of our days.
It is also harder than ever to access online content in longer formats. Even on platforms such as YouTube, creators are switching up their content to fit the demand of short attention spans and instant entertainment. People would rather watch a collection of short cut clips than a long unedited ramble.
A lot of these content creators are really leaning into the idea of short form content. Not only tailoring to their audience, but also for their own benefits.
Short Videos for Big Money
For many content creators, uploading videos online isn’t just a hobby- it’s a job. In 2021, TikTok introduced a creator fund. This allowed content creators on the platform to be paid for the videos they were producing. In 2023, YouTube Shorts monetisation was created. This acted similarly to the TikTok creator fund, allowing creators to share in ad revenue.
Short form content became one of the easiest ways for these creators to make money. Instead of spending hours filming and editing a 20 minute video, short form platforms allowed much quicker ways of bringing in big money. Something as simple as a 15 second makeup tutorial can carefully weave in a sponsored product, or an affiliate link.
This is much more engaging for an audience than a 5 minute segment that is likely to be fast forwarded or not fully absorbed. Short form content makes ads feel less commercial and more personal. Not only more convenient for a creator, but also for viewers.
The use of short form media as ads reshapes the way we consume and connect with brands. A lot of the time ads become almost unrecognisable from a viewers perspective. A world away from the overtly commercial ads we see on TV. Short form content becomes profitable for these brands, boosting the popularity of their products and the short format.
“85% of marketers believe short-form videos are the most effective format on social media”
Neal Schaffer
The Short-Form Impact
The addictive nature of short media makes it almost impossible to stop scrolling, even if we want to. Since we are only watching 15 seconds at a time, our brains are made to believe each video is quick and harmless. We are tricked into thinking that our scrolling is only lasting a few minutes, when in reality it is lasting hours.
The constant supply of stimulation is silently dangerous, and because there is no clear end, we lose track of time completely. Our days become filled with meaningless videos that we will forget as soon as we scroll onto the next video.
All this scrolling doesn’t just leave no impact, in fact it is killing our attention spans. We start to rely on quick and easy stimulation, and avoid tasks that won’t satisfy our attention. A study shows that the average attention span of a Gen Z individual is only 8 seconds long. Now you may be thinking this isn’t too bad, but what if I told you the average attention span of a goldfish is 9 seconds? It starts to sound slightly more worrying…
This shortened attention span makes it increasingly difficult for us to carry out our day to day lives. Tasks that require more energy and time such as studying are simply not stimulating enough to hold our attention. We find ourselves taking a short break to scroll, but this interruption of focus often spirals into a long distraction, and we fall back into doom scrolling.
It isn’t just our attention spans that our paying the price for our constant scrolling. There is a correlation between a higher consumption of short form videos and a decline in memory. Prospective memory is the ability to remember to perform an act in the future. This section of our memory is impacted the most by short form media.
When you are about to do something and end up scrolling instead, only to find you have forgotten what you were going to do in the first place; this is your prospective memory struggling due to the constant consumption of fast paced content.
Shortened Attention Spans
Over time, this pattern of constant scrolling makes it more and more challenging to stay engaged with any activity that doesn’t provide us with instant entertainment and stimulation. As a result, it ultimately lowers our ability to be productive. This explains why even an activity like watching a film can feel difficult at times.
While a lot of these 15 second clips are entertaining, the algorithm’s priority is not our well-being. Instead, it shows us what it knows will keep us watching, often filling our phones with drama and negativity. This digital rabbit hole can be hard to escape, which is why short form content can have such an impact on mental health.
Not only can decreased productivity leave us feeling unaccomplished, but a constant stream of content can also lead to harmful comparisons. These short clips are often only highlights of the best parts of other people’s lives, but this is easy to forget. If all we are constantly being shown is other people living their best lives, comparison is inevitable.
“The average attention span of a human has decreased from 12 seconds to 8.25 seconds in the last two decades”
Golden Steps
The Future of Short Form
Short form content won’t be going anywhere soon, it is only expected to continue to rise. Instead, content creators and companies are expected to adapt to this new format quicker than ever. A study shows that in 2025, 56% of videos created by businesses’ are two minutes or less.
While it will of course continue to bring an array of challenges, the future of short form content isn’t all bad. It comes with exciting opportunities for creative freedom and community building. With a bit of balance and mindful scrolling, short form content doesn’t have to be something we fear. It can be both exciting and inspiring!
