As a very busy college student, especially during back to school season, I’ve noticed that the way I consume media has changed. Between classes, assignments, studying, and work, I have less time to sit down and watch something just for fun. And that’s when I had a realization: whenever I do have a break from work, that’s when my attention span seems to be at its weakest. So instead of using breaks to endlessly scroll through short clips, I’ve started thinking more intentionally about the content I consume. Rather than trying to completely disconnect from social media and video content, I’ve learned how to carefully source content specifically for me—both in terms of what I want to watch and how I want to consume it. Here’s how I’ve created a healthier relationship with media content while giving myself opportunities to actually regain my attention span.
Choosing longer Content
One of the biggest changes I’ve made is choosing longer videos whenever possible and trying to watch content that requires me to actually sit with it rather than constantly switching from one video to another. On TikTok, I usually look for videos that are at least ten minutes long (I’ve seen some creators post videos longer than that, it just depends on if the content is interesting enough to hold my attention). For YouTube, I tend to watch videos that are around 25–35 minutes.
My favorite way to exercise my attention span is whenever possible, I’ll always try to finish a video in one sitting. If circumstances don’t allow that and it feels unrealistic to finish it, I’ll just save the video and return to it whenever I have enough downtime to continue watching (like saving a snack for later!). This is especially helpful for me because I love going on walks. If I’m walking to school and the walk takes around 10–15 minutes long, then that’s the perfect amount of time to listen to a TikTok story-time or continue a video I started earlier.Â
what do you actually like watching?
Another thing I’ve learned is that improving your attention span doesn’t mean forcing yourself to watch content that you don’t enjoy. It is much easier to pay attention to something when you’re genuinely interested in what you’re watching. For example, I personally find it incredibly satisfying when someone shows what’s inside their bag or tells a story while getting ready for their day. I know for me, it’s all about those simple, everyday videos that keeps me interested. Someone else might find that boring—and that’s okay. Maybe you’re really interested in books. If that’s the case, you might enjoy watching people review books, discuss their favorite authors, or even spend hours talking about a certain genre. Maybe you’re more interested in fashion, cooking, gaming—the possibilities are basically endless!Â
Once you figure out what naturally captures your attention, you can dive deeper into the online communities surrounding those interests. There are so many people creating long-form content about incredibly specific topics, and you may be the perfect audience for it! The key has been realizing that I don’t need to consume whatever content the algorithm randomly puts in front of me. I can actually seek out the things I want to watch myself.
Longer Doesn’t Always Mean Better
It is an important note though that not all long-form content is good for your attention span. When I started intentionally looking for longer content, I noticed there is a difference between a creator taking the time to tell a story and a creator filming a video simply to keep you watching. For example, some creators will make their videos longer by repeating the ending of a clip, making the video appear longer without actually giving you any additional information or entertainment. It can be incredibly easy to fall for this if you’re already in scrolling-for-content mode, because you might not immediately notice that you’re watching the same thing again. Another example is the “part two” format. Sometimes a creator will spend an entire video talking about something they are supposedly going to do or reveal, only to end with something like, “Check back for part two.” While there are definitely situations where a story will naturally need multiple parts, it feels like the creator is intentionally withholding the actual conclusion just to get people to come back. Be especially wary of content that becomes a huge series. If something has turned into ten, fifteen, or twenty parts, I’d start asking myself whether I’m actually interested in the content or whether I’m just trying to find the ending (which is what I’m exactly trying to fix within my attention span). It can be misleading because it looks like long-form content on the surface, but the way you consume it can actually encourage the opposite of what I’m trying to accomplish. Furthermore, there is a lot of generative AI content on the internet now that uses these kinds of formats. Some AI-generated stories and videos are divided into endless parts, often designed to make you curious enough to keep clicking (especially since this specific kind of content can be produced so quickly). Hence, it makes me even more selective on the importance of what I spend my attention on.
Ultimately, getting my attention span back has been less about completely changing how I use social media and more about becoming intentional about the relationship I have with it. The question isn’t simply, “Is this video long enough?” but rather, “Is this video giving me a reason to stay?”, and If the answer is yes because I’m genuinely either interested in the story, the creator, or just the vibe/aesthetic, then I am happy consuming content in a healthy manner! Sometimes social media can unfortunately bring out the worse in people, so it is important to take care of yourself mentally while on social platforms and give yourself breaks when necessary!
