Growing up in a non-technology household throughout my childhood allowed me to experience a much different world than the fast paced one we live in now. TV shows were limited, movies were for special occasions, and social media was nonexistent up until I was 13.
Then came COVID-19 during my middle school years and with it, a sudden skyrocketing of my technology use. Like most kids my age I downloaded TikTok and although I still spent time reading, writing, and being generally creative, those activities were often interspersed with routine TikTok breaks where I would scroll mindlessly for hours.
Flash forward to the present day. My screen time is concerningly high, online videos over one minute are automatically put into two times speed, and I can’t recall the last time I sat through a show or movie without picking up my phone for the occasional social media scroll. It’s safe to say that short attention spans are a pretty common issue among Gen Z. In fact, they’re at an all time low with a recent study showing that the average person’s attention span is at a shocking 8.25 seconds.
However, in the past years I’ve discovered a secret to fixing my disturbingly short attention span: video essays.
Why it works
With the increase in TikTok dominating social media it’s safe to say that YouTube isn’t the same as it was ten years ago and dwindling attention spans are once again to blame. Long form video essays are severely underrated and one of my favorite ways to consume media, and while two hour long movies rarely hold my full attention, a video essay spanning up to four hours can keep me completely entertained.
So what’s the appeal?
As someone who loves to annoy my friends and family with long rants about whatever topic I’m currently interested in, hearing someone do the same thing in a long form video essay is my idea of peak entertainment.
Passion plays a big role in what makes any media entertaining. Creators of video essays are clearly passionate about what they are talking about. They have to be if they’re spending hours researching a subject in order to discuss it. It’s similar to how having professors who seem to have a genuine love for what they teach makes a lecture ten times more interesting.
Additionally spending hours watching a video essay feels more productive than mind numbing scrolling for several hours. No matter the subject, you’re still learning something. Spending so much time watching video essays has educated me on a plethora of information that I wouldn’t have known otherwise, and even if it’s not directly contributing to my formal education or something of value, it’s still fun knowledge to have.
how do i find a good video?
There are tons of videos out on the internet spanning from broad histories to hyper niche things you’ve never heard of, but it all comes down to your interests and which creators hold your attention.
For example, I was obsessed with Phantom of the Opera growing up, so seeing a video titled “Love Never Dies: The Magnificent Trashfire Sequel to Phantom of the Opera” had me immediately hooked and introduced me to Lindsey Ellis, one of my favorite creators. As someone shamelessly invested in mindless celebrity beef and gossip, Nicole Rafie’s “Chronically Online Girl Explains!” video series is my guilty pleasure to watch. Additionally, sometimes I find creators who are so charismatic and funny that I’ll listen to them talk about anything. I love Jenny Nicholson so much that I once watched a four hour youtube video discussing why the Star Wars hotel at Disney failed in one sitting. Her video titled “The Church Play Cinematic Universe” is easily my favorite Youtube video of all time and something I rewatch every year.
If all else fails, check out my playlist of video essay recommendations below, ranging from social criticisms to the history of vampires to celebrity beef breakdowns.
So next time you feel like scrolling mindlessly on your phone while on the treadmill, eating a meal, or doing some mundane activity, try turning on a video essay instead. You might just fix your attention span like I did, and if not, at least you’ll come away with learning something new.