Man Admits He Uses TV To ‘Heal’ His Brain From Endless Short-Form Content — And Experts Agree He’s Onto Something
“I’m trying to unfry my brain from the destruction of short-form content.”
GaudiLab / Shutterstock.com Studies preaching about the negative effects TV had on kids’ brains were the bane of most of our childhoods.
That’s not to say there wasn’t solid evidence to suggest TV harmed children, especially for those with seats 10 inches from the screen or who didn’t open a book until high school literature class.
In today’s world, however, the dangers of too much TV have been replaced with a different evil — short-form content. Gen-Z creator @mmmmmmdelicious on TikTok is well aware of the impact a steady diet of TikTok videos has had on his attention span, but his solution is not what you'd expect.
A Gen Z man said he uses TV to ‘unfry’ his brain from endless short-form content — ‘Maybe I’ll fix the damage.’
It all feels so incredibly ironic that this young man — and thousands of other Gen Zers and millennials online — are using TV as therapy.
mmmmdelicious admitted his penchant for short-form content, whether on TikTok, Instagram reels, or elsewhere, has made it nearly impossible for him to watch anything longer than a short 30-second clip without drifting off and losing interest.
“My brain is so fried from short-form content that in order to ‘make it better,’ I go and watch TV,” he shared. “Like, remember the days when your parents would say, ‘Don’t watch too much TV; you’re going to fry your brain’? I’m trying to unfry my brain from this short-form destruction.”
He said short-form content like TikTok has severely altered his attention span, memory, and understanding. Now, he uses TV as a means to ‘train’ himself.
Younger generations aren’t naive to the consequences apps like TikTok have on them. Take fashion influencer Kelsey, for example. She jokingly lamented, “Just remind yourself how cringe it is that you can’t get through a single task without checking your little black rectangle.”
While dwindling concentration has become a joke for many, the true nature of the beast is alarming. Not only is it keeping people from reading books, watching movies, and engaging in conversation, but it is also impacting their ability to maintain healthy relationships, both personal and professional.
The dopamine release resulting from watching short-form content is why people become addicted to or, at the very least, highly attached to their screens and devices. To break the cycle, mmmmdelicious and others are using long-form content to train their brains — and while it might seem counterintuitive, experts suggest there’s some merit to it.
Of course, giving up, or more realistically, limiting screen time is the better solution, but it’s not feasible in our tech-dependent world.
Despite negative discourse about screen time, his jokes about watching TV to ‘heal’ his brain might actually have some merit depending on your age.
For young minds, especially kids in preschool and kindergarten, excessive screen time isn’t healthy. Their minds are yearning for connection, mobility, and education, and substituting iPad time or TV time isn’t fulfilling that need. However, for teenagers and adults in their 20s and 30s, the negative effects of too much screen time can be combated with a more balanced lifestyle.
Utilizing long-form content like movies, books, and even a YouTube video could help improve cognitive ability and concentration.
2shrimpS / Shutterstock.com
The longer you commit to something like a movie, the better. Intentionally focusing on a more intensive medium could help “train” your brain out of the short-form content cravings.
So, while there’s still a great deal of research to be done on the effects of short-form content on our brains, it’s important to recognize the ways in which you notice its impact on your life now.
If you can’t read a book without checking your phone, catch a film without dozing off, or hold a conversation on a first date without allowing your mind to wander, consider some new habits that help to train your brain — even if it's watching TV.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.