Short form content has exploded in popularity. It’s everywhere now.
The rate at which it has become adopted by all major digital platforms is frankly remarkable. Just 3 short years ago, the digital behemoths hadn’t introduced their frankenstined version of TikTok yet - like Instagram reels and Youtube shorts. Yet now, even an app like Spotify has introduced short form video content
Spotify. Yes, the app for music. Music. An artform whose medium for consumption is purely through the sense of hearing - but somehow Spotify sees benefit in pushing visual short form videos through its platform, that again, hosts content for your ears…
And actually, why wouldn’t they? The short form content rabbit hole is one that has the propensity to absolutely suck users into your app. You pick up your phone for one thing, then two swipes and three hours later, you’re in the trenches of the internet, kept in place by the instant gratification of swiping down your For You Page.
I first downloaded TikTok during the pandemic in 2020, then went through about three phases of uninstalling, reinstalling and then finally uninstalling it for good because the amount of time that I’d spend on it was just too much.
What is it about these short reels that makes our mamallian brains so drawn towards it?
Perhaps it all starts out ok, you install this app, answer a few questions, and you’re immediately thrust into online communities that have a shared interests in things that you like. But it doesn’t stop there, every couple videos or so, the algorithm manages to recommend something outside your normal viewing habits, and you slowly venture out into different corners of the internet. Perhaps you find yourself watching sailors documenting their time at sea, a farmer in China showing her daily routine, or a 70 year old grandpa jamming on a guitar.
The app gives you a microcosm of the human experience, all while you’re sitting on your couch, scrolling with your thumb.
And perhaps, that’s what gets people in. The novelty of the experience.
But alas, there’s of course the other side of it. The money making side. The side of internet fame, followers, and making a living from content. And as with every metric that can be gamed, we’re increasingly seeing the enshittification of short form content.
As it’s clear that people’s attention spans are dwindling, creators have been bombarding people with overstimulation, you’ve seen it - rapid subtitles in every single video, fast cuts, cgi explosions, sound effects, and just all around chaos - just so your eyeballs can keep on their video for a tiny bit longer, so that the algorithm might suggest it to other people.
Is hyper optimization of content going to be the new normal?
Because short form content certainly doesn’t seem to be slowing down. TikTok has cemented itself as a leading social media platform with more than 1 billion active users in just a few short years. Some of Gen Z use TikTok as a search engine, as opposed to just using Google. And now, every single platform, from Facebook to Instagram to Youtube, has introduced their own version of short form content, while other media, such as reading for pleasure, is in decline.
Perhaps this is only the beginning, or perhaps the beginning of the end, who knows, maybe our attention spans will recover and we’ll go back to long form content again.
But for now, this is the normal that we’ve chosen, and so I guess we’ll just have to see how it plays out.