How constant switching between digital content may actually increase boredom

By Priyanjana Pramanik, MSc.Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc.Aug 22 2024

In a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, researchers investigate how switching between or within digital media, such as short videos on social media platforms, affects boredom.

Study: Fast-forward to boredom: How switching behaviour on digital media makes people more bored. Image Credit: Ground Picture / Shutterstock.com

How the internet has transformed our experience of boredom

In today's digital age, accessing entertainment has become incredibly easy, as most people can instantly watch videos or browse social media the instant they feel bored. This convenience might suggest that people are less bored than before; however, several studies have shown that boredom has increased, particularly among young people.

Boredom is an unpleasant emotion that occurs when people want to engage in a satisfying activity but cannot. To avoid this feeling, people often switch between different digital content, like videos or social media posts. However, rather than relieving boredom, this constant switching might make it worse.

About the study 

Researchers conducted seven experiments to explore how switching between digital content, a common response to boredom, might intensify it, thereby resulting in reduced satisfaction and engagement.

The first experiment included 147 participants who watched both boring and interesting videos. Study participants then rated their boredom, satisfaction, and engagement while researchers tracked their digital switching behaviors in real-time.

In the second experiment, 231 participants predicted their feelings in hypothetical scenarios with or without digital switching options. Study participants’ boredom, satisfaction, engagement, and preference for switching were recorded.

The third experiment included 159 participants who watched videos with or without the option to switch between them. Researchers measured boredom, satisfaction, attention, and meaning after viewing the content.

For the fourth experiment, 166 participants watched one 10-minute video without switching and a one 50-minute video with switching. Boredom, satisfaction, attention, and meaning were measured.

In the fifth experiment, study participants watched videos on a popular media platform, during which they were allowed to freely switch between videos or watch one video without skipping. The sixth experiment used a within-participant design with 178 participants to compare boredom, satisfaction, attention, and meaning when reading one article as compared to multiple articles.

The seventh experiment also used a within-participant design. Herein, 175 participants were assigned to watch either 14 videos with the option of switching or a single video to determine the effects of digital switching.

Study findings

In the first experiment, study participants experienced increased boredom, dissatisfaction, and more frequent digital switching, thus supporting the hypothesis that boredom contributes to digital switching. This effect was strengthened by the second experiment, in which higher boredom and lower satisfaction was observed in no-switching scenarios, with the study participants preferring the switching option to avoid boredom.

The third experiment showed that participants felt more bored and less satisfied when switching between videos than when not switching, which contradicted previous predictions that switching would reduce boredom. Similar results were observed in the fourth experiment, during which participants were less satisfied when they were allowed to skip to different points within the video.

In the fifth experiment, participants switched more frequently in the switching condition and reported slightly higher boredom as compared to the no-switching condition. No significant differences in satisfaction, attention, or meaning were observed. Qualitative analysis revealed boredom as a primary reason for switching, with 70% citing it as a motivator for changing or skipping videos.

In the sixth experiment, participants in the switching condition skipped articles significantly more than when they were not allowed to switch. No significant difference in boredom, satisfaction, attention, or meaning was observed between the conditions. However, study participants in the no-switching condition, if it was presented to them first, reported experiencing lower levels of boredom.

In the seventh experiment, participants switched more frequently in the switching condition. Boredom levels varied by condition order, with those in the no-switching condition initially feeling less bored, whereas those in the switching condition initially felt more bored. The opportunity cost was higher when switching was presented first. Overall, no significant differences were found between conditions.

Conclusions

Although digital switching is used to avoid boredom, it often exacerbates this feeling. Initial findings confirmed that boredom often leads to digital switching, as participants believe that switching between online activities helps alleviate their boredom.

However, the experiments of the current study demonstrated that switching between or within videos increased boredom, dissatisfaction, and disengagement. This effect was consistent across various contexts but less clear when applied to reading articles or diverse participant backgrounds.

Notable limitations of this study include differences between samples and variations in how interesting different content would be to the participants. Future studies are needed to explore optimal switching levels, effects in educational and work settings, and broader behaviors beyond digital contexts.

Taken together, these findings suggest that to mitigate boredom, immersive engagement with content may be more effective than constant switching.