In the days before short videos, time seemed to pass more slowly.
I still remember weekends as a child, when I loved to curl up on the sofa and watch a two-hour movie, or wait for the weekly update of a TV series. The anticipation of the plot's development, the imagination of unknown worlds—it could excite me endlessly. Occasionally, I would pick up a book, savoring the profound emotions and rich details within, which required time to chew on and reflect. But now, with the prevalence of short videos, I find that this immersive experience is gradually fading away, and returning to that feeling is very, very difficult.
The convenience of short videos is quite obvious. They can quickly deliver information in fragmented moments and bring a bit of lightness to a busy life. However, they are also quietly changing my habits, and my personal experience has made me realize this. Many times, I unconsciously swipe from one video to the next—I don't know how others feel, but it's as if I'm trapped in it, unable to break free. Each video is like a tiny dose of stimulant, briefly and intensely exciting my senses, but after it ends, I often feel empty and lost...
I think the design of short videos is almost a perfect temptation, seizing people's desire for novelty and instant feedback. To some extent, I even feel that my attention has been "hijacked" by them. For a while, I found it increasingly hard to settle down and read a book, or even watch a movie all the way through (unless it was really interesting). In short, things that require patience and focus began to feel too slow and too boring. It seems our attention is being fragmented into countless pieces, each used to fill some brief void, rather than being used to build deeper understanding and connections.
At the same time, I also think about the shift for creators of longer-form content. Has the popularity of short videos put pressure on creators? To cater to algorithms and viewers' attention spans, many creators have to compress their content, condensing rich ideas into just a few seconds. This fast-paced creative environment makes much of the content that could be explored in depth become shallow, even falling into cycles of repetition and imitation. This rapid-consumption model not only limits the depth of creators' expression but also affects the audience's taste and expectations for content.
A friend of mine once wanted to edit a Minecraft gameplay video. She embedded many details and interesting points in the long video. From our interactions over those days, I could tell she put a lot of effort into making that episode great. Unfortunately, the algorithm caters to the audience, and the audience is led astray by the algorithm. No one noticed such a video. Or maybe times have changed, and people just can't grasp the fun it was meant to bring.
Short videos have been constantly changing our pace of life, making fast-paced living seem like a necessity. They have not only shaped our perception of time but also changed our behavior. Nowadays, we are increasingly accustomed to "getting things instantly," yet we rarely stop to think about "what we truly need." But does this fast-paced lifestyle really make us happier? Even if it's a fleeting happiness, are you truly satisfied with it?
Sometimes, I really miss those days without short videos. Time felt longer, quieter, and life seemed more real and substantial. Try to recall those times without short videos: we paid more attention to the people and things around us, not the screen in front of us. On weekend afternoons, we might spend time doing one thing—going for a walk, learning something, focusing on what we love, or having a deep conversation with a friend. Now, more conversations are replaced by emojis and ten-second videos, and our connections with each other seem to have become shallower.
Of course, I don't think short videos themselves are the root of the problem. They are just a medium, with no intention to harm anyone. But it's undeniable that they attract us with some invisible force, making us oscillate between pleasure and anxiety. Short videos are not wrong in themselves, but the changes they bring raise many questions worth pondering. For example, when our attention becomes so scattered, can we still truly feel the depth of life?
I write these words not to criticize short videos, but to provoke thought: Can we still find the ability to slow down, be still, and have a conversation with ourselves? Short videos have indeed enriched our lives, but at the same time, have they also made us lose something precious? Will this shaping of our life's rhythm eventually make us forget that real life doesn't need to be constantly chasing speed and instant gratification?
When I look back on those past times, I think perhaps we should try to stop, let life return to its natural rhythm, instead of being pulled forward by the swiping motion on a screen. Slowing down, maybe then we can find inner peace again, and once more experience those moments that should be cherished.