By Elisabeth GÜNTHER MAM-S6ENA
Edited by Dalia Sophia WOLNY MAM-S5DEA
Think back to when you were younger. Maybe you got home from school, threw your bag down, grabbed a snack and switched the TV on. Maybe you watched cartoons, teen dramas, or a show you followed every week. Fast forward to now, and ask yourself this: when was the last time you watched a full episode of a show without picking your phone up?
For many teenagers and children today, the answer is clear. We are not really watching TV anymore, and when we do, we are watching TikTok, Instagram Reels, or short YouTube clips on the side. Content has gotten shorter, faster, and somehow harder to look away from. So, what has changed?
From 30 Minutes to 30 Seconds
TV shows used to be up to an hour long, and movies were even longer. They needed time to build a story. You had to wait through the intro, the slow parts, the ads. But now? You open your phone and within two seconds you are watching someone cook pasta, show off their outfit, tell a story, or do a dance. And if you’re bored? You just swipe.
TikTok and similar apps are built to give you nonstop entertainment. The goal is to keep you on the app as long as possible. You don’t even have to search for anything. In most short-form apps, the algorithm predicts what you want to see and shows you more of it to keep you scrolling.
Many of us scroll through videos without thinking. Five minutes becomes 30. A full hour disappears without us even noticing.
Why Is It So Addictive?
There is a reason short videos feel so hard to stop watching. Each video gives your brain a tiny hit of dopamine, the chemical that creates a good feeling. The more you scroll, the more your brain wants another video. And another. And another.
TV does not give you that same feeling. It asks for patience, and usually its build-up is slow. It makes you wait to find out what happens. That used to be fun, but now it just feels too boring and like a waste of time.
So Are We Done With TV?
Not exactly. People still love movies and shows, but how we watch them has changed. Instead of watching one episode each week, we now binge entire seasons in a single weekend. Some people watch a show with their phone in their hand, pausing to scroll between scenes. Others just watch short clips on TikTok instead of the actual show.
There are also fewer people watching traditional TV channels. Streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime are now the main places to consume content like movies and shows. Even YouTube is turning into something more like a TV channel, with longer videos, mini-series, and live streams.
But even those platforms now have to compete with TikTok, where most videos are short and often less than a minute long.
What Are We Missing?
Short videos are fun. They are fast, they are funny, and they keep you entertained. But they also change how we think. Some experts say our attention span is shrinking. That means it is harder to focus on long tasks or pay attention in class. We get bored quickly. We want things now, not later.
Additionally, a 2025 study published in the Stanford University journal Intersect looked into the effects of TikTok on the attention span of high school freshmen. The study found that TikTok had a negative impact on students’ ability to stay focused during longer lessons and made it harder for them to absorb information in class.
We also miss out on deeper stories. A 30-second video might make us laugh, but it cannot make us feel the way a good movie or book can. Long stories give us time to think, to care, and to understand something bigger.
What Could Happen Next?
Apps like TikTok are not going away. In fact, they are only growing. But more and more people are starting to feel tired of fast content. Some users are taking breaks from social media. Others are trying to enjoy slower things again, like watching a full movie without checking their phone or reading a book.
Maybe the future is about balance. Short videos when you want something light and longer shows when you are ready to focus.
Final Thoughts
We are not done with TV. But we are definitely watching it differently. In a world of short videos and quick laughs, it can feel strange to sit down and watch something longer. But sometimes, it is worth it.