New study shows: short social media videos alter our perception of time – with a surprising delay
Endless-loop videos – such as TikTok videos or Instagram Reels – are now among the most widely used forms of digital entertainment. Billions of people consume short, algorithmically curated video content every day. Whilst potential effects on mental health and attention have already been studied on numerous occasions, little is yet known about how this form of media use influences the subjective perception of time. A recent study involving 151 participants, conducted by Angelique Siebenhandl as part of her bachelor’s thesis in the Department of Psychological Methodology at Karl Landsteiner University in collaboration with colleagues, addressed precisely this question.
The researchers used a 14-day experience-sampling design in which participants used their own smartphones. This enabled measurements to be taken under real-life, everyday conditions without altering natural usage behaviour or the effect of the recommendation algorithms. In addition to a newly developed digital task for time estimation, mood (valence), arousal levels and situational factors such as distraction were also recorded. Additional measurements taken 15 and 30 minutes after video viewing were used to investigate how long any potential effects lasted.
Delayed change in time perception
The key finding of the study is surprising: immediately after watching the short videos, there was no change in subjective time perception compared with the baseline measurement. It was only 15 or 30 minutes later that the participants systematically underestimated the time that had elapsed. Angelique Siebenhandl explains that this is the first time a study has pointed to a delayed effect of video consumption on the perception of time: “We suspect that this effect could be attributable to cognitive post-processing or recovery from so-called ‘flow’ states. During intensive viewing of short videos, the brain may process information differently, causing the perception of time to change only afterwards. However, these explanatory models need to be tested in further studies.”
In contrast to the perception of time, there were hardly any lasting changes in the emotional variables. Although short-term changes in valence and arousal occurred immediately after watching the videos, these disappeared quickly, according to the researcher. “The results therefore do not support the idea that short videos lead to an improved mood in the long term. Rather, emotional changes were more strongly associated with situational distractions than with video consumption itself.”
Significance and limitations
The study is characterised by its high ecological validity, as all measurements took place in the participants’ everyday lives. At the same time, the authors also point out limitations: the sample consisted predominantly of young, highly educated, German-speaking women and therefore only partially represents the social media user base. Furthermore, differences between individual platforms such as TikTok, Instagram or YouTube could not be analysed separately.
Implications for research
The findings of the study suggest that the consumption of short videos on an endless loop can influence subjective time perception – albeit with a time lag and independently of mood or situational distractions. “Given the enormous prevalence of short-form video formats, even the small to moderate effect observed could be socially relevant, as it influences many people’s everyday sense of time and possibly also their media usage behaviour. We therefore see a significant need for further research, particularly into platform-specific differences, longer observation periods and objective measurements of screen time,” recommends Angelique Siebenhandl.
Original publication:
“The Association Between Excessively Watching Videos in Endless Loop on Social Media and Subjective Time Perception: An Experience Sampling Method Study – Karl Landsteiner Private University [1]”
DOI link: https://doi.org/10.1177/21522715261451013
