From doomscrolling to “brain rot”, the way we consume content is rapidly evolving. And the trend of watching and listening to online videos in two times speed is growing.
Dr Steven Buckley, Lecturer in Digital Media Sociology at City St George’s, University of London, says it’s no wonder why Londoners are pressing fast-forward.
“There’s a deluge of content these days,” he says. “We’ve got so much choice that people feel they have to consume as much as possible, just to keep up with what’s happening or what their friends are talking about.”
This year, Instagram brought in an update to allow their users to watch reels at two times speed, however, some apps may be pressing rewind.
Some TikTok users have taken to the platform to complain about a recent update that’s made it less convenient to watch videos in two times speed.
Between busy schedules, people love to cram in content, and some might say there’s no better way to do it than in two times speed.
“There’s a fear of missing out,” Dr Buckley adds. “People think, ‘I’ve got to get through this somehow,’ because there’s simply not enough time in the day otherwise.”
“The work-life balance most people have now means they barely have any free time,” he says. “So whatever little time they do get, they cram in as much as possible. Watching things at double speed lets them do that.”
Londoners scrolling on their phones whilst travelling on the tube.
But it’s not just social media being sped up.
Love Islander Curtis Pritchard told us:
“I do listen to my voice notes in 1.5x speed”.
Credit: Matthew Capon
This is what Londoners had to say.
“Everyone wants time nowadays, and it’s just easier to get that in two times speed.”
One individual said:
“It’s slightly worrying that our attention spans are so short, that we can’t have a normal interaction with someone at normal speed, and at some point does that blur into our personal lives where you’re chatting to someone and you almost want them to speed up.”
Pritchard echoes many others in also saying that “time is valuable”.
There’s good news for younger generations, Dr Buckley says studies show that for younger people, roughly those under 35, consuming audio at up to 2.5x speed has no major impact on comprehension
“For older viewers, though, those over 45, there’s a noticeable impact on how much information they can recall,” he adds.
Whilst life in London moves fast, is consuming content in two times speed the only way to keep up?
Dr Buckley says, “two times speed it’s a phenomenon that is here to stay for the most part.”
So, whether or not we choose to embrace it, life at two times may be the new normal.
Ultimately, it’s up to us to decide when it’s time to hit pause.
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HeadlineBlink and You’ll Miss It: Londoners are Hooked on Watching Content at 2x Speed
Short HeadlineAre Londoners' Attention Spans Fried?
StandfirstFor many Londoners, speeding up content on social media is just practical. For others, it may suggest that they can't slow down.
From doomscrolling to “brain rot”, the way we consume content is rapidly evolving. And the trend of watching and listening to online videos in two times speed is growing.
Dr Steven Buckley, Lecturer in Digital Media Sociology at City St George’s, University of London, says it’s no wonder why Londoners are pressing fast-forward.
“There’s a deluge of content these days,” he says. “We’ve got so much choice that people feel they have to consume as much as possible, just to keep up with what’s happening or what their friends are talking about.”
This year, Instagram brought in an update to allow their users to watch reels at two times speed, however, some apps may be pressing rewind.
Some TikTok users have taken to the platform to complain about a recent update that’s made it less convenient to watch videos in two times speed.
Between busy schedules, people love to cram in content, and some might say there’s no better way to do it than in two times speed.
“There’s a fear of missing out,” Dr Buckley adds. “People think, ‘I’ve got to get through this somehow,’ because there’s simply not enough time in the day otherwise.”
“The work-life balance most people have now means they barely have any free time,” he says. “So whatever little time they do get, they cram in as much as possible. Watching things at double speed lets them do that.”
Londoners scrolling on their phones whilst travelling on the tube.
But it’s not just social media being sped up.
Love Islander Curtis Pritchard told us:
“I do listen to my voice notes in 1.5x speed”.
Credit: Matthew Capon
This is what Londoners had to say.
“Everyone wants time nowadays, and it’s just easier to get that in two times speed.”
One individual said:
“It’s slightly worrying that our attention spans are so short, that we can’t have a normal interaction with someone at normal speed, and at some point does that blur into our personal lives where you’re chatting to someone and you almost want them to speed up.”
Pritchard echoes many others in also saying that “time is valuable”.
There’s good news for younger generations, Dr Buckley says studies show that for younger people, roughly those under 35, consuming audio at up to 2.5x speed has no major impact on comprehension
“For older viewers, though, those over 45, there’s a noticeable impact on how much information they can recall,” he adds.
Whilst life in London moves fast, is consuming content in two times speed the only way to keep up?
Dr Buckley says, “two times speed it’s a phenomenon that is here to stay for the most part.”
So, whether or not we choose to embrace it, life at two times may be the new normal.
Ultimately, it’s up to us to decide when it’s time to hit pause.
