Fast forward again on your phone! Can long-term use of high-speed video be harmful to the brain?

In the fast-paced modern life, playing videos at double speed has become a common habit for many people. However, recent studies have pointed out that watching videos at double speed for a long time may have certain negative effects on the brain. So, is this statement scientific? What effects will watching videos at double speed have on the brain?

1. The impact of watching videos at double speed on the brain

Decreased comprehension

Playing videos at double the speed can significantly reduce the audience's comprehension ability. When videos are played at 2-3 times the speed, the audience often cannot catch every detail, especially low-frequency sounds and nuances in dialogue. For example, in a dialogue scene, background noise or the sound of a vacuum cleaner may be ignored, resulting in a deviation in the audience's understanding of the plot.

Studies have shown that most people cannot hear every word clearly even at normal speed, and comprehension drops significantly when videos are played at 2-3 times the speed.

Increased cognitive load

Playing at double speed will disrupt the normal rhythm of the video content, making the picture and sound rush and chaotic. In order to keep up with this rhythm, the audience needs to concentrate more, which may lead to distraction and weaken the ability to understand deeply. In the long run, it may have a negative impact on the cognitive function of the brain.

Impaired short-term memory

Fast playback disrupts the logical order and timeline of the video content, making it difficult for the audience to form a clear memory framework. In addition, due to the excessive amount of information, the audience often cannot fully digest and absorb every detail, causing the memory content to become vague and fragmented.

Psychological and emotional impact

Playing at double speed may also weaken the audience's emotional resonance and emotional regulation ability. Under fast playback, the plot development and emotional expression in the video become hasty and vague, making it difficult for the audience to fully feel and understand the emotional connotation.

The impact on young people is greater

The brains of adolescents are not yet fully developed, and their sensitivity and adaptability to external stimuli are relatively weak. Therefore, frequently watching videos at high speeds may have a more significant negative impact on their attention, memory, and cognitive abilities.

2. Potential harms of watching videos at double speed

Difficulty concentrating

After watching videos at double speed, the brain gets used to the fast-switching information, and will feel bored with the relatively slow and stable information, which will distract the attention. This is like a person who has been listening to fast-paced music and suddenly hears soothing music and finds it difficult to adapt.

Feeling anxious

Because the brain has been in a tense state of receiving information, when you return to normal life, you will feel that everything is too slow and easily become impatient.

Decreased sleep quality

After watching videos at double speed, the brain is in an excited state, making it difficult to calm down and enter sleep mode, thus affecting sleep quality.

3. How to watch videos healthily

Choose the right playback speed

For content that requires deep understanding and memory (such as educational videos), it is recommended to maintain an appropriate playback speed, such as 1.25 or 1.5 times. Studies have shown that appropriately speeding up the playback speed is beneficial to learners' cognitive processing, but too fast will have a negative impact.

Take a break

Regardless of the purpose of watching videos, it is not recommended to listen to or watch content continuously for a long time. Taking off the headphones or taking a break appropriately can relieve brain fatigue.

Focus on content quality

Choose valuable content to watch and avoid over-consumption of low-quality video content. Although double-speed playback can save time, it is difficult to achieve good learning or entertainment effects if the content itself is not of high quality.

Develop the habit of deep thinking

Try to reduce your reliance on speed playback and cultivate the habit of deep thinking and concentration. This will not only help improve learning efficiency, but also protect brain health.

In short, although watching videos at double speed can save time to a certain extent, long-term excessive use may have adverse effects on the brain. In order to protect brain health, it is recommended to use the double speed function reasonably and pay attention to the way and frequency of watching videos.