Why You Can't Watch a 10-Minute Video Anymore! (I Dare YOU!!)

You saved the video. You wanted to watch it. Then you saw it was 14 minutes long, closed it, and scrolled for 40 minutes instead. So the problem isn't that you can't concentrate — you concentrated for 40 minutes straight, three seconds at a time. Four experiments explain why: Gloria Mark's 20 years of measuring how long people stay on one screen, Skinner's box and the unpredictable reward, Kent Berridge's rats that wanted without liking, and the room where people chose electric shocks over 15 minutes alone with their thoughts. Three rules while you watch: nothing else on, no skipping, phone out of reach. THE REP: tonight, take the film, chapter or video you've been avoiding, put your phone in another room, and see how far you get. Post the number below. I open the next video by reading them out. You saved the video. You wanted to watch it. Then you saw it was 14 minutes long, closed it, and scrolled for 40 minutes instead. So the problem isn't that you can't concentrate — you concentrated for 40 minutes straight, three seconds at a time. Four experiments explain why: Gloria Mark's 20 years of measuring how long people stay on one screen, Skinner's box and the unpredictable reward, Kent Berridge's rats that wanted without liking, and the room where people chose electric shocks over 15 minutes alone with their thoughts. Three rules while you watch: nothing else on, no skipping, phone out of reach. THE REP: tonight, take the film, chapter or video you've been avoiding, put your phone in another room, and see how far you get. Post the number below. I open the next video by reading them out. CHAPTERS 0:00 There is a certain kind of person 1:39 Three rules 2:07 The researcher with the stopwatch 3:11 The box 4:28 The experiment that will bother you 5:40 The room with the button 7:04 11:40 p.m. 8:06 What actually works 9:19 Tonight's rep REFERENCES • Mark, G. (2023). Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity. Hanover Square Press. • Mark, G., Gudith, D., & Klocke, U. (2008). The cost of interrupted work: More speed and stress. CHI. • Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. Macmillan. • Ferster, C. B., & Skinner, B. F. (1957). Schedules of Reinforcement. Appleton-Century-Crofts. • Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (1998). What is the role of dopamine in reward: hedonic impact, reward learning, or incentive salience? Brain Research Reviews. • Wilson, T. D., et al. (2014). Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind. Science. • Eastwood, J. D., Frischen, A., Fenske, M. J., & Smilek, D. (2012). The unengaged mind: Defining boredom in terms of attention. Perspectives on Psychological Science. • Danckert, J., & Eastwood, J. D. (2020). Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom. Harvard University Press. • Bowen, S., & Marlatt, A. (2009). Surfing the urge: Brief mindfulness-based intervention for college student smokers. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. This video is for educational purposes only and isn't a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. REFERENCES • Mark, G. (2023). Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity. Hanover Square Press. • Mark, G., Gudith, D., & Klocke, U. (2008). The cost of interrupted work: More speed and stress. CHI. • Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. Macmillan. • Ferster, C. B., & Skinner, B. F. (1957). Schedules of Reinforcement. Appleton-Century-Crofts. • Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (1998). What is the role of dopamine in reward: hedonic impact, reward learning, or incentive salience? Brain Research Reviews. • Wilson, T. D., et al. (2014). Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind. Science. • Eastwood, J. D., Frischen, A., Fenske, M. J., & Smilek, D. (2012). The unengaged mind: Defining boredom in terms of attention. Perspectives on Psychological Science. • Danckert, J., & Eastwood, J. D. (2020). Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom. Harvard University Press. • Bowen, S., & Marlatt, A. (2009). Surfing the urge: Brief mindfulness-based intervention for college student smokers. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. This video is for educational purposes only and isn't a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice.