How Short-Form Videos Killed Long format Videos

Short-form videos, including Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, undoubtedly have drastically impacted the overall content ecosystem of videos, including long-form videos. Rather than killing them, they significantly changed how people consume content and how producers produce content and how platforms prioritise content. Here’s an extended look into just how this shift impacts the brain, body and industries worldwide:

1. Shift in Attention Spans

Short-form videos will succeed if they target the dwindling time attention that many viewers have. Of course, a good instance in this regard is TikTok, which literally made it possible for users to view hundreds of interesting and snackable video pieces in just a minute or two. And that will make most people prefer to view several 15-30 second video pieces together rather than committing some 10-20 minutes of his/her viewing time to a YouTube video. Over time, a new consuming pattern may develop into favouring fast, easily digested content.

2. Sleep Pattern Disturbance and Circadian Rhythm Disturbance

The tendency to watch short-form videos during the late night hour has led to patterns of behaviour. The blue emitted by screens and the psychological stimulation by riveting videos interfere with the body’s natural running circadian rhythm, thus delaying the onset of the melatonin hormone that causes sleep. Sleep quality reduces along with insomnia, resulting in an imbalanced internal clock of the body, which further impacts physical and mental health. 

3. Effects on the Human Brain

A succession of short pieces of content that flow quickly and are likely to be visually striking provokes a release of dopamine, which rewards the brain to go out looking for constant quick reward. The “dopamine loop” makes longer, richer content less appealing or rewarding. As people get accustomed to this velocity of consumption, brains begin to adapt towards instant gratification over meatier, more languid content.

4. Competitive Environment for Content Creators

Short-form videos will often be a more practical form through which content creators reach a wide audience because it is quicker and easier to produce than a well-edited 10-minute YouTube video. Comparing that scenario, shooting a 30-second clip on your phone is way easier than this. As short-form content continues to gain more attention, many creators may focus more on short-form platforms to get fast engagement and virality. For example, YouTube introduced Shorts in a move to not let creators go and keep users engaged. Such a development was that more creators started testing the waters with short-form videos and diverted some of the focus from long forms.

5. Content Creation Bifurcation

This added pressure to create shorter, more engaging videos has caused many creators to adapt and change their ways of producing. For example, most YouTubers today are creating long-form videos as well as Shorts in order to service segments of their audience. In fact, some content creators break up parts of their long-form content, hoping to catch viewers who have both short and long attention spans. Long-form videos remain popular, but the process of creating content is starting to take on a hybrid feel to it as short and long-form styles become entwined.

6. Algorithmic Preference

Short-form videos are typically preferred by the algorithm for two reasons. One, it tends to keep users on a platform for long periods of time. Indeed, a user may view 30 minutes of TikTok or Reels content, whereby the more engaging ads they see lead to higher revenue for the platform. This has fueled preferences among platforms such as Instagram and YouTube, as well as Facebook, to feature short-form videos in their feeds and discovery pages, often at the expense of long-form videos. For example, YouTube’s algorithm now favours the short-form videos so much that many long-form videos are being buried or reaching fewer people organically.

7. Global Revenue Shift: How Night Viewing Pays For Other Countries

One unseen consequence of this boom in short form video is its part in shifting global revenue. For example, people in the U.S., Europe, or India spend their night hours on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Reels and generate ad revenue for those whose platforms are based in China – for TikTok, or the U.S. – for YouTube. That ad revenue now creates a huge source of ad income for the parent companies once the algorithms of these video services target the viewers with their ads. They have also designed their algorithms to maximize engagement and, therefore, users become hooked on the stream – or the content-and the content is being constantly consumed to give the advertiser more impression and revenue.

8. Impact on the Movies Industry by Short-Form Videos

The growth of short-form video changed the dynamics of film. With shorter attention spans in people, studios are trying out shorter formats for movies or web series that last anywhere from 15-30 minutes to suit this new consumer behaviour. Even the nature of productions for trailers and marketing has changed due to the overriding usage of short-form videos. Instead of these full previews, studios are now doing short, snappy clips designed to catch your attention quickly, hoping to convert the scroll-happy individual into a ticket buyer.

Another aspect is an enhancement of binge-watching fueled by streaming platforms (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+), which also competes with short-form videos, further fragmenting audience attention. This is further challenging long-form cinematic experiences to compete with traditional TV shows and quicker viral videos, making movies even more difficult to promote their unique positions in the present crowded, fast-paced entertainment landscape.

9. Why movie enthusiasts are still watching movies despite short-form content

Even though the videos are short, in many respects, movies are indeed movies. They offer deeper emotional connections through complex characters and expansive narratives, something short videos can’t even match. In fact, movie watching, both in cinemas and among friends, remains a cultural ritual many people have nostalgic value for. Movies also provide a form of escapism with deeper narratives and more real worlds that could never be achieved by short-form videos or even by sets filled only with quick moments or chuckles.

10. The Mental & Physical Impact of Addiction to Shorts

Watching short-form content causes mental overload, which isn’t easy to concentrate for a long period and affects long-term memory negatively. Too much screen time is the cause of eye strain, headaches, and poor posture, often resulting in “tech neck” from leaning forward to interact with devices. Socially, continuous exposure to trends and to viral forms of content can lead to Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) and anxiety, and comparing one’s life to an idealised influencers’ lifestyle is bad for self-esteem.

A Balance, Not a “Killing”

While short-form videos have transformed the way everyone consumes media and rearranged priorities for many platforms, long-form videos are definitely not dead. They have added elements like short-form content or highlights, teaser clips, or “micro-videos” to blend with the trend.. Long-form videos still hold value for in-depth content such as tutorials, documentaries, or story-driven entertainment, and many platforms are supporting both formats. Rather than “killing” long-form videos, short-form content has simply changed the way audiences and creators interact with video content, offering more choices and more competition for attention.