I don't think it's any worse than any other form of media (like reading comments on hacker news instead of reading the article)

It is much worse lol

Videos cram so much stimulation over such a short period of time

Text you still have to read

Or, to spin it around -- given a standard, naive population, why are video platforms so much more successful than text ones?

Hypothesis: video is more addiction, regardless of content

Except I can read much faster than a video can convey information to me, almost always - I suspect the popularity of video to deliver information at least in some part stems from declining literacy. Whenever I have to watch a poor reader read something, I am honestly amazed they can function at all.

Have you used it?

We might not use HN the same way then...

I frequently give up on reading a thread midway down the page because it's requiring *too much focus*, and, get this, I might even interrupt my break and just go back to work early instead!

I don't think that would ever happen on a neverending infinite scroll of hyperengaging video.

Some of it is that for sure. But you could also make the counter argument about long form content. It doesn’t take 20 minutes to explain how to make a cake.

It doesn't take 30 seconds either.

TikTok has been pushing longer form content for a while. 60-90 seconds is plenty for a recipe

Definitely two sides of the same coin, struggle not to have a YT video playing if I’m alone and doing something else that should be enough for my focus.