The emergence of split screen ‘sludge content’ has added fuel to the fire of debate around the effect of social media on people’s ability to concentrate. But in a counterintuitive turn of events, second screens may be helping young people to knuckle down, concentrate and re-focus.
There is a lot to be said about the effect of social media on young people’s minds – and most of it isn't good. One of the more pervasive narratives within this conversation is the idea that attention spans are getting shorter.
Debate on the trajectory of attention spans aside, young people are spending more time online and turning to second screens as a way to satiate their need for extra stimulation.
In fact, 84% of Gen Y and 94% of Gen Zers are splitting their time between televisions and other devices simultaneously – Zers are most likely to be watching TV shows they’ve already seen when they engage in digital multitasking.
With this shift a new trend has emerged: welcome to the era of ‘sludge content’.
Primarily seen on TikTok this content features a main piece of media alongside at least one other piece of media, like ASMR soap cutting or a clip from the Subway Surfers mobile game that’s visually arresting but doesn’t have any audio.
Much like YouTube videos of old, the splicing of TikToks with more generic content is thought to have originated as a means of evading copyright takedowns – but they have since become so prolific they've gained a loyal following all of their own.
Videos of this kind that feature Family Guy content are estimated to have clocked 69 billion views on TikTok, inspiring a whole subgenre of content in the process.
Split-screen videos are proving pretty popular too and this is supported by research in which 54% of Gen Zers say that watching multiple videos at once holds their attention.
Split-screen and video splicing have gained immense popularity due to their ability to enhance storytelling and engagement in visual content. This technique allows for juxtaposition, contrast, and parallel storytelling that can highlight simultaneous events all at once.
In the era of short attention spans, these visual techniques captivate audiences by maximizing visual stimuli and creating a more compelling viewing experience.
So what does this shift about the way we consume content?
Well, YouTube educator VSauce - AKA Michael Stevens - says that ‘sludge content’ is just a new formulation of a well-worn human practice. He compares it to watching the TV whilst catching up with a friend and says that examples of people multitasking while consuming content are abundant.
Digital media researcher Dr. Bjørn Nansen says that “this type of content easily slips into the background […] and so [is] well suited to accompanying other, more attention-demanding content.”
Big brands and media players are taking note of people's digital juggling behaviours.
ESPN seems to have cottoned onto this change. In collaboration with Verizon and the National Hockey League (NHL), their show ‘The Drop’ is now accompanied by two AR mini-games which viewers can play while hosts Arda Öcal and Greg Wyshynski discuss the NHL.
Is sludge content evidence of a growing need for stimulation? Maybe. Is it something that everyone wants to engage with when they reconsider their relationship with smartphones and tech? Probably not.
But that might not matter.
The reality is that second screening is a common practice that allows people's style of focus to become more fine-tuned to move quickly between content. And dual screening is helping to increase focus when most would think it'd do the exact opposite.
At a time marked by constant connectivity and information overload, Gen Y and Z often appreciate the opportunity to engage in dual screening, effortlessly navigating between various sources of content.
The amalgamation of diverse content on a single screen aligns with their preference for quick, varied, and visually stimulating information consumption, reflecting the adaptability of digital-native mindsets.
