YouTube is reportedly developing a new feature aimed at helping users manage their time spent on Shorts, a popular short-form video platform. An APK teardown of the latest beta version of the YouTube app has unveiled code suggesting that users will soon have the ability to set a daily timer to limit their Shorts viewing. This feature would allow users to choose a timer for either minutes or hours, catering to various consumption preferences. Doomscrolling, the habit of endlessly scrolling through content, is a common issue with short-form videos.
For many users, it can lead to adverse effects such as distraction, poor time management, and reduced learning capacity. Despite these potential downsides, YouTube Shorts continues to thrive, garnering over 70 billion daily views. The platform has aggressively promoted Shorts with user-friendly tools that facilitate content creation. However, it appears that Google is beginning to acknowledge the addictive nature of these videos and the consequences they may have on users’ lives.
The new feature, as revealed by the APK teardown, will incorporate a dedicated daily timer for Shorts scrolling. This timer functions separately from the existing “Take a break” reminder, which applies to general video watching. Once the user-defined limit is reached, the timer will pause further scrolling through Shorts, promoting a healthier viewing experience. However, users will still have access to individual Shorts that may appear elsewhere on the platform, such as in the Home feed or search results.
While the exact timeline for a widespread rollout of this feature remains uncertain, the presence of the code in the beta version indicates that YouTube is actively testing its functionality. It remains to be seen whether this new timer will effectively help viewers take necessary breaks from the addictive scrolling of Shorts.
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