Most young Brits now watch videos at x2 speed
More than three quarters (76%) of Gen Z say they watch video content at faster than regular speed so they can consume quickly. This is according to new research from Sky why which shows that millennials (53%), Gen X (23%) and Boomers (12%) also use increased playback speeds more often than they did two years ago.
As a result, while nearly a third (30%) of Brits now feel too slow at their normal pace. Sky noted that the nation’s appetite for speed extends beyond the fast-forward button with Brits also keen to cut time spent sitting in traffic (48%), being put on hold (48%), waiting for delayed flights or trains (43%) and waiting in a queue at the supermarket (40%).
For Gen Z, digital delays are another source of frustration from waiting for apps (23%) or video games (17%) to update to social media content taking too long to load (16%).
For Brits, putting life on fast-forward extends beyond social media or online content too. One in four (26%) admitted they’ve asked someone to get to the point when telling a story and almost a fifth (18%) have pretended to watch videos they’ve been shared, rising to 24% of Gen Z.
A further one in three of Gen Z (33%) skim long articles for key information, powerwalk around the supermarket (19%) or insist on checking the menu pre-dinner (26%) – with more than half voting themselves as the most impatient generation when consuming content (60%).
But the research suggests these habits aren’t simply about impatience. One in five (21%) say faster playback helps them get through educational content more quickly, 16% use it to fit useful content around busy lives and 20% say speeding up or skipping content makes them feel more in control of their time.
Not everything gets the fast forward treatment. More than half (56%) still prefer to watch TV and films at a regular speed, where pauses and tensions are part of the appeal.
A growing number of Brits won’t even get to the end of the video. Over a fifth of respondents (22%) abandon content if it fails to grab them within a mere 5 seconds or less, any interruption risks losing their attention altogether.
