Watching a cartoon figure jump, slide and duck to avoid obstacles and collect streams of gold coins is TikTok’s latest fascination. One might also come across clips of Minecraft gameplay or baking videos featuring aesthetically pleasing pastries. Despite the variation in content, each video is narrated by a monotone voice reading posts from Reddit. From AITA questions to elaborate, yet possibly fake, Reddit submissions, TikTok has popularized Reddit-Subway Surfers stories.
In contrast to its current form, these Reddit-Subway-Surfers videos evolved from split-screen videos of Family Guy scenes and mobile gaming. To avoid copyright infringement, TikTok creators produced videos that displayed a split screen of Family Guy on the top part of the screen and a video of mobile gameplay on the lower half of the screen. Such content evolved into the Reddit story videos we binge today.
This trend has inspired countless memes, and has been dubbed entertainment for “iPad kids” with low attention spans. Some users mock these videos by creating satire displaying four different videos side by side, all at once. They’ve even reached older audiences; a TikTok featuring a university professor seemingly lecturing alongside a video of Subway Surfers gameplay recently went viral. It seems like the joke that Gen Z can only focus when exposed to mindless content is becoming a little too real.
The Golden Ratio of Overstimulation
Why is this content so enrapturing? Firstly, the videos’ automated narration stimulates the auditory part of our brains. When you become bored of listening, you can focus on the bright colors and constant movement of the accompanying video. Subway Surfers and Minecraft are repetitive games that could potentially allow viewers to enter a “flow state” according to Dr. Natalie Coyle, who has written on the psychology of video games. Coyle suggests that “footage of games like Subway Surfers has the potential to increase auditory attention.” Although one may be uninterested in the Reddit story, users are nonetheless invested in watching the gameplay.
‘Sludge Content’
One could play Subway Surfers or Minecraft to enjoy the gameplay itself, yet many choose to endlessly scroll through these combination videos on TikTok and Instagram instead. These low-effort, high-reward, dopamine-producing videos are a form of ‘sludge content,’ which “focuses on overstimulating its viewers with sounds and visuals … by combining two unrelated clips.”
The popularity of these videos proved to be profitable for creators, who found that they had to expend very little effort to produce viral content. QuagmireDailyLife, a sludge content creator, revealed that he operated five sludge content accounts. By posting multiple daily videos on each account, his videos received as many as 10 million views. Furthermore, many sludge content creators reported making $1,000 per month.
Unlikely Benefits
Although it may seem like sludge content reduces attention spans, viewers actually watch this content for 40 seconds on average, eight times longer than the average watch time for a TikTok video. Many creators take advantage of sludge content’s viewer retention to redirect attention to social issues. YouTube Channel Ostonox, an editor for political commentator and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, posted a video displaying Subway Surfers gameplay, kinetic sand cutting and a clip from Piker’s live stream discussing the Black Lives Matter movement. Although the video partially satirizes sludge content, Ostonox states “It actually did lead people to watch longer and listen to the video’s message.”
How To Escape the Rabbit Hole
Setting time restrictions on apps, turning off notifications and creating goals for how much time you want to spend online can help curb endless scrolling. There are also apps and browser extensions that prevent you from using your phone by blocking social media websites. To beat the allure of social media, try setting your phone display to black and white to lessen its visual appeal. Even doing something as simple as letting your phone battery die will inhibit you from accessing social media.
Reddit-Subway Surfers videos are an unusual product of the internet, yet have captivated the attention of many. While they are a form of “sludge content,” they have also proven to capture one’s attention for important and possibly insightful messages. Breaking free from technological addiction can be difficult, but understanding its nuances is the first step toward prevention.
