Do you still watch long YouTube videos, or has your attention shift to only Reels and Shorts?

Yeah, I still watch long YouTube videos — but way less than before.

A few years ago, I'd easily sit through a 45-minute documentary or a long podcast-style video without even checking the time. Now? I open YouTube, see a 20-minute video, and my brain immediately goes "that's too long."

Reels and Shorts did something to me. My patience just... shrunk. I scroll through 10 Shorts in 3 minutes and feel like I've "watched enough." It's a weird feeling.

But I haven't fully given up on long videos. When I genuinely care about a topic — like a deep tutorial, a travel vlog, or someone explaining something complex — I still watch the whole thing. Sometimes I even enjoy it more because it feels rare now.

The difference is, I have to choose to watch long content. It doesn't happen automatically anymore. Shorts just play themselves.

Honestly, I still watch long YouTube videos — but not as easily as before. Reels and Shorts have definitely changed my attention span a little, because now I’m so used to getting quick entertainment in seconds.

At the same time, long videos still hit differently when the content is actually interesting. If it’s something I really care about — like a good vlog, podcast, documentary, or deep topic — I can still sit and watch it. It just has to be worth my attention now.

I think that’s the biggest shift: it’s not that long-form content is dead, it’s just competing with faster content all the time. Shorts are easier to consume, but long videos still feel more satisfying when you actually want depth instead of just distraction.

So yeah, my attention has definitely been affected — but I haven’t fully switched. It really depends on my mood and the content.