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.