Fast-forwarding Might Be Hurting Your Brain丨倍速看視頻的人天塌了

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Do you often hit the fast-forward button when binge-watching shows or catching up on online courses?

Recently, a trending topic shocked many who rely on faster playback: apparently, speed-watching videos may harm the brain.

Does speed-watching really harm your brain?

Many netizens admitted they rely on faster playback, often simply to save the time.

What does science say?

Science China noted that in an age of information overload, people — especially adolescents whose brains are still developing — should be cautions about accelerating content.

Studies indicate thataccelerated playback could negatively impact attention span, memory retention, critical thinking, and even cognitive, emotional, and social development, particularly for adolescents, whose brains are still developing.

According to an article published by Zhongshan Hospital, affiliated with Fudan University, long-term reliance on faster playback speeds may train the brain to process information in a fragmented way. This can weaken deep thinking and sustained attention, leading to what experts call a "superficial cognitive pattern".

Over time,this pattern may contribute to memory decline, reduced comprehension, and even impaired emotional regulation.

So how do we watch videos in a healthier way?

Use faster playback selectively, for example, speed up light review materials or familiar topics, but slow down for complex lectures or content requiring reflection. Let the playback speed serve your comprehension, not control it.

Add "speed bumps" and "rest areas" for your brain — pauses between videos or segments — and schedule "rest areas" during long sessions. This helps prevent cognitive overload and improves information retention.

Practice focus-recovery exercise

To counterbalance the potential fragmentation caused by speed-watching, consciously engage in activities that require deep focus.

Read a book without skimming, meditate, or take notes while learning. Strengthening your capacity for slow, deliberate thinking can restore cognitive balance and enhance overall mental clarity.

Enjoy your viewing — and keep your mind sharp!

你平時刷劇、看網課會開倍速嗎？

最近，很多習慣了“加速人生”的網友們，被一條熱搜整破防了：據說，看倍速視頻會傷害我們的大腦。

所以……開倍速到底會不會傷害我們的大腦呢？

不少網友坦言自己看劇離不開倍速模式，也有人表示自己就是為了節省時間。

科學怎么說？

科普中國曾發文提到，“加速”是一個需要警惕的行為：在信息爆炸的時代，我們很容易“困”在內容里，被鋪天蓋地的知識沖昏了頭腦。但實際上對于我們，尤其是對于大腦還處于發育階段的青少年來說，“加速”是一個需要警惕的行為，它很可能對注意力、記憶力或批判能力，以及認知、情感和社會發展能力都產生影響。

復旦大學附屬中山醫院也曾發文表示：長期依賴倍速模式可能導致大腦習慣于碎片化信息處理，削弱深度思考與持續注意力。

研究表明，持續高速接收信息會使大腦前額葉皮層（負責邏輯與決策）的活躍度降低，轉而依賴快速反應的基底神經節，形成“淺層認知模式”。這種模式可能引發記憶力減退、理解力下降，甚至影響情緒調節能力。

那么，如何才能真正健康地觀看視頻呢？

1.明確內容屬性，區別對待

將觀看內容分類，有選擇地使用倍速播放功能。讓速度服務于內容吸收，而非被速度掌控。

對于需要深度理解和記憶的知識型內容，建議用原速或稍快速度（如1.25倍），確保理解透徹；對于純娛樂或已了解的劇情，可使用較高倍速以節省時間。

2.為大腦設置“減速帶”與“休息區”

避免長時間連續高速觀看視頻，設置“減速帶”與“休息區”能有效防止認知超載，提升信息轉化率。

可以采用“番茄工作法”，每觀看25—30分鐘，就暫停5分鐘，讓大腦從被動接收轉為主動休息，比如遠眺、喝水或簡單活動。在觀看復雜內容時，遇到關鍵點主動暫?；虻够?，給自己留下思考消化的時間。

3.定期進行“專注力補償訓練”

為了平衡倍速觀看視頻可能帶來的注意力碎片化，需要有意識地鍛煉大腦的“慢思考”能力。

每天可以安排15—30分鐘，進行無需倍速的深度活動，例如：耐心閱讀紙質書籍、練習正念冥想、或者專注地聆聽一首完整的古典音樂。這些活動能像給大腦做瑜伽一樣，幫助恢復和維持持久的注意力。

祝大家觀看愉快，頭腦清醒～

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This cover is generated by AI

Source: Unipus, Science China, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China Daily Bilingual News

Edited by Wang Liwei

Reviewed by Chen Yiting，Shi Sijia，Liu Kenbo