Moreish Media
Renjie Bao of Princeton University via Tyler Cowen:
I study how short-form design amplifies self-control problems in digital media. Short units repeatedly renew temptation that lasts longer than each unit, turning local temptation into sustained overconsumption. Using microdata from a U.S. short-drama platform, I exploit a nonlinear top-up menu to infer viewing plans and show that paying users watch 82.1% more than intended. Structural estimates imply an average temptation horizon of 11.2 minutes, short relative to the full drama but long relative to one-minute episodes. Counterfactuals show that larger decision units, default limits, and breaks improve long-run welfare. A short-video calibration highlights the broader welfare relevance.
Short-form feeds are like Pringles: once you pop, you can't stop.
Each reel lasts a minute. The wanting lasts eleven. The unit always ends before the appetite does. And the tube never runs out.