Researchers at Microsoft have found that the average human attention span is a depressingly low 8 seconds. In comparison, the attention span of a goldfish is even a surprising 9 seconds and almost two decades ago, our attention span was actually four seconds longer. Many researchers have attributed this decline to the growing digital age that has bombarded us with continuous streams of content, meaning we had to learn how to quickly filter and find information that’s actually relevant to us. However, it is unfortunate we enacted this process upon the what-used-to-be beautiful world of YouTube cooking. 

Every kid had some phase where they got into food and cooking. When I was a little kid with nothing better to do, I would pull up 20-minute long YouTube videos teaching me how to make stew or steak and watch in astonishment as they finely cut vegetables and elegantly seared different meats. But my favorites were always the baking channels such as Nerdy Nummies by Rosanna Pansino, How To Cook That by Ann Reardon, and How To Cake It with Yolanda Gampp where they posted 20-40 minute videos of just elaborate cake making/decorating. I even made several entertaining attempts at baking and cooking along with these amazing chefs but it somehow never ended as great as the final result of their videos. 

So you can probably envision how depressed I was when I went back to the How To Cook That channel after a few years where she started asking viewers to support her on the fundraising site Patreon, something she’s never asked from her viewers. When I watched her channel as a kid, it was booming. She was celebrating million after millions of subscribers but now struggles to get decent and sustainable views on her cooking videos. 

What happened to this amazing and high-quality corner of YouTube? I blame this tragedy on our shortening attention spans. All the past viewers of these authentic cooking channels have moved to other channels that now focus more on speed and pumping out content than actual viewer engagement. For example, you may be among the 17.4 million subscribers of Buzzfeed Tasty, a subchannel of Buzzfeed on YouTube that often posts extremely short cooking videos lasting only 1-2 minutes long. They promise their viewers that they upload new recipes every day yet much of their content is often variations on old videos and their cooking compilations are simply the same 10 recipes used over and over again. But you can imagine that for a teen who can barely conjure the motivation to do their homework, this kind of content is exactly what they need. Its quick, easy, and undisruptive. Unlike the 30-minute long baking videos other cooking channels post, these videos mean people don’t have to sacrifice productivity and relaxation. With everyone’s bustling schedules, people nowadays simply don’t have the time now to get invested in long, strenuous videos that require attention each second. 

There are some channels out there who simply don’t even care about the content they post. So Yummy is another popular “cooking” channel with over 8 million subscribers that posts the same short, sped-up recipes every day to give their viewers constant, updated content. Unlike Buzzfeed Tasty, however, So Yummy recipes have actually been shown to be either complete failures or dangerous hazards. Other YouTube creators have actually tried some of So Yummy’s tutorials and have realized they simply don’t work. In a caramel decoration video, many of the “hacks” with caramel were edited to result in the desired product when in reality, they fail and scientifically make no sense. They even suggest pouring boiling caramel over spinning electric beaters to create a caramel bird’s nest dessert decoration. However, if 12-year-old kids, their main audience, were to actually try this, they may suffer intense burns from flying caramel strings. What is disgusting is the fact So Yummy simply does not care. As long as they can somehow get videos uploaded each day, people will keep watching as this is the fast and digestible content they seem to want. 

I truly hope that YouTube users can find their enjoyment for real and genuine cooking/baking videos again. These home creators work hard to provide amazing content to their subscribers and hope to share with the world their actual love for cooking. They aren’t searching for a profit and know anyone can jump into the world of cooking anytime. So when you get a few minutes to spare, make sure to check out the creators that have been a crucial pillar to YouTube’s success for so many years.

 

Works Cited:

McSpadden, Kevin. “Science: You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish.” Time, Time, 14 May 2015, time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/.

For the past two years, I have never been able to truly relax. Every minute, every second of my life has been consumed with the thought of my dog, Atlas, and how he is doing at that very moment. I evaluate his level of satisfaction and my ability to care for him every time I stare into his ice-blue eyes and although he is a “pet”, I know he has become so much more in so many positive yet negative ways.

The books, TV shows, and movies have all been a lie. These sources of entertainment have only shown the beautiful moments of dog-raising when truly there are twice as many moments of stress as there are moments of glee. 

I am unsure if my experience is truly different from other people’s, but dog-raising for me has always been a process of continual stress with moments of immense enjoyment. The bar for caring for Atlas has been set so high by my sister who because only sees him once in a while due to medical school, spoils him severely and raises his expectations every time she comes back. We’ve switched from kibble to raw-meat patties that must be thawed every day. We’ve given him the most luxurious toys and experiences. His schedule is packed with activities to expend his high-energy levels that I must remember every day. As much as I want to take a nap after school, I have to drive him to the dog park daily or else his unused energy will unwind itself at night when I have to study for three tests the next day. I can no longer afford to be lazy as the bare minimum has become these exhausting tasks. 

Dog-raising also means experiencing anxiety at any moment. When I leave home, I feel guilty. When I drop him off at the doggy daycare, I feel guilty. When I choose to study over playing with him for ten minutes, I feel guilty. When he sleeps during the day, I panic over whether or not it’s because he’s actually tired or if he’s bored. Every time it rains, I feel guilty over the fact we can’t go outside that day. 

Along with the guilt is also the frequent bursts of frustration. Whenever he gets dirty at the park and I have to shower him even though he was groomed the day before, I want to rip my head off. He’ll even go on hunger strikes until we give him table food that he physically cannot eat. Every decision I make now has a consequence and the range of emotions continues to fluctuate. Of course, raising him as become much easier since he was a puppy but at the end of the day, a Huskie is a Huskie and the never-ending levels of energy never disappear.

I know this all sounds like a frustrating rant, but it really isn’t. Am I annoyed sometimes at how much work I feel I’m expected to put in? Yes. But is it all a waste? Of course not. I know that the more I invest in Atlas the more he’ll give me back and it may sound ridiculous considering the fact he is indeed a dog, but Atlas is smart. I can tell when he appreciates me and as much as he annoys me sometimes, he knows it’s because we have a mutual relationship of love. 

My advice to anyone thinking of getting a dog is to genuinely evaluate the lifestyle you want to live after getting one. If you expect no change, then maybe a dog isn’t the right decision. If you’re genuinely ready to commit 100% of yourself to the most ridiculous and goofy animal on the planet, then I say go for it. You’ll also need to see what kind of life you’re ready to give your dog. You can be like my sister who has made it her life goal to give him the best life possible. You can be like me and just try you’re best. But if you don’t care about their wellbeing and will still see them as nothing more than an animal, then I would suggest a goldfish instead. 

Dog raising is going to be hard. It’s going to be frustrating. You’re going to hate so many parts of it but at the end of the day, the sound of his nails tapping the floor as he runs to greet you at the door or when he licks your face after a long day will make it all worth it, trust me.