Srinagar, July 4 -- By Iffat Aurooj

Watch someone open Instagram or YouTube right now. Count how long they let a video play before their thumb moves.

Three seconds, maybe four.

The content isn't the problem. Something in the design of these platforms has trained an entire generation to feel discomfort the moment anything fails to deliver its payoff fast enough.

Reels and Shorts run on a simple loop. A video plays, the brain receives a small hit of reward, and the next clip loads before the last one fades.

Autoplay removes any natural stopping point, making it harder to close the app.

Over time, the brain stops expecting things to take time. It starts expecting everything to happen the way a video does: instantly.

This isn't casual ...