Tralalero Tralala: The Influence of Sludge Content on Attention

The study sought to explore the impact of sludge content, which is characterized by short-form digital videos that are chaotic and provide constant stimulation, on the concentration of college students. The study was based on the Information Processing Theory by Atkinson and Shiffrin, the Capacity Model of Attention Theory by Kahneman, and Cognitive Load Theory. The study utilized an experimental quantitative approach involving two groups of participants, who were purposely selected among 30 college students and randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. Each participant was asked to take part in the Free Recall Memory Test. A paired sample t-test was used to compare the results of the recall performance between the control and experimental groups. The pre-test scores (p = 0.052) and the post-test scores (p = 0.365) showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups (p > a); thus, sludge content had no observable effect on cognitive function, specifically attention. This suggests that sludge content may not be the primary driver of attention span in this specific context. However, the lack of significance does not imply that the methods used to evaluate cognitive functioning during the experiment were not sensitive enough to capture subtle changes, which necessitate the development of more effective tools.