Recently, the short drama market has been extremely hot.
During the Spring Festival, "I Was a Stepmother in the 80s" became a big hit. In the past, the short drama market was mainly based on local flavor and sinking market, but now it has swept the Internet and become the new favorite of mass entertainment.
These skits are like a kind of "drug", which makes people want to stop, and at the same time, it is also a lifesaver for the mental state of contemporary people.
Skit – the "sweet poison" of the brain
When we turn on the phone, such a picture hits the eyeballs, can you refuse?
Skits, for the brain, seem to be an irresistible **. This stems from an instinctive reaction deep within us.
Renowned psychologist Edward Lee Thorndike has long since revealedReinforcement theory。He proposes that human behavior is heavily influenced by the results of feedback. When our actions are rewarded in a positive way, they are more likely to be reborn.
Skits seem to inspire this reward mechanism more than any form of content.
In the sea of short **, we are surrounded by an intermittent intensification. The never-ending flow of information stimulates the brain's reward center: browsing**—the brain secretes dopamine—keep browsing—dopamine continues to secrete. This idea of "the next one may be more exciting" makes us unable to stop sliding our fingers, and dopamine is like a carrot in front of the donkey's eyes, making us look forward to the next **.
However, the skit brings real assurance to this idea of "next more exciting". Through well-designed conflict plots and strong emotional stimuli, such as revenge, counterattack, etc., the skit provides us with a more direct and stronger sense of reward.
Take the popular Spring Festival short drama "I Was a Stepmother in the 80s" as an example, the opening scene is the amazing picture of the heroine lying in the coffin, and when she wakes up, she finds that she has become the wife of a second-married pig farmer in the countryside in 1987. Such a setting immediately aroused the curiosity of the audience and wanted to do it.
And short dramas can always bring surprises to people in terms of plot reversal.
The handsome male protagonist who resembles a mixture of Huo Jianhua and Xiao Zhan came from the pigsty affectionately and told the heroine that he would always be by her side. Such a plot setting makes people feel excited and look forward to the next development.
In general,Skits are like "sweet poison" tailored to the brainIt's addictive.
The mental state of the contemporary is released in the short play
In the busy subway car, if you look closely, you will find that many office workers wearing work badges are engrossed in skits. Contrary to popular stereotypes, the proportion of young people in first- and second-tier cities is rapidly rising among the audience of short dramas.
The charm of short dramas has surpassed the so-called sinking market and middle-aged and elderly peopleThis attraction stems from the fact that the short drama can perfectly fit the spiritual needs of contemporary people.
It is particularly worth mentioning that the drama "I Was a Stepmother in the 80s" has taken the concept of revenge and no internal friction to the extreme. Faced with relatives who sow discord, the heroine decisively turned around and left; encountered a scumbag who harassed women, and the heroine scolded directly. No matter how difficult the predicament is, the heroine always takes a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye. What's even more heartwarming is that on her counterattack road, there is always a handsome male protagonist who accompanies her unconditionally.
So, why does everyone like to watch this kind of plot where revenge must be avenged, counterattack and kill?
This is actually because in real life, it is very difficult for us to achieve these wishes. The skit provides us with a stage to release stress and realize our dreams, allowing us to feel an indescribable satisfaction and pleasure in the short time of watching the movie.
When individuals are exposed to fictional works, there is a significant overlap between the active areas of the brain and those that are activated during real human interactions. This implies that there is a high degree of similarity between our interactions with fictional characters and real human experiences. Even if it's just one episode, people can still improve their emotional state through emotional connection.
In real life, we often crave stories that turn the tables against the wind as a way to seek solace. And in the busy work, the long working hours only exacerbate our desire for instant gratification.
After a long day's work, we no longer want to be exposed to content that requires deep thought, but rather to get a quick and immediate pleasure.
Although this ephemeral recreation may be seen as "entertainment garbage", it is actually a way for us to accumulate mental resources. Just as the body needs rest and relaxation, so does our willpower. Consciously pampering ourselves and enjoying a moment of relaxation and joy is an important preparation before we start again.
Behind the skit craze
In fact, it is the fading of cultural endurance
There is no need to be "guilty" about enjoying skits, but there is one phenomenon that cannot be ignored: we seem to be gradually losing interest in "serious" and "logically rigorous" cultural products.
After entering the workplace, the ability to immerse myself in ** in an afternoon seems to disappear without a trace. We used to be keen to listen to the singers one by one, but now we only have a short**background** in our minds....
It's a loss of cultural stamina, and it's a kind of contemporary workplaceBurnout
This burnout is just a faint spark at first, which gradually drains the energy of your workday and the enthusiasm for dating. As the hours of work accumulate and the fire grows, you become more and more silent, moving away from the latest movies and relying on three-minute commentary. You no longer want to turn on the projector and just want to watch some relaxing short **...
In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially included job burnout in the International Classification of DiseasesIt is considered a syndrome triggered by chronic work stress。Cognitive science research has shown that when burnout hits, the brain releases a lot of stress-related chemicals that impair the function of the brain's prefrontal cortexThis in turn affects attention, working memory, executive ability, and brain processing speed
How do we deal with the dilemma of seeking immediate gratification while not giving up the ability to taste serious work?
It's not a problem to let go of your guilt and enjoy your happiness.
Feelings of guilt don't lead us away from indulgence, but it may make us more addicted to it. Instead of blaming yourself excessively and even punishing yourself, it is better to calmly enjoy those light-hearted and enjoyable moments. Adequate rest is the only way to better recover your energy.
Find a quiet time and create an uninterrupted work environment for yourself.
Deep reading or flow experience requires a period of uninterrupted time. If work is taking up most of your time, try to set aside some time for yourself to read in the morning, and to be accompanied by a full "cultural stamina" when the pressure is not yet on your part. Of course, a little sense of ritual can also make a big difference. For example, taking a shower, going to the library, or arranging a reading corner for yourself can give you good psychological cues.
The most important thing is that there is no high or low level of happiness. Whether it's the focused pleasure we get from reading and watching movies, or the ease of releasing when watching short dramas, it's our real emotional feedback. As long as you do what you love, it's not a waste of time.