Study links short-form video addiction to a decline in teenagers’ academic coping skills

A new study published in Computers in Human Behavior explores the impact of excessive short-form video app usage on high school students' academic coping skills. Researchers at South China Normal University, led by Guanxing Xiong, conducted a one-year longitudinal study involving 1,567 first-year high school students in Eastern China.

The researchers examined the connection between short-form video addiction and academic buoyancy, a measure of how well students navigate everyday school pressures. This research differs from previous studies that focused on extreme outcomes like anxiety, sleep problems, and poor grades, which typically manifest later in the development of video addiction.

The study employed Temporal Self-Regulation Theory, which posits that human behavior is influenced by the ongoing battle between immediate gratification and the effort required to accomplish long-term goals. In this context, students face the challenge of delaying gratification while using short-form video apps that provide instant sensory stimulation and emotional rewards.

Data was collected through three surveys conducted six months apart. Participants were asked to evaluate their levels of short-form video addiction, future time perspective (the ability to envision the future and connect present actions to future outcomes), and academic buoyancy (the capacity to handle routine school stress). Students rated their agreement with statements assessing their ability to cope with schoolwork difficulties and their inclination to think about the long-term consequences of their actions.

The results indicated a cyclical relationship between video habits and academic coping skills. Students with higher levels of video addiction at the start of the study experienced a decline in academic buoyancy six months and one year later. Conversely, students who maintained high academic buoyancy were less likely to develop video addiction six months later. This suggests that academic buoyancy can act as a protective factor against the allure of endless video consumption.

Furthermore, the study discovered that high video addiction levels predicted a narrowed future time perspective, which in turn led to lower academic buoyancy. Compulsive engagement with short-form videos appears to anchor students' attention in the present moment, making the delayed rewards of studying less appealing. This creates a negative feedback loop where excessive video consumption and poor academic coping reinforce each other.

On a positive note, the research found that students who maintained a strong focus on their future goals exhibited better academic buoyancy over time. Additionally, students who successfully managed daily school stress gradually developed a stronger, long-term view of their futures. While the study relied on self-reported surveys, which may be subject to bias, it provides valuable insights into the dynamic relationship between short-form video habits and academic coping skills.