Short-form content can be addictive due to its brief, engaging nature and personalized algorithms, triggering dopamine releases and creating a cycle of constant stimulation.
The quick format provides instant gratification, making it hard to stop consuming. Mindfulness interventions may counter this addiction by promoting present-moment awareness and intentional focus.
This can help individuals recognize their app usage patterns, reduce automatic behaviors, and make conscious choices about their time.
Mindfulness also enhances self-regulation skills, potentially aiding users in resisting constant app checking and engaging more fully in academic pursuits.
Gongyu, L., Tingting, W., & Yaxuan, G. Effects of Short-form Video App Addiction on Academic Anxiety and Academic Engagement: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1428813. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1428813
Key Points
- Short-form video app addiction positively predicts academic anxiety and negatively predicts academic engagement among college students.
- Mindfulness mediates the relationships between short-form video app addiction and both academic anxiety and academic engagement.
- The study involved 1,879 Chinese undergraduate students.
- Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationships between variables.
- Limitations include the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-report measures.
- The research highlights the importance of addressing short-form video app addiction in academic settings and the potential role of mindfulness interventions.
Rationale
The increasing popularity of short-form video apps has raised concerns about their potential negative impact on academic performance.
While previous studies have explored the effects of smartphone addiction on various aspects of academic life (Enez Darcin et al., 2016; Zhang & Zeng, 2024), the specific impact of short-form video app addiction on academic anxiety and engagement has not been adequately investigated.
Additionally, the role of mindfulness in these relationships remains unexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the effects of short-form video app addiction on academic anxiety and engagement, as well as the mediating role of mindfulness.
Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing effective interventions to support students’ academic well-being in the digital age.
Method
The study employed a cross-sectional design using standardized self-report measures. Data were collected through an online survey platform, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationships between variables.
Procedure
Participants completed an online questionnaire that included measures of short-form video app addiction, mindfulness, academic anxiety, and academic engagement.
The questionnaire was distributed through a popular online survey platform in China.
Sample
The study included 1,879 undergraduate students from China (63.3% female, 36.7% male).
Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 23 years or older, with the majority (39.8%) being 19 years old.
Measures
- Short-Form Video App Addiction Scale (Choi & Lim, 2016; Zhang et al., 2019)
- Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS; Deng et al., 2012)
- Academic Anxiety Sub-questionnaire of the Academic Emotions Questionnaire (Dong & Yu, 2007)
- Engagement Scales (Fang et al., 2008; Schaufeli et al., 2002)
Statistical measures:
- Descriptive statistics
- Correlation analysis
- Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)
- Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
Results
Hypothesis 1: Short-form video app addiction has a significantly positive effect on academic anxiety.
Result: Supported (β = 0.26, p < 0.001)
Hypothesis 2: Short-form video app addiction significantly negatively affects academic engagement.
Result: Supported (β = -0.27, p < 0.001)
Hypothesis 3: Mindfulness mediates the relationship between short-form video app addiction and academic anxiety.
Result: Supported (indirect effect: 95% CI [0.03, 0.08])
Hypothesis 4: Mindfulness mediates the relationship between short-form video app addiction and academic engagement.
Result: Supported (indirect effect: 95% CI [-0.18, -0.11])
Insight
The study reveals that short-form video app addiction negatively impacts students’ academic experiences by increasing anxiety and decreasing engagement. Importantly, mindfulness plays a crucial role in mediating these relationships.
These findings extend previous research on smartphone addiction by specifically focusing on short-form video apps and their impact on academic outcomes.
The study highlights the potential of mindfulness interventions in mitigating the negative effects of short-form video app addiction on academic performance.
Future research could explore:
- Longitudinal studies to establish causal relationships
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing short-form video app addiction
- Cross-cultural comparisons of the observed relationships
- The role of other potential mediators or moderators, such as self-regulation or social support
Strengths
This study had several methodological strengths, including:
- Large sample size (1,879 participants)
- Use of validated measures
- Application of advanced statistical techniques (SEM)
- Examination of both direct and indirect effects
- Focus on a specific and increasingly relevant form of digital addiction
Limitations
This study also had several methodological limitations, including:
- Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences
- Reliance on self-report measures may introduce bias
- Sample limited to Chinese undergraduate students, potentially limiting generalizability
- Lack of consideration for objective and environmental variables
- Potential for common method variance due to single-source data collection
These limitations suggest that caution should be exercised when generalizing the findings to other populations or contexts.
Future studies should address these limitations by employing longitudinal designs, incorporating objective measures, and including diverse samples.
Implications
The findings have significant implications for educational practice and student well-being:
- Universities should develop policies and interventions to address short-form video app addiction among students.
- Mindfulness training programs could be integrated into academic curricula to help students manage digital distractions and improve academic engagement.
- Awareness campaigns about the potential negative impacts of excessive short-form video app use on academic performance should be implemented.
- Counseling services should be equipped to address issues related to digital addiction and its impact on academic anxiety and engagement.
- App developers and policymakers should consider implementing features that promote mindful use of short-form video apps.
The effectiveness of these implications may be influenced by factors such as cultural context, individual differences in susceptibility to addiction, and the evolving nature of digital technologies.
References
Primary reference
Gongyu, L., Tingting, W., & Yaxuan, G. Effects of Short-form Video App Addiction on Academic Anxiety and Academic Engagement: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1428813. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1428813
Other references
Choi, S. B., & Lim, M. S. (2016). Effects of social and technology overload on psychological well-being in young South Korean adults: The mediatory role of social network service addiction. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 245-254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.032
Deng, Y. Q., Li, S., Tang, Y. Y., Zhu, L. H., Ryan, R., & Brown, K. (2012). Psychometric properties of the Chinese translation of the mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS). Mindfulness, 3, 10-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-011-0074-1
Dong, Y., and Yu, G. L. (2007). The development and application of an academic emotions questionnaire. Acta Psychol. Sin. 5, 852–860.
Enez Darcin, A., Kose, S., Noyan, C. O., Nurmedov, S., Yılmaz, O., & Dilbaz, N. (2016). Smartphone addiction and its relationship with social anxiety and loneliness. Behaviour & Information Technology, 35(7), 520-525. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2016.1158319
Fang, L. T., Shi, K., & Zhang, F. H. (2008). Research on reliability and validity of Utrecht work engagement scale-student. Chin. J. Clin. Psychol, 16, 618-620.
Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness studies, 3, 71-92. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015630930326
Zhang, X., Wu, Y., & Liu, S. (2019). Exploring short-form video application addiction: Socio-technical and attachment perspectives. Telematics and Informatics, 42, 101243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2019.101243
Zhang, J., & Zeng, Y. (2024). Effect of College Students’ Smartphone Addiction on Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Academic Anxiety and Moderating Role of Sense of Academic Control. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 933-944. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S442924
Keep Learning
Socratic questions for a college class discussion:
- How might the cultural context of this study (conducted in China) influence the results, and how might they differ in other cultural settings?
- What are the potential long-term consequences of short-form video app addiction on academic and professional development?
- How can we balance the potential benefits of short-form video apps (e.g., quick access to information) with their potential drawbacks in academic settings?
- In what ways might the relationship between short-form video app addiction and academic outcomes differ across various academic disciplines?
- How can educational institutions effectively implement mindfulness interventions without adding to students’ already busy schedules?
- What ethical considerations should be taken into account when developing interventions to address short-form video app addiction among students?
- How might the findings of this study inform the design of educational technology and learning platforms?
- In what ways could the concept of “academic engagement” evolve in response to the increasing integration of digital technologies in education?
- How might the relationships observed in this study change as students progress through their academic careers and into professional life?
- What role should app developers and technology companies play in promoting mindful use of their products, particularly in educational contexts?
