Peer support in “Study With Me” videos boosts college students’ motivation, engagement, and satisfaction

For many college students, studying alone can feel isolating and demotivating.

To break that monotony, millions have turned to “Study With Me” (SWM) videos—online sessions where people broadcast or watch others studying, often in real-time.

This trend, especially popular among Generation Z, blends personal productivity with a sense of social connection. But how much does this virtual company really help with learning?

A new study offers compelling answers.

A 2025 study by Rui Hou and colleagues, published in Frontiers in Psychology, explores the role of peer support in SWM sessions and how it influences students’ academic satisfaction and engagement.

A student working at home on the laptop and writing notes.

The researchers found that peer support—feeling emotionally or socially backed by others studying alongside you—was strongly linked to greater motivation, stronger belief in one’s abilities, higher learning satisfaction, and deeper engagement.

It also appeared to reduce test anxiety, making SWM more than just a digital trend, but a meaningful tool for academic well-being.

“Study With Me” videos are typically either livestreamed or prerecorded. In both formats, viewers watch someone study—often silently—with a timer, background music, or ambient visuals. Sometimes, viewers chat during breaks or comment on the video.

While this may seem like passive consumption, for many users it fosters a sense of shared purpose. The new study investigated how this virtual peer environment affects learning outcomes.

To conduct their research, the team surveyed 509 undergraduate students in China who had used the Bilibili platform’s SWM videos for at least three consecutive months.

Participants came from a variety of academic backgrounds and were nearly evenly split between users of livestreams (42%) and prerecorded videos (58%).

The researchers used structural equation modeling to analyze how peer support influences four psychological mediators—intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and test anxiety—and how those, in turn, affect learning satisfaction and engagement.

The key finding: peer support was positively associated with nearly all beneficial learning outcomes. It strongly predicted students’ intrinsic motivation—their internal drive to learn—and self-efficacy, or the belief in their own academic abilities.

It also boosted extrinsic motivation and overall satisfaction with their learning experience. Meanwhile, peer support was linked with lower test anxiety, suggesting that even digital companionship can alleviate some academic stress.

Students who felt supported by their peers were more likely to stay engaged with their studies, invest time and energy, and feel satisfied with their progress.

This effect was especially pronounced in those using livestreams, where real-time interaction may help mimic the dynamics of physical study groups.

In contrast, prerecorded videos had a stronger connection to students’ self-efficacy, likely because these formats allow for more personalized, self-paced learning in calming environments—often enhanced by relaxing audio and visuals.

These findings highlight how SWM is more than a productivity aesthetic—it fulfills real psychological needs.

The social presence of peers, even when mediated by screens, appears to support learners’ motivation, focus, and emotional well-being.

For students juggling academic pressures, especially in competitive environments, this virtual companionship can make studying feel less isolating and more purposeful.

Importantly, the researchers also examined the pathways linking peer support to outcomes.

For instance, intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy acted as strong mediators, explaining how peer support leads to greater satisfaction and engagement.

Test anxiety also played a role, though more modestly, by contributing to satisfaction levels. The results suggest that emotional and motivational factors are central to the SWM experience.

While these findings offer practical insights for educators, app developers, and students alike, the authors caution that the study has some limitations.

It relied on self-reported data from a single country and used a cross-sectional design, which limits conclusions about causality.

Future research could explore how SWM affects long-term academic performance, or how its benefits might differ across cultures and age groups.

Still, the implications are clear.

Digital learning environments that foster peer support—even in simple, low-pressure ways—can positively shape students’ academic experiences.

As more learners seek flexible and emotionally supportive study tools, formats like “Study With Me” may prove to be more than just a passing trend—they could represent the future of self-directed education in a connected world.

Citation

Hou, R., Jin, L., He, J., & Wang, J. (2025). Peer support and learning outcomes in “Study With Me” among Generation Z college students: Mediating roles of motivation, test anxiety, and self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1582857. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1582857

Saul McLeod, PhD

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.


Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

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