Stress, Shyness, and Screen Time: Understanding the Rise of Short-Form Video Addiction

This study aims to find the link between perceived stress (PS) and short-form video application (SVA) among college students, tracking self-compensation motivation (SCM) in relation to shyness. A total of 896 Chinese college students were surveyed, revealing that PS is directly correlated with SVA with SCM as a mediator. The researchers used shyness as a measure to find the connection between PS and SVA and how direct it was to SCM. They hypothesized that higher PS leads to increased SVA, leading to SCM, highlighting the importance of finding intervention to manage stress and developing coping mechanisms to reduce SVA, while uncovering the link between stress and application dependency of online platforms.

Figure 1 shows the relationship between PS and SVA, with SCM as a mediator. The independent variable was PS and the dependent variable was SVA. This figure diagrams a matrix, explaining the correlations between PS, SVA, and SCM in relation to shyness. A key trend found was that higher PS was positively correlated with SVA ((β = 0.149, t = 5.235, p < 0.001, CI = 0.093–0.205), with SCM (β = 0.045, P < 0.001) moving proportionally. This finding indicates that as stress levels increase, addition to SVA also increases. The model finds that there are addictive based patterns and when individuals are experiencing high stress, they are more likely to turn to short-form videos for self-compensation, which further increases addiction risk.

Figure 2 shows how shyness strengthens the relationship between PS and SVA. While the independent, dependent variables and the control group stay the same as in figure 1, figure 2 presents the mediation model where the researchers assessed the relationship between the PS and the SVA in relation to SCM. A key trend found was that PS on SVA was stronger for students with higher shyness (low shyness: β = 0.283, high shyness: β = 0.433, p < 0.001), suggesting that shy individuals are more likely to develop SVA when stressed because they may turn to online content for comfort. The trend supports the hypothesis that shyness increases the risk of addiction, highlighting the need for strategies to help shy individuals manage stress.

Figure 3 shows that higher PS leads to greater SVA, intensifying shyness. This figure monitors the shyness on PS and SVA. Its independent and dependent variables remain the same throughout all figures, while constants include standardized questionnaire scales. The study found individuals with high shyness experiences have a stronger positive correlation between PS and SVA. For low shyness students, PS had a weaker impact on SVA (β = 0.283), while for high shyness students, the effect was stronger (β = 0.433). This data reveals a key trend where shyness intensifies the effects of stress on addiction, suggesting that shy individuals may turn to digital applications during stressful times, amplifying the influence of PS, SVA, and SCM.

The study supports the claim that PS is a contributor to SVA and that as PS increases, SVA and shyness do. The figures show that shyness intensifies making people more likely to be vulnerable to SVA under stress. Figure 3 added that SCM explains why shy individuals turn to short-form videos as a coping mechanism, further increasing addiction risk. These findings suggest that interventions should focus on stress management to reduce excessive SVA among shy individuals. Future research should focus on helping to develop healthier ways to handle stress to manage SVA and explore interventions to reduce stress and lower the risk of addiction.

Liu, Y., Ni X., and Niu G. (2021). Perceived stress and short-form video application additions: A

moderated mediation mode. Frontiers in Psychology. Volume 12(12), 485. 10.3390/bs12120485.