Social exclusion and short video addiction in Chinese college students: The mediating role of boredom and self-control

Background Short video apps are very popular among Chinese college students, and some students even rely on them. Most of the current research only focuses on Internet addiction, and seldom pays attention to the phenomenon of short video addiction. Its influencing factors and formation mechanism are worth exploring. Objectives This study aims to explore the relationship between social exclusion and short video addiction among college students, and the mediating roles of boredom and self-control. Methods This study adopted a Multi-stage investigation and investigated 532 college students (39% males; mean age 19.32 ± 1.23 years) with social exclusion scale, boredom proneness scale, self-control scale, and short video addiction scale. The mediating effect was tested with Process 3.1. Results The results showed that social exclusion could directly affect short video addiction. Moreover, boredom and self-control can independently mediate the association between social exclusion and short video addiction. Furthermore, boredom and self-control can sequentially mediate the association between social exclusion and short video addiction. Conclusion Theoretically, this study modified the I-PACE model, indicating that behavioral addiction, such as short video addiction, should consider personal and distant social factors. Practically, the results suggested that schools should reduce peer rejection and improve students' mental health literacy to reduce boredom and enhance self-control, thus effectively preventing short video addiction.