The Influence of Short Video Viewing Time on the Undergraduate

and Graduate Students’ Inattention: The Mediating Role of

Self-Control

Yangxi Liu

1,*

, Meiyan Wang

and Pengchao Xiao

Faculty of Education, Monash University, Wellington Rd, Clayton VIC 3800, Australia

School of Continuing Education, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637000, China

College of Education, University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia

Keywords: Short Video, Students, Inattention, Self-Control.

Abstract: This study adopts self-control as a mediating factor to explore the relations between China's undergraduate

and graduate students' inattention and short video viewing time. SPSS was used to gather and analyze 157

valid responses in total. The findings show a strong positive relationship between inattention and daily short

video viewing time. Both short video viewing time and inattention are shown to be negatively correlated with

self-control. Regression analysis shows that extended short video viewing time considerably accelerates the

attention deficit. These results imply that students' attention is negatively impacted by excessive short video

watching, but that these effects are lessened by stronger self-control. Therefore, the use of short videos in

family and educational contexts is advised to be restricted and self-control training strengthened. Limitations

include small sample size and respondents being students mainly majoring in the arts and social sciences.

This study offers advice for teachers, parents and students to take advantage of short video for education in a

cautious manner.

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Background

Recently, with the development of internet

technology, short videos have gradually become an

important channel for university students to receive

information and construct connection with the outside

world. Short videos have a profound impact on

university students’ studies, daily lives, entertainment.

While short videos offer a wealth of high-quality

content and resources, their potential drawbacks

cannot be ignored.

1.2 Literature Review

Chinese scholars have provided detailed insights into

the definition, characteristics and the impact of short

videos. Short videos are typically defined as videos

lasting no longer than 5 minutes and are characterized

by fragmentation, interactivity, richness, and

embeddedness. According to surveys, 90% of

631501010427@mails.cqjtu.education.cn

respondents watch short videos every day. The

humorous content is the most popular genre. Short

videos brought new methods for supporting youth

development. However, there are also many problems

in short-videos development, especially “three

vulgarities”, rumours and frauds. Additionally, the

consumerism and pan-entertainment tendency are

easy to affect the thoughts of young people. The

importance of supervision and content regulation has

become increasingly prominent to ensure that the

content remains healthy and promotes positive values

(Wang, 2020). The rise of short videos conforms to

the contemporary trends, catering to university

students’ expressive needs and providing new

channels for them to be unconventional or

unorthodox. These platforms satisfy grassroots

expression desires and meet the demand for

personalized presentation. Features like “cross-

temporal” communication and “clustered”

connections fulfill students “social aspirations”.

Meanwhile, Wangxiao also points that the potential

dangers of college students' network survival caused

by the popularity of short videos mainly focus on

746

Liu, Y., Wang, M. and Xiao, P.

The Inﬂuence of Short Video Viewing Time on the Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Inattention: The Mediating Role of Self-Control.

DOI: 10.5220/0014279900004942

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management (APMM 2025), pages 746-753

ISBN: 978-989-758-791-7

"screen addiction" to reveal academic hidden dangers,

for instance, “information cocoon effect” causes

cognitive limitations. "Internet addiction" diminishes

willpower. "Entertainment first" promotes blind

value obedience. It is necessary to set up mainstream

values and adapt to the Internet technology’s

developing trend to promote changes of pedagogy.

Related departments should optimize and integrate

resources to build a network communication pattern

of "primary school platforms secondary institution

sub-platforms+individual student auxiliary

platforms". Additionally, institutional construction

should be improved to strengthen the “safety net” for

the online ecosystem (Wang, 2021). Although

personalized content supply provides short-term

satisfaction for short video users, this cultural barrier

inevitably leads to self-isolation and a convergence of

values. It is doing more harm than good for the

formation of college students’ positive values. Short

videos users who generally show habitual swiping

behavior and are influenced by curiosity, are often

drawn to impactful content. This creates a desire to

seek even more novel and sensational content,

resulting in excessive addiction to short videos

(Huang et al., 2019]. Short video addiction is a new

form of behavioral addiction where individuals

develop a negative psychological dependence on

short videos, leading to excessive and uncontrollable

viewing. This addiction significantly impairs physical,

mental, and social functioning.

Foreign scholars have also conducted abundant

researches and elaborations in this field. Short videos

are based on big data algorithms to accurately push

exciting content to users, allowing them to watch

videos that they’re interested in at any time. When

students watch short videos, it will be easier to

develop an addiction to short videos if they

experience a high level of immersion (a state of

complete engagement and enjoyment), which further

impairs their intrinsic motivation (learning driven by

personal interest and passion) and extrinsic

motivation (learning driven by external rewards).

Addicted students may show lower enthusiasm and

motivation for studying. Short video addiction can

also lead to a decline in learning motivation and

students’ sense of well-being. Learning well-being

refers to students’ overall satisfaction and positive

feelings about their learning experience (Ye et al.,

2022). Users who are addicted to short videos may

find it more difficult to maintain attention, attention

deficit, or impaired ability to concentrate and deal

with interference. As a booming form of

entertainment, short videos are globally popular. Its

fragmentation mode presents dense and attractive

information to users, which may lead to addiction and

adverse effects. Research using eye-tracking

technology during short viewing tasks and the Stroop

test has shown that addicted users show lower interest

and attention, more distracted behaviours, and more

fixations with shorter average fixation time. It

demonstrates that short video addicts have shorter

attention span compared to the normal. With the

increase of short video length, the attention level of

short video addicts decreases and the number of

distractions increases (Chen et al., 2023).

Additionally, self-reported symptoms of ADHD

(attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder self-rating

scale), depression, and hostility are correlated factors

in adolescent Internet addiction. Internet addiction

may be a complex psychological problem entangled

with multiple mental health symptoms. Studies have

also found that gender plays an important role in the

relationship between Internet addiction and mental

symptoms. Hostility is an important feature of male

Internet addiction and may stem from gaming

behaviors or online conflicts. There is a significant

correlation between ADHD symptoms and

depression in female adolescents, but hostility and

social anxiety do not show a significant correlation.

Female Internet addicts are more likely to be

influenced by introverted psychological problems

(such as depression). Internet addicts tend to show

higher levels of attention disorder and behavioral

impulse tendencies. The fast pace and constant

stimulation of the Internet may have intensified these

symptoms. Long-time Internet using may become a

way of escaping real-world issues, further

exacerbating feelings of depression. Internet addicts

may avoid face-to-face social interactions, relying

more on social networking, which causes the

symptoms of social fear to worsen. Male internet

addicts may develop hostility and even show

aggressive behavior due to online competition or

conflict. Yen suggests enhancing mental health

screenings, conducting psychological assessments for

Internet addicts, and paying special attention to the

potential risks of ADHD and depression. Scholars

should guide the healthy use of the Internet and

educate teenagers to arrange Internet surfing time in

a reasonable way to avoid addiction. Aiming at

internet addicts, psychologists are supposed to

consider their mental symptoms comprehensively to

design personalized intervention plans. For males, the

public should focus on hostility management and

emotional guidance, while for females, emotional

support should be provided and social skills

development fostered (Yen et al., 2007). The

phenomenon of overuse of short video applications is

The Inﬂuence of Short Video Viewing Time on the Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Inattention: The Mediating Role of Self-Control

747

common, but it may be different in diverse cultural

contexts. Excessive use of short video applications

may negatively impact on college students ‘social

skills and mental health. Zhang N and others’ study

offers an international perspective on understanding

the excessive use of short video applications and their

impact on university students, emphasizing the need

for further research and intervention in different

cultural settings.

1.3 Research Topics

1.3.1 Research Gaps

Scholars have made detailed studies on the definition,

characteristics, functions, and impacts of short videos,

providing valuable references for explaining their

influence on adolescents. These studies also provide

important foundations for this research. However, the

academic community has yet to explore the impact of

short video viewing duration on the undergraduate

and graduate students’ attention, using self-control as

a mediating variable.

1.3.2 Research Questions

The fragmented nature of short videos fundamentally

conflicts with the high levels of attention and long-

term systematic training required for effective

learning. As adults with a certain degree of self-

control, will the undergraduate and graduate students

(who are, respectively, the junior college students,

university undergraduates, postgraduates and

doctoral students) experience a decrease in attention

when facing a variety of short videos? How does self-

control work in this relationship? In addition, what

strategies can effectively enhance students ‘self-

control and attention? Given that prolonged short

video viewing has become a widespread phenomenon,

this study focuses on the undergraduate and graduate

students. Through the design of a survey and data

collection, which aims to investigate the relationship

between short video viewing duration and the

students’ inattention, with self-control as a mediating

factor. This study analyze the generation and mode of

action of this influence and weighs the advantages

and disadvantages and attempts to identify feasible

solutions and preventive measures. The goal is to

guide students toward adopting positive strategies

when engaging with short videos.

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1 Sample Description and Research

Process

Through stratified sampling, this study distributed

questionnaires to junior college students,

undergraduate students, postgraduate students and

doctoral students of different colleges and

universities in China. It is expected to investigate 120

samples, of which 30 are junior college students, 30

are undergraduates, 30 are master students, and 30

are doctoral students, without limiting the conditions

such as region and family. Two surveys were

conducted in this study, namely pre-survey and a

formal survey, and SPSS software was used to

analyze the frequency, mean value, regression

process, intermediary effect and the influence of

sample difference on attention. During the pre-

survey, 124 sample data were collected to test the

reliability and validity of the scale, and the data

showed that the scale adopted in this study met the

standard. During the formal survey, a total of 180

samples were collected, of which 157 were valid,

including 49 males and 108 females, 20 junior

college students, 55 undergraduates, 36 postgraduate

students, 46 doctoral students, 101 majored in

humanities and social sciences, 1 natural sciences

major, 21 engineering and technology students, 7

medical students, and 25 art students. There is no

significant difference in reliability and validity

between the two surveys, and the analysis results are

consistent, indicating that the research results of this

study are credible.

2.2 Measurements

2.2.1 Self-Control Scale

The Self-control Scale, developed by June P.

Tangney et al., George Mason University, in 2018,

was used to assess adult self-control ability. Self-

Control Scale (SCS) includes multiple dimensions,

including impulse suppression, emotional control,

habit and behavior control, focus and attention

control, decision-making ability, and persistence and

perseverance. The Scale is scored by Likert Scale

and contains 36 items, among which 20 items are

scored in reverse, the higher the score is, the weaker

the self-control ability is; 16 items are scored in

forward, the lower the score is, the stronger the self-

control ability is. This paper uses the Brief Self-

Control measure, with a total of 13 items.9 items are

negatively scored, indicating that the higher the score,

APMM 2025 - International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management

748

the weaker the self-control.4 items are scored

positively, which means the higher the score, the

stronger the self-control. Cronbachα coefficient of

this scale is high (generally > 0.80) (Tangney et al.,

2018).

2.2.2 Inattention Self-Report Scale

The Inattention Self-report Scale, compiled by

Kessler et al., in 2005, was used to study attention

deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults. This scale

conforms to the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria and

mainly includes the following six core dimensions:

Concentration duration, task organization, attention

to detail, task persistence, ease of distraction, and

forgetting tendency. The Inattention Self-report

Scale uses the Likert Scale and includes 9 questions

such as "How often are you distracted by activities or

noise around you?" The questions are all positively

scored, and the higher the score, the worse

inattention is. Cronbachα coefficient of this scale is

relatively high (generally > 0.80) (Kessler et al.,

2005).

3 RESULTS

3.1 Results of Reliability and Validity

Analysis

This study analyses the reliability of Self-control and

In-attention scales. The Cronbach's alpha for the

Self-control scale was 0.819, while for the

Inattention scale, it was 0.794, both reflecting good

reliability. MO and Bartlett tests were used to verify

the validity of the self-control scale and In-attention

scale. Among them, the KMO value of the self-

control strength table was 0.842, and the KMO value

of the concentration decline scale was 0.848, both

indicating good data validity.

3.2 Descriptive Statistics

This study conducted a statistical analysis on 157

valid samples of short video streaming duration data,

among which, The number of people who watch

short videos for less than 30 minutes every day

accounts for 17.83%, the number of people who

watch short videos for more than 30 minutes and less

than 1 hour accounts for 24.84%, the number of

people who watch short videos for more than 1 hour

and less than 2 hours accounts for 26.75%, the

number of people who watch short videos for more

than 2 hours accounts for 30.57%, and the number of

people who watch short videos for more than 2 hours

accounts for the highest proportion. In terms of

majors in the sample universities, 64.33% of students

and postgraduates majored in humanities and social

sciences, more than half of the total sample.

Engineering and technology accounted for 13.33%,

art accounted for 15.92%, and other majors

accounted for less than 5%. Male samples accounted

for 33.33% and females 66.67%.

3.3 Results of Correlation Analysis

In this study, the Pearson correlation coefficient

between the independent variable (Time spent

watching videos per day) and the dependent variable

(Inattention) is 0.168, and the p-value is 0.035, which

is less than 0.05, indicating a significant positive

correlation between the independent variable and the

dependent variable. In this study, the Pearson

correlation coefficient between the independent

variable (Time spent watching videos per day) and

the intermediary variable (Self-control) was -0.259,

and the p-value was 0.001, which was less than 0.01,

indicating a significant negative correlation between

the independent variable and the dependent variable.

In this study, the Pearson correlation coefficient

between the intermediate variable (Self-control) and

the dependent variable (Inattention) was -0.641, and

the p-value was 0.000, which was less than 0.01,

indicating a significant negative correlation between

the independent variable and the dependent variable.

The study also verified that the major, gender and

grade of the undergraduate and graduate students

were not significantly correlated with the decrease of

time spent watching short videos daily and

inattention.

3.4 Results of Regression Analysis

Linear regression analysis was performed in this

study. As shown in Figure 1 and Table 1 & 2, the

results of regression analysis show that the

independent variable (Time spent watching short

videos per day) has a significant positive impact on

the dependent variable (Inattention).

The Inﬂuence of Short Video Viewing Time on the Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Inattention: The Mediating Role of Self-Control

749

Figure 1. Normal P-P plot of regression standardized

residual (Photo/Picture credit: Original).

Table 1. Variables entered/removeda.

Model Variables

Entere

Variables

Remove

method

1 Time spent

watching

video per

Enter

a. Dependent Variables: Inattention

b. All requested variables enter

Table 2. Model summary.

Model R R Square Adjusted

Square

Std.

Error of

the

Estimate

Square

Change

df1 df2 Sig. F

Change

Durbin-

Watson

1 168a .028 .022 .46724 .028 4.500 1 155 .035 2.104

a. Predictors: (Constant), Time spent watching videos per day

b. Dependent Variable: Inattention

3.5 Results of Mediating Effect

Analysis

As shown in Table 3 and Table 4, this study

conducted a model test on the mediating variable

(Self-control) between the independent variable and

the dependent variable, and the analysis results show

that this mediating effect does exist.

Table 3. Effect analysis process summary.

Effect Item Effect SE t

LLCI ULCI

Direct Effect Time spent watching videos per day –

Dependable Variable

(

Inattention

)

0.001 0.028 0.031 0.975 -0.054 0.055

Process of

Indirect Effect

Time spent watching videos per day—

Mediating Variable (Self- control)

-0.138 0.041 -3.339 0.001 -0.218 -0.057

Mediating Variable(Self-control) --

Inattention

-0.523 0.052 -

10.006

0.000 -0.626 -0.421

Total Effect Time spent watching short video per day-

- Inattention

0.073 0.034 2.121 0.035 0.006 0.140

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Table 4. Model testing of mediation effects.

Mediating Variable

(Self-control)

Dependable Variable

(Inattention)

Dependable Variable

(Inattention)

Constant 3.763** 2.352** 4.322**

(31.377) (23.523) (20.408)

Inde

endent variable -0.138** 0.073* 0.001

(Time spent

watching video per

(-3.339) (2.121) (0.031)

Mediatin

variable -0.523**

(Self-control) (-10.006)

Sample Size 157 157 157

R² 0.067 0.028 0.411

usted R² 0.061 0.022 0.403

F Value F(1,155)=11.152,

=0.001

F(1,155)=4.500,

=0.035

F(2,154)=53.744,

=0.000

4 DISCUSSION

4.1 Comparison with Previous Studies

Today, with the rapid development of internet

technology, internet addicts show a higher tendency

of attention disorder and impulsive behaviour, and

addiction to watching short videos (more than 2 hours

a day) is one of the manifestations of internet

addiction (Pan et al., 2024). Long-term use of the

internet can become a way to escape real-world

problems, while aggravating depression. Internet

addicts may tend to avoid face-to-face interpersonal

interactions and rely more on online socializing,

leading to increased social phobia symptoms. Male

internet addicts, on the other hand, may provoke

hostility or even exhibit aggressive behaviour due to

online competition or conflict (Yen et al., 2007). This

paper further explains the harm of internet addiction

by verifying the relationship between the daily

watching time of short videos and the decreased

attention of the students. Therefore, this paper

suggests that students' mental health screening should

be strengthened, and mental health assessment should

be conducted for students with internet addiction,

with particular attention to the potential risks of

ADHD and depression. The healthy usage of short

videos for teaching and entertainment should be

guided to avoid the decline of students' attention.

Previous studies have shown that watching short

videos for a long time is related to students'

personality characteristics, and it is also affected by

parents' neglect of their children. Consistent with

many previous research results, self-control is

significantly negatively correlated with watching

short videos for a long time, that is, the stronger the

self-control, the shorter the watching time (Gong,

2024; Wang et al., 2022). This paper further confirms

that self-control plays a significant mediating role

between short video-watching duration and

inattention. Therefore, this paper suggests that special

attention should be paid to individuals who watch

short videos for a long time during the educational

process and self-control improvement training should

be carried out. The phenomenon of overuse of short

video apps is universal, but it may vary in different

cultural contexts. Overuse of short video applications

may have a negative impact on students' social skills

and mental health (Yen et al., 2007).

4.2 Suggestions for Teaching Practice

The undergraduate and graduate students are

mentally mature and have stronger self-control

compared with students under the age of 18. However,

the conclusion of this study shows that the longer

Chinese undergraduate and graduate students watch

short videos per day, the greater the decline of their

attention, and self-control plays an intermediary role

between them. This not only provides reference value

for the use of short videos as teaching media in the

teaching environment of the undergraduate and

graduate students, for the entertainment methods of

the students after class, but also for the use of

electronic entertainment and educational products in

family and school education of underage students,

especially for the viewing time of short videos. Based

on the research results, this paper suggests that,

whether in family education or school, students

should try to limit the time of watching short videos

every day, otherwise students' concentration will

decrease significantly. Educational methods that can

The Inﬂuence of Short Video Viewing Time on the Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Inattention: The Mediating Role of Self-Control

751

control or reduce the length of short video watching

are recommended. This paper also suggests that

educators and policymakers should pay attention to

the differences in the overuse of short video apps by

student groups in different cultural contexts. In

addition, measures should be taken in school and

home educational settings to develop healthy short

video-viewing habits among students, and further

studies could be conducted on the relationship

between different cultural contexts, students' short

video-watching time, and inattention.

4.3 Limitations and Future Prospects

The limitations of this study include the limited size

of samples (only 157), and most undergraduate and

graduate students are majoring in humanities and

social sciences. It is suggested to expand the size and

diversity of samples in future studies. To further

verify the conclusions of this study, it is suggested to

conduct related research on underage students.

Watching short videos is only one of the electronic

education methods, and other electronic education

methods can be studied in the future to observe the

impact of electronic education on the growth of

students. Students' inattention is one of the factors

that affect learning. In the future, Future research can

also study how electronic education, including

watching short videos, has an impact on students'

learning habits, emotional fluctuations, comfort, and

identity and personality formation. In addition,

methods of intervention to reduce the frequency of

short video usage by students could also be studied.

5 CONCLUSION

The purpose of this study was to explore whether the

independent variable (Chinese undergraduate and

graduate students watching short videos per day) has

a significant negative correlation with the decline of

the dependent variable (Inattention), and whether

self-control plays a mediating role between them.

Quantitative research method was adopted in this

study. 200 questionnaires were sent out to the

undergraduate and graduate students at different

stages, and the total valid sample size was 157. SPSS

software was used for data analysis. The results of

this study are as follows: the Pearson correlation

coefficient of the independent variable and the

dependent variable is 0.168, the p-value is 0.035, and

the linear regression coincidence rate of the two is

95%. In this study, the results of the mediation effect

model test of the intermediary variable (Self-control)

between the independent variable and the dependent

variable are as follows: this intermediary effect path

exists. The results show that there is a significant

positive correlation between the duration of watching

short videos per day and the decline of attention of

Chinese undergraduate and graduate students, and

self-control plays an intermediary role between the

two. The intermediary variable and the independent

variable have a significant negative correlation. In

other words, the longer Chinese undergraduate and

graduate students watch short videos daily, the more

serious the decline in attention; conversely, the

shorter the time spent watching short videos, the

lower the decline in concentration. The stronger the

individual self-control, the shorter the time of

watching short videos, the lower the degree of

attention decline. On the contrary, the worse the

individual self-control, the longer the time to watch

short videos, the higher the degree of attention decline.

In the context of the current popularity of short video

entertainment and the gradual development of

electronic education methods, the results of this study

are intended to provide a reference for the use of

electronic entertainment and education products for

students in family and school educational background,

especially the length of watching time of short videos,

and will also serve as a reminder for teachers and

parents to seek educational methods to improve the

decline of students' attention.

AUTHORS CONTRIBUTION

All the authors contributed equally and their names

were listed in alphabetical order.

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