The Relationship Between Short Video Social Media Dependency, Negative Emotional Experiences, and Academic Procrastination among College Students

According to the 52nd "Statistical Report on Internet Development in China," as of June 2023, the number of short video users in China has reached a massive 1.026 billion, an increase of 14.54 million compared to December 2022, accounting for 95.2% of the total internet users. Smartphone dependence, especially on short video social media, significantly impacts students' negative emotions and academic procrastination. Studies have found that dependency on short video social media often leads to poor time management, distraction, and academic procrastination. Negative emotions such as anxiety and depression weaken self-efficacy, increasing procrastination on tasks. Research data indicate that female college students score significantly higher in academic procrastination than male students, and arts students score higher than those in liberal arts and science/engineering fields, although the difference is not significant. Negative emotional experiences have a significant positive impact on academic procrastination, suggesting that negative emotions increase the tendency to procrastinate. Meanwhile, negative emotional experiences do not act as a mediating variable between short video social media dependency and academic procrastination, indicating that short video usage may directly influence academic procrastination rather than indirectly through negative emotions. The study suggests focusing on the direct impact of short video usage on college students' negative emotions and academic procrastination, emphasizing emotional regulation and time management education to mitigate the negative effects of academic procrastination on students' mental health and academic performance.