Tapped In or Tapped Out? The Role of Content, Immersion, and Self-control in Continued Use of Short-Video Platforms

Short-video platforms use algorithms to keep people engaged, but these same systems can also leave users feeling mentally drained. This study examines how different content characteristics are associated with users’ experiences of enjoyment and fatigue, and how these psychological states relate to their intention to continue using the platform. Using survey data from TikTok users, the study reveals distinct pathways for voluntary and involuntary engagement. On the enabling route, perceived entertainment was positively associated with enjoyment, which in turn was linked to continuance intention. Focused immersion did not significantly mediate this relationship, suggesting that enjoyment drives usage even without deep absorption. On the inhibiting route, information overload, redundancy, and narrowing were positively related to user fatigue. Most critically, the study identified a circuit breaker mechanism regarding self-regulation: higher levels of fatigue were associated with reduced social media self-control failure, effectively overriding the habit loop of compulsive scrolling. Overall, the findings indicate that fatigue and enjoyment are differently related to continuance intention, highlighting how cognitive strain and hedonic experience coexist in shaping user responses. These results offer insights into how digital environments may be designed to better support healthier patterns of engagement.