TikTok, my safe room: A moderated mediation model of perceived stress and problematic short-form video use among adolescents in nonurban areas

Short-form video applications (apps) are thriving among adolescents worldwide, and their algorithm-driven tailored patterns and convenient video capture functions provide adolescents with exciting and highly attractive entertainment. In recent years, worries over adolescent problematic media use have surged, yet comprehensive exploration remains lacking. This study aimed to examine whether self-control accounts for the indirect effects of perceived stress on Chinese nonurban high school students’ problematic short-form video use (PSVU), as well as the moderating role of their perceived parental active mediation/co-use behaviors. Data were collected from 790 participants in three nonurban high schools, and analyses were conducted using SPSS and Mplus. Results revealed that self-control partially explained the indirect relationship between perceived stress and PSVU, while parental active mediation/co-use moderated the relationship between self-control and PSVU. This empirical study is the first to examine the complex mechanism of perceived stress related to PSVU among high school students, and implications of the findings for school practitioners and recommendations for future research are discussed.