Attentional impulsivity, short-form video use and adolescents’ school misbehaviors: mediating role of parental media mediation

Short-form video use (SVU) is getting increasingly popular among adolescents. However, its associations with adolescents’ school misbehaviors have been largely overlooked in previous literature. Drawing on the parental mediation theory, the current study examined the associations of SVU and attentional impulsivity with adolescents’ school misbehaviors, as well as the mediating role of parental mediation. Using a cross-sectional design, a sample of Chinese adolescents (N = 839) was employed. The proposed relationships were examined using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results revealed that attentional impulsivity was positively associated with SVU. Both attentional impulsivity and SVU were positively related to school misbehavior, controlling for covariates. Moreover, active parental media mediation strategies were found to mediate the relationship between attentional impulsivity and school misbehavior. These findings highlight SVU as a negative correlate of school performance, particularly in relation to impulsivity. Potential interventions are recommended to focus on active parental media mediation strategies, such as engaging in open discussions with children. Interventions targeting adolescents’ self-esteem or related factors should also be considered.