Does short-video addiction among college students contribute to sleep disorders? A mediation analysis based on network modeling

Introduction With the rapid expansion of self-media platforms, short-video viewing has become a prevalent leisure activity among college students. However, excessive short-video use has been associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, particularly sleep disturbances. Drawing on an integrated analytical framework that combines structural equation modeling and network analysis, this study examined the relationship between short-video addiction and sleep quality among Chinese college students, with a particular focus on the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO). Methods A total of 553 Chinese college students were recruited (Mₐge=19. 54, Mₐge=19. 54, SD=1. 46). Participants completed the Short-Video Addiction Scale, the Fear of Missing Out Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), with the global PSQI score representing overall sleep quality. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediating role of FoMO, while network analysis was conducted to identify central and bridge symptoms within the self-reported sleep disturbance network. Results Short-video addiction was significantly associated with poorer sleep quality through both direct and indirect pathways. FoMO emerged as a significant psychological mediator linking short-video addiction to self-reported sleep disturbances. At the symptom level, loss of control and withdrawal symptoms were directly associated with difficulty initiating sleep, poorer subjective sleep quality, and increased use of sleep medication. Network analysis further showed that sleep duration had the highest strength centrality, highlighting its central role in the sleep disturbance network. In addition, the low-efficiency dimension of short-video addiction showed a statistical suppression effect: although it was directly associated with longer sleep duration, its indirect pathway through FoMO was associated with shorter sleep duration. Discussion These findings suggest that FoMO is a key modifiable mechanism underlying the association between short-video addiction and sleep disturbances among college students. Interventions aimed at reducing FoMO, particularly through cognitive-behavioral strategies, may help mitigate sleep-related problems associated with excessive short-video use. More broadly, the results provide evidence for the value of integrating mediation and network approaches to better understand the psychological and symptom-level pathways linking problematic media use to sleep health.