Problematic TikTok use severity, self-control, and school engagement: A one-year longitudinal study

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

As short-form video applications such as TikTok have gained popularity, the phenomenon of problematic short-form video usage has emerged as a significant area of research. However, the impact of problematic TikTok use severity on young people’s school engagement, as well as the underlying mechanisms of this impact, has yet to be rigorously explored through empirical studies. The present study employed a one-year longitudinal design (with data collection occurring at three time points, spaced six months apart) at two universities located in South China. A total of 590 university students, aged 17 to 24 years, completed scales designed to assess the severity of problematic TikTok usage, usage patterns, self-control, and school engagement and to collect demographic information. Correlational analysis revealed a positive correlation between self-control at time point 2 (T2) and school engagement at time point 3 (T3), whereas both variables exhibited negative correlations with problematic TikTok use severity at time point 1 (T1). Furthermore, regression analysis demonstrated that, after controlling for age, TikTok use time, and school engagement at T1, self-control at T2 played a mediating role in the association between problematic TikTok use severity at T1 and school engagement at T3. Additionally, both gender and TikTok use patterns played a significant moderating role in the mediating effect of self-control. The indirect effect of self-control was observed to be substantial only among male university students. In addition, this indirect effect was more pronounced among university students who passively use TikTok than among those who actively use TikTok. These findings enhance our understanding of both the direct and indirect effects of the severity of problematic TikTok use and the potential moderating factors influencing the relationship between problematic TikTok use severity and school engagement. Additionally, our research offers valuable practical insights into the responsible use of short-form video applications such as TikTok and suggests strategies for effectively mitigating the negative impacts of problematic TikTok usage on school engagement.