In September 2026, Computers in Human Behavior published a longitudinal study that followed 1,567 Chinese adolescents over one year to examine the relationship between short-form video addiction and academic functioning.

Participants, with a mean age of 15.41 years, were assessed three times at six-month intervals. The study examined short-form video addiction (SFVA), future time perspective (FTP)—the ability to connect present behavior with future goals—and academic buoyancy, or the ability to recover from everyday academic setbacks and difficulties.

Greater short-form video addiction was associated with subsequent declines in academic buoyancy. Importantly, reduced future time perspective appeared to partly mediate this relationship. The study also found a reciprocal relationship between future time perspective and academic buoyancy.

Comment from GAME-F

Short-form videos include rapidly delivered content such as Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, and YouTube Shorts that users can watch one after another. Some show only part of a story or drama to encourage viewers to continue watching, and in some cases, subsequent content may lead to paid services or purchases. With each swipe, new content appears, allowing users to encounter a continuous stream of new information and stimulation.

This study suggests that problematic engagement with short-form videos may be associated not simply with the amount of time spent watching them, but also with adolescents' ability to think ahead, regulate present behavior in relation to future goals, and recover from everyday academic difficulties.

Of particular interest is the concept of “future thinking.” Choosing between immediate stimulation or rewards and actions that serve a future goal is closely related to the development of self-regulation during childhood and adolescence.

This study highlights the importance of broadening our understanding of the effects of digital use from “time” to “function.”

However, although this was a longitudinal study, it was observational. The findings therefore do not establish that short-form video addiction directly causes a decline in future time perspective. Further research in different countries and age groups is needed.

References

Xiong G, et al. No future vision, no present perseverance: How short-form video addiction erodes academic buoyancy in adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior. 2026;182:109023.