Can entertainment and information gratifications influence compulsive short video app use? The pivotal function of immersive experience and emotional attachment

Short video app is welcomed because of its fragmentation, rich content, accurate recommendation mechanism and other characteristics of rapid preemption of the market, by the vast number of college students welcome. In order to better understand the use of short video app by college students in Hubei Province, the study conducted a questionnaire survey of college students in Hubei Province. The results show that, from the basic use of the situation, Hubei college students on the short video APP understanding channel is recommended by friends around, generally install 1 short video app; the most used is shaking sound; the average daily spend 1–3 h on the short video app; often watch, sometimes like, rarely comment, rarely forwarded, never recorded, never published; Pay attention to funny short videos. From the motivation point of view, Hubei college students use short video app’s main motivation is interpersonal communication, information and escape from reality. From the impact point of view, Hubei college students use short video app after three major impact, enrich themselves, enrich life and improve the mentality. The purpose of this study is to grasp the specific use of short video app by college students in Hubei Province, the motivation of use and the impact of use, as well as to improve the development of short video app.KeywordsCollege studentsShort video APPUse and satisfaction

Short-video applications use and self-concept clarity among adolescents: The mediating roles of flow and social media self-expansion

BackgroundUsers describe mobile dating apps as addictive, and researchers have attempted to formalize compulsive dating app use as a behavioral addiction. However, the concept of online dating addiction remains debated.ObjectiveThis systematic literature review synthesized quantitative research on problematized online dating behaviors with a specific focus on (1) definitions and measurement of problematic dating app use, (2) the examined adverse correlates, and (3) study designs.MethodsFrom 16 databases, we identified 263 reports related to problematic online dating. Twenty-nine papers—published between 2009 and 2024—met inclusion criteria. They covered 32 quantitative studies investigating problematic dating app use. Sample sizes varied between 64 and 4057, and participant ages ranged between 13 and 80 years, while many participants were aged between 18 and 35 years.ResultsResearchers problematized the following online dating behaviors (in descending order of frequency): use for certain motives (in 10 reports), problematic use in the sense of behavioral addiction (n=9), specific activities or experiences (n=9), compulsive use (n=6), a disbalance between offline and online interactions (too many or too few online interactions, n=4), and mere use or frequency (n=4). Even using dating apps for sexual motivations and relationship-seeking was linked to adverse correlates. Scholars have examined adverse correlates, including (1) mood and emotional issues (n=11), (2) anxieties (n=9), (3) user motives and other media variables (n=9), (4) undesired behaviors (n=8), (5) personality (n=8), (6) self-attitudes (n=7), (7) partner choice (n=5), (8) sexuality (n=5), and (9) interpersonal correlates (n=4). Methodologically, the most common scales (measuring use for certain motives and the 6-component behavioral addiction items) include life problems within their measurement of problematic dating app use (eg, use to forget problems and conflict due to use). Of 32 studies, only 3 were randomized experiments. All surveys measured dating app variables only at a single time point (cross-sectionally) and focused on between-person effects rather than within-person dynamics.ConclusionsResearch on user motives dominates the field. To understand harmful media effects, researchers should measure media use and harmful consequences separately. However, motives are often worded as coping with an undesired state (eg, use to forget problems) or enhancing a desired state (eg, use for self-esteem enhancement). Similarly, behavioral addiction scales include life problems (eg, conflict due to use). These scales thus conflate predictor and outcome. Future literature reviews or meta-analyses that examine associations should include only results of scales that validly distinguish media use from its adverse outcomes. Overall, research on internet dating addiction—and internet addiction in general—requires theoretically grounded definitions as well as experimental and longitudinal studies modeling between- and within-person effects.

The online environment has had a profound sociocultural impact, and its implications pose new challenges to modern-day societies. The digital sexual and dating domains have dramatically affected sexual and romantic behavior and norms, and yet, no empirical studies have addressed the role of the sexual self-concept in driving sexual and romantic online behavior. The aim of this study is to identify reliable sexual self-configurations through a cluster analysis approach and determine whether these profiles are informative in relation to app use motives and sexual outcomes. For this purpose, a total of 244 subjects were recruited. Survey questions measured a set of demographic parameters, motives for app use, online sexual activities, attachment orientations, the sexual self-concept and sexual satisfaction. Five clusters were identified, including two with high levels of sexual drive (“Driven” and “Adventurous”), two with low levels of sexual drive (“Unassured” and “Naïve”) and one with an intermediate level of sexual drive (“Competent”). The clusters differed on gender, attachment styles, app use patterns and sexual characteristics. These findings provide insight into how the sexual self-concept relates to the interaction between individuals and the online sexual and dating scenes.

This study examined whether preference for online social interaction (POSI) was related to poorer affective well-being via compulsive dating app use and whether algorithmic beliefs attenuated the negative association between compulsive use and affective well-being. An online survey among Chinese dating app users (N = 361) was conducted. The sample included participants aged 18–60, with the majority (89.47%) falling within the 18–35 age range (M = 29.19, SD = 6.02). Women comprised a slightly larger proportion (56.2%) of the sample than men (43.8%). Results of the survey revealed that POSI was positively associated with compulsive use, which was positively related to post-dating app joviality. Furthermore, the relationship between algorithmic beliefs and post-dating app sadness was only significant among individuals with a low level of algorithm beliefs. The findings extended prior research on social network sites to dating apps and demonstrated the potential positive relationship between technology use and transient emotional states. Furthermore, our results suggest that algorithmic beliefs, which essentially reflect human-technology relations, may affect interpersonal communication outcomes on dating apps.

Algorithmic recommendation systems (ARM) on dating apps serve users with a personalised feed of profiles from other users based on the inferred preferences of the user being served. Despite concerns linking ARM to problematic dating app use and negative social outcomes, it has been suggested that critical awareness of ARM's limitations, such as that ARM restrict user choice (i.e. a ‘confining’ perception of ARM, or CP-ARM), can mitigate problematic usage and reduce negative social outcomes. This study tested such a prediction with semi-structured interviews (N = 20) and a subsequent survey (N = 349), which yielded surprising results – while CP-ARM can indirectly decrease compulsive use of dating apps by lowering the perceived usefulness of dating apps, it can directly increase compulsive use, which can be attributed to a sense of helplessness in controlling digital media use. Consequently, compulsive use can decrease the intention to commit in Internet-initiated romantic relationships. The finding suggests that researchers should not assume that critical awareness of algorithms leads to less problematic usage and better social outcomes but situate the inquiries in a broader socio-cultural context where everyday life is increasingly mediatised by various social platforms and individuals find it difficult to opt out.

Objective: Nearly 50% of adults under age 29 report using some form of online dating to find sexual partners or romantic relationships. Limited evidence suggests online and offline dating behaviors and experiences can vary. We aimed to expand understanding these differences by examining how attachment styles are associated with online and offline search for partners and emotional responses to sexual experiences. Methods: In a sample of single adults (N = 247; M age= 27.34), we examine how attachment styles relate to individual differences in how people search for partners and respond to sexual experiences with partners met online and offline. Results: Individuals high in attachment anxiety reported higher use of online dating apps and more negative experiences (e.g., lower satisfaction, more guilt) following their most recent sexual encounters with partners met online and offline and reported feeling more used after engaging in sexual activity specifically with partners met offline. Individuals high in avoidance also reported more negative experiences following their most recent sexual encounters but only with partners met offline. Conclusions: This study moves our understanding by highlighting nuances in how attachment insecurity is associated with differences in online dating app use and emotions following sexual experiences when meeting partners online and offline.

With Web 5.0, the mobile phone has become the terminal device to get mobile information, and more and more social software has been popularized on the phone. Network short video app is one of the most prominent representatives. In the high demand of the market, short videos’ emergence constantly refreshes people’s horizon, increasing people’s desire to watch videos. For the audience, they not only watch the video but also have to meet social needs. It has led to the rapid expansion of the size of short video apps. Whether it is “Meipai” or “Kuaishou” released in China, or “TikTok” which focuses on 800 million users, or a series of short online video apps such as Instagram abroad, most of them take “second” as the length of the video, announced the short video “second-reading era” of the arrival. Through the video is created a carnival, and the audience has become a carnival maelstrom of followers. We need to analyze what kind of operation and management model shapes short video app development behind the audience. This article chose “TikTok” as a case study to analyze the “TikTok Operation Management Pattern.” The full text comprises 1. apps development, 2. The article has four parts: The first part elaborates the short video app’s development extremely characteristic. In the second part, the author expounds on the operation and management of TikTok. The third part focuses on the content operation and management of TikTok and its characteristics. The last part is about how to improve management operation.

ABSTRACTThis study explores children’s narratives of their curiosity and imagination through innovative use of an information technology app – Our Story. Novel use of the app allowed children to express and record their opinions they considered significant to them. The research captured children’s approaches to everyday situations through their play. Introducing the notion of ‘narrative affordances’, findings show how the app facilitated a range of possibilities for recording children’s curiosity and imagination through pictures, text, sound and short video. Children added to and developed their narratives, putting them firmly in control of what they wanted to include and share, providing a unique insight into children’s perspectives.

BackgroundSmartphone-based dating apps are rapidly transforming how people seek potential sexual and romantic partners. However, they can also increase the risk of unsafe sexual behaviors, harassment, and infringement of personal privacy. Current research on interventions for safer dating app use remains insufficient.ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to describe the development of an intervention for safer dating app usage using crowdsourcing and peer-led approaches.MethodsThis paper describes the development of an intervention program designed to promote safer dating app use among college students. Crowdsourcing and peer-led approaches were adopted during key stages of the development process. Focus group discussions were held to assess the experience and needs of dating app users. A crowdsourcing contest then solicited ideas for performance objectives for the intervention. These objectives were grouped to further identify practical strategies. A one-day intensive workshop was subsequently held with peer mentors to brainstorm ideas for the production of creative interventional materials. The intervention programs were produced and tested in a pilot study. The app’s effectiveness will be evaluated in a cluster randomized controlled trial.ResultsThe intervention program consists of a risk assessment tool, a first-person scenario game, and four short videos. The risk assessment tool, comprised of 14 questions, will give the participant a score to determine their level of risk of adverse events when using dating apps. The scenario game is a first-person simulation game where the players are presented with choices when faced with different scenarios. The short videos each last 2-4 minutes, with points of discussion aimed at addressing the risks of using dating apps. The programs were piloted and were found to be relatable and helpful when further modifications were made.ConclusionsPotential challenges identified during the development process included data management and analysis, sustaining peer mentors’ interests and participation, and balancing between providing more information and perpetuating social stigma around dating app use. By integrating new approaches, such as crowdsourcing and the peer-led approach, in developing an intervention for safer dating app use, our development process provides a viable model for developing future interventions to address the risks associated with dating app use.

Social critics claim that emerging adults are subjecting themselves and one another to a variety of risks through the use of mobile dating and hookup applications, or “apps.” These narratives emphasize concerns about authenticity, the threat of sexual predators, and changing expectations about the nature and emotional intimacy of relationships. The use of apps among emerging adults presents risks for individual users and for social relational patterns, both in the digital world and “on the ground.” In this chapter, the authors analyze the theoretical and empirical risks of mediating hookup culture through the use of mobile dating apps and discuss the potential risks to app users, such as harassment, cyberstalking, and sexual violence. Next, the authors explore the social risks pertaining to authenticity, trust, the quality of relationships, and conflicting understandings of social norms and acceptable behaviors. Finally, the chapter concludes with suggestions for future directions in research related to the use of hookup apps and its related risks.

PurposeThe short video APP has entered the stage of competition for stock, making it crucial to keep users engaged in their APP to promote continuous usage. Previous studies on the continuous use intention of mobile short video APP were relatively limited, with most studies focusing only on promoting factors. Therefore, based on the dual-factor theory of “enabling-inhibiting”, and drawing on the Information System Continuance Model (ECM-ISC) and Cognitive Load Theory, this study extracted two variables, satisfaction and fatigue, to construct an integrated model to explore their enabling and inhibiting effects on continuous use intention.MethodsThis study selected TikTok APP users as the respondents, obtained 681 valid questionnaires and analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM) using SPSS24.0 and Amos23.0 software.FindingsThe study investigated the factors that influence users’ continuous use intention of short video APP. It shows that in enabling mechanism, perceived usefulness and social influence will increase user satisfaction and thus promote their continuous use intention, and perceived playfulness has a direct effect on the continuous use intention. In inhibiting mechanism, information overload and communication overload are positively correlated with emotional fatigue, which further reduces the continuous use intention.Contribution/ConclusionBased on the dual-factor theory of “enabling-inhibiting”, the study established an integration model to more comprehensively reveal the impact mechanism of short video APP users’ continuous use intention. The study found that the fatigue caused by information and communication overload can inhibit users’ continuous use intention of short video APP. Therefore, to improve users’ continuous use intention, short video APP should not only increase users’ satisfaction but also reduce the fatigue caused by overload.

A large number of people are using social media which gives advantages to marketers to keep connected with their customers and also keep updated about what customers want. In this research, we are discussing the effect of social media marketing from the perception of non-local brands. The problem that we identified in the previous research is the easy usage of non-local brands' websites and apps which could be a concern for the social media consumers’ purchase intentions in Pakistan which are being investigated in this research along with other variables. The literature of the study includes a detailed discussion about the hypothesis which consists of the relationship between brand trust, brand community, brand awareness, emotional attachment, Interaction and ease of use with purchase intention, and the relationship between purchase intention and brand loyalty. This research approach was quantitative. The Data were collected online from 351 social media users in Pakistan. The research model was empirically tested using a structural equation model. This research has seven hypotheses in which H1, H2, H3 are rejected and H4 to H7 are accepted. This research has identified that companies should increase interaction, emotional attachment, and ease of use through social media to influence the consumer’s purchase intention to increase brand loyalty.

ObjectiveThe study investigated the effects of a short video app guided loving-kindness meditation (LKM) on college students’ mindfulness, self-compassion, positive psychological capital, and suicide ideation. The purpose of the study is to investigate the intervention effect of LKM training on suicidal ideation among college students with the help of the short video application and to provide an empirical basis for the exploration of early suicide intervention strategies for college students.MethodsWe recruited 80 college students from a university in China. The final 74 eligible participants were divided into two groups: app use group (n = 37) and the control group (n = 37). The app group accepted an 8-week app use interference, while the control group underwent no interference. We measured four major variable factors (mindfulness, self-compassion, positive psychological capital, and suicide ideation) before and after the app use intervention.ResultsIn the app group, self-compassion and positive psychological capital were significantly higher, and suicide ideation was significantly lower than the control group. In the control group, there were no noticeable differences in any of the four variables between the pre-test and post-test.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that the short video app guided LKM may help to improve self-compassion, and positive psychological capital, and reduce suicide ideation. The finding of the short video app-guided LKM’s effect extends our understanding of the integrative effects of positive psychology and digital media on the reduction of suicide ideation.

As geolocation tracking apps become increasingly embedded in everyday digital interactions, their role in romantic relationships remains underexplored. This study examines the use of geolocation tracking apps in romantic relationships, addressing gaps in understanding their implications for relational uncertainty while identifying key psychological antecedents of app use. Findings from users ( N = 333) challenge the assumption that geolocation tracking inherently reduces relational uncertainty, revealing no significant association with increased clarity. Instead, intensive tracking correlates with heightened definition uncertainty, suggesting that rather than reinforcing relationship security, tracking may introduce ambiguity about the relationship’s status. However, it is not associated with diminished intimacy, as couples may use it consensually for safety and reassurance. Moreover, attachment styles and jealousy predict tracking behaviors, mirroring patterns observed in social media surveillance. These findings highlight the limitations of geolocation tracking as an uncertainty-reducing tool and emphasize the psychological and relational factors that drive its use. By reframing geolocation tracking as a socially accepted yet relationally complex form of monitoring, this study advances theoretical discussions on digital surveillance and the evolving role of technology in intimate relationships.