In today’s digital age, short videos reign supreme on social media platforms, capturing the attention of millions worldwide. These brief, highly stimulating clips offer an intense burst of information and instant gratification, perpetually activating the brain’s reward circuits. However, this seemingly harmless pastime harbors a less visible consequence: the emergence of short video addiction (SVA). Characterized by an impaired ability to control consumption despite adverse outcomes, SVA is increasingly recognized as a modern behavioral addiction. It disrupts daily functioning and precipitates psychological and physical health challenges, warranting urgent scholarly attention to unravel its underlying psychological mechanisms.
Recent pioneering research conducted in China offers compelling insights into the psychological drivers contributing to this addiction. Specifically, the study examined the role of attachment anxiety—a deep-seated interpersonal anxiety rooted in early relational experiences that manifests as a chronic fear of abandonment—in fostering vulnerability to SVA. Published in the prestigious journal Frontiers in Psychology, the findings mark a critical advance in understanding the emotional substrates that predispose individuals to addictive patterns of short video use.
Attachment anxiety, a phenomenon often ingrained during formative childhood years, influences how individuals perceive and regulate emotional experiences. The research team, led by Haodong Su from Anhui Science and Technology University, identified a significant correlation between elevated attachment anxiety and a heightened risk of developing SVA. This relationship, as underscored by the study, is mediated by two pivotal psychological constructs: attentional control and alexithymia. Both serve crucial roles in the processing and modulation of emotions, acting as potential pathways through which attachment anxiety exerts its influence on addictive behaviors.
Attentional control refers to the cognitive capacity to selectively focus or deflect attention amidst competing stimuli. Impaired attentional control, as revealed by this study, diminishes an individual’s ability to regulate emotional responses, thereby increasing susceptibility to maladaptive coping strategies such as excessive short video consumption. Complementarily, alexithymia—marked by difficulties in identifying and articulating emotions—further compounds this vulnerability. The coexistence of these deficits potentiates emotional dysregulation, driving individuals toward external sources of relief and distraction, notably short videos.
The empirical investigation encompassed a diverse cohort of 342 university students aged 18 to 22. Employing robust psychometric instruments, the researchers quantified participants’ short video addiction levels, attachment anxiety, attentional control capabilities, and alexithymic traits. Statistical analyses affirmed that individuals manifesting higher attachment anxiety were significantly more prone to SVA. Crucially, attentional control and alexithymia emerged as interlinked mediators in this association, illuminating the intricate cognitive-emotional dynamics that precipitate addiction.
Alexithymic tendencies were particularly illuminating, with subjects exhibiting more profound difficulties in emotional identification simultaneously reporting elevated short video addiction scores. This finding implicates alexithymia not only as a marker of emotional distress but also as a catalyst for seeking external stimuli to mitigate unprocessed affective states. It suggests that short videos may function as a makeshift emotional escape, momentarily alleviating the discomfort of unregulated feelings.
Moreover, attentional control deficits not only directly contribute to SVA but also intensify alexithymic symptoms, thereby creating a convoluted feedback loop. This interaction underscores the compounded impact of cognitive and affective dysfunctions in the etiology of short video addiction. Importantly, these insights highlight attentional control as a potential fulcrum for intervention, advocating for cognitive training paradigms aimed at enhancing focused attention to curb addictive tendencies.
Su and colleagues emphasize the plasticity of attentional control and its amenability to therapeutic modulation. Strategies such as mindfulness meditation, systemic reduction of multitasking, and deliberate engagement in focused activities can fortify attentional regulation. These practices not only enhance concentration but also bolster emotional awareness, collectively diminishing reliance on electronic media as an emotional crutch. Consequently, interventions targeting cognitive-emotional regulation may yield substantive benefits in preventing and mitigating SVA.
The investigation, however, is not without limitations. Reliance on self-report measures introduces subjective bias, while the cross-sectional design restricts causal inference. The sample’s gender imbalance—approximately 72% male—further constrains generalizability, given documented gender differences in both attachment styles and attentional control. Future longitudinal research with representative demographics is imperative to validate and extend these findings, establishing causality and refining intervention targets.
In a broader context, this study disrupts the conventional paradigm that frames short video addiction predominantly as a question of screen time limitation. Instead, it reframes SVA as a multifaceted disorder rooted in emotional and cognitive dysregulation. Such reconceptualization advocates for holistic prevention strategies emphasizing emotional literacy and executive functioning enhancement alongside behavioral controls.
Ultimately, the findings advocate a paradigm shift in addressing digital media addiction. By acknowledging the intertwined cognitive-emotional pathways that lead from attachment anxiety to short video addiction, mental health professionals and educators can devise nuanced approaches. These approaches prioritize building attentional stamina and emotional insight, empowering young adults to regulate their digital consumption adaptively within the broader context of their psychological well-being.
As digital platforms continue to innovate and intensify engagement, understanding the psychological underpinnings of addiction becomes ever more critical. This research marks a vital milestone, delineating the nuanced pathways that elevate short video addiction risk and offering actionable insights for intervention. Enhancing attentional control and emotional awareness emerges not only as a therapeutic avenue but as a foundational skill set requisite for thriving in a digitally saturated landscape.
By illuminating these mechanisms, the study equips stakeholders—clinicians, educators, and policymakers—with evidence-based guidance to combat the burgeoning challenge of short video addiction. It is a clarion call to prioritize cognitive and emotional resilience in the fight against the pitfalls of relentless digital content consumption, ensuring technology serves as a tool for enrichment rather than a vector of dependency.
Subject of Research: Psychological mechanisms underlying short video addiction, focusing on attachment anxiety, attentional control, and alexithymia.
Article Title: From Attachment Anxiety to Short Video Addiction: The Roles of Attentional Control and Alexithymia
News Publication Date: 26-Mar-2026
Web References: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1764536
References: Su, H., et al. (2026). From Attachment Anxiety to Short Video Addiction: The Roles of Attentional Control and Alexithymia. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1764536
Keywords: Short Video Addiction, Attachment Anxiety, Attentional Control, Alexithymia, Emotional Regulation, Cognitive Control, Behavioral Addiction, Digital Media Use, Adolescents, Psychological Vulnerability
