How short-form video features influence addiction behavior? Empirical research from the opponent process theory perspective

Purpose: Investigate mechanisms by which short-form video features affect addiction.
Methodology: Empirical research with data from 382 Chinese TikTok users based on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework and opponent process theory (OPT).
Findings: Video features influence addiction through perceived enjoyment and withdrawal feelings. Procrastination moderates the relationship between withdrawal feelings and addiction.
Contribution: Enriches understanding of social media addiction, focusing on unique video features.

Short-Form Videos: Emerging social media where users create and share videos. E.g., TikTok, with over 820 million users in China (as of mid-2019).
Usage Statistics: Over 22 hours of monthly usage per capita surpassing mobile gaming; TikTok downloaded 1.6 billion times globally.
Societal Issues: Privacy concerns and internet violence arise alongside increased user addiction.

Technology Addiction: Explored in information systems; focuses on psychological, social, and personal factors.
SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE: Limited focus on technology features contributing to addiction, although gaming studies offer related insights.
Opponent Process Theory (OPT): Explains how repeated interactions with features maintain or bolster both positive (enjoyment) and negative (withdrawal) emotions, leading to addiction behaviors.
Role of Procrastination: Proposed as a moderating factor in addiction, linked to self-regulation issues.

Stimulus (S): External features of short-form videos.
Organism (O): Internal states, including emotions based on video interactions.
Response (R): Behavioral outcomes such as addiction.

Addiction Symptoms: Mood regulation, salience, withdrawal, conflict, relapse, tolerance.
Influencing Factors of Addiction: Mental state (e.g., perceived enjoyment) significantly drives addiction behaviors.

Describes opposing reinforcement mechanisms of positive (enjoyable interactions) and negative (withdrawal states).
Continuous interaction with desirable features leads to emotional dependency and generalized addiction behaviors.

Categories Identified:
- Immersion Features: Personalized recommendations, character avatars, narratives/stories enhancing user engagement.
- Social Features: Networking, customization, competition fostering connectivity.
- Control Features: Video creation and browsing providing user agency and motivation.

Addiction Relationships:
- Feeling of withdrawal positively influences addiction.
- Perceived enjoyment positively influences addiction and correlates with feelings of withdrawal.
Features and Addiction Outcomes:
- Immersion features correlate with both perceived enjoyment and withdrawal; similar outcomes noted for social and control features.

Procrastination amplifies the relation between withdrawal feelings and addiction, but not between perceived enjoyment and addiction.
Individuals with higher procrastination tendencies delay initiating tasks, leading to increased video usage.

Intervention Strategies: Consider behavioral substitutes for addiction, limit user interaction time, and enhance self-regulation mechanisms.
Social Responsibility: Platforms may enforce measures to alleviate addiction risks for susceptible users, especially teenagers.