A daily diary study on the relationship between negative affect and problematic short video use: the mediating role of rumination and the cross-level moderating role of self-control

The widespread use of short video applications (apps), a rapidly expanding form of digital social media particularly popular among young adults, has raised growing concerns about problematic short video use (PSVU). Although prior research has demonstrated the between-person relationships between specific negative emotions (e.g., depression, stress) and PSVU, little is known about the within-person relationship between general negative affect and PSVU, as well as its underlying mechanisms. To address these gaps, drawing upon the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) Model and the Risk-Protective Factor Model, this study adopted a daily diary design to explore the within-person relationship between general negative affect and PSVU, as well as the mediating effect of daily rumination and the cross-level moderating effect of self-control on this association. A total of 144 Chinese college students (Mage = 20.75 years, SD = 1.36 years) completed online questionnaires over 14 consecutive days. A multilevel mediation model showed that daily negative affect had a positive indirect effect on daily PSVU through daily rumination. Importantly, self-control at the between-person level moderated the within-person relationship between daily negative affect and daily rumination. Specifically, individuals with higher levels of self-control were less likely to ruminate in response to daily negative affect, thereby reducing the likelihood of PSVU. Taken together, these results highlight the dynamic linkage between daily negative affect and PSVU, while also offering novel insights into the formulation of personalized intervention strategies to mitigate individuals’ PSVU in the short term.