Adolescent user behaviors on short video application, cognitive functioning and academic performance

Despite the soaring popularity of short video applications (SVA) among adolescents worldwide, little is known about its potential impact on adolescent users. This study aimed to examine whether and how adolescents’ user behaviors regarding SVA, including daily usage and reliance on algorithmic recommendations, predict their cognitive functioning and academic performance. A sample of Chinese adolescents from two age cohorts (Mage=12.25, SD=0.02, N=454; Mage=15.21, SD=0.02, N= 368) completed the survey on SVA user behavior and cognitive ability test regarding academic delay of gratification (ADOG), working memory and verbal ability. The findings reveal that daily usage of SVA is negatively correlated with users’ ADOG and academic performance for both age cohorts. And the dependency on algorithmic personalization negatively predicts the working memory, verbal ability and academic performance of the younger cohort only. Also, their SVA daily usage negatively correlates with working memory and verbal ability, which both simultaneously mediate between their user behavior and poorer academic performance. Considering the age differences in SVA-related effects, the study further points out the higher susceptibility of younger adolescents to SVA use compared to their older counterparts, which should be noted by students, parents, educators and researchers to prevent the potentially negative impact.