Parental neglect and short video addiction among college students: a moderated mediation model

With the popularity of short video platforms, Short Video Addiction has become a growing mental health concern. From a cognitive-emotional perspective, this study examined the association between Parental Neglect and Short Video Addiction among college students, focusing on the mediating role of Thought Suppression and the moderating effect of Thought Control Ability. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,337 college students using the Parental Neglect Scale, Short Video Addiction Scale, White Bear Suppression Inventory, and Thought Control Ability Questionnaire. The results showed that Parental Neglect, Thought Suppression, and Short Video Addiction were all significantly and positively correlated with one another, while Thought Control Ability was significantly and negatively correlated with these three variables. Thought Suppression partially mediated the relationship between Parental Neglect and Short Video Addiction, and Thought Control Ability moderated the path from Thought Suppression to Short Video Addiction: for individuals with lower Thought Control Ability, Thought Suppression was a stronger positive predictor of Short Video Addiction; whereas for those with higher Thought Control Ability, this positive association was significantly attenuated. These findings suggest that enhancing individual Thought Control Ability may be associated with reduced negative influence of Thought Suppression on Short Video Addiction. This provides a theoretical and practical basis for cognitive-level interventions to help prevent excessive use of short video platforms among young adults.