This qualitative study aims to explore the experience of short-video addiction among college students using a directed content analysis approach grounded in the integrated framework of the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory and the Temporal Self-Regulation Theory (TST).

Short-form videos have become one of the most popular ways for people to entertain and relax. However, the intense interest in short-form videos has given rise to short-video addiction, which poses risks to both physical and mental health of individuals. As undergraduates constitute a key user group of short-form videos, the associated adverse outcomes of short-form video addiction-including poor sleep, physical discomfort, academic procrastination, anxiety, and impaired self-regulation-call for increased attention.Understanding its underlying mechanisms is therefore critical, yet existing quantitative studies lack contextual depth, and qualitative research remains sparse and theoretically fragmented.To address this gap, this qualitative study will use directed content analysis grounded in an integrated Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) and Temporal Self-Regulation Theory (TST) framework. Eligible full-time college students will complete semi-structured interviews exploring triggering stimuli, emotional/cognitive responses, behavioral consequences, time perception, future self-connection, and self-regulatory failures. The study will produce a theory-driven, empirically grounded model of short video addiction formation, informing targeted prevention and intervention strategies for this high-risk population.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Full-time college students (including associate degree, bachelor's degree, and graduate students)
• Answer "yes" to 4 or more diagnostic items on the College Student Short Video Addiction Scale
• Willing to participate voluntarily and provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those with severe mental or cognitive impairments who are unable to participate in the interview.
• Refusal to participate in the study

The study population will consist of full-time college students (including associate degree, bachelor's degree, and graduate students) recruited from universities in China. Participants will be purposively selected based on their scores on the College Student Short Video Addiction Scale. Those who answer "yes" to 4 or more diagnostic items on the scale will be included, indicating a pattern of problematic short video use. Individuals with severe mental disorders or major cognitive impairment participation will be excluded.