Phubbing (phone snubbing) has become the norm in (im)polite society. A vast majority of US adults report using their phones during a recent social interaction. Using one’s phone in the presence of others has been shown to have a negative impact on relationships among co-workers, friends, family, and romantic partners. Recent research suggests viewing short-form videos (SFVs) (e.g., TikTok) is more addictive/immersive than traditional social media (e.g., Facebook) leading to a greater likelihood of phubbing others. Across two studies, the present research investigates the relationship between SFV viewing and phubbing and the possible mediating effect of self-control. We also test whether TikTok has a stronger relationship with phubbing than Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, two popular SFV purveyors. Study 1 (282 college students) finds that viewing TikTok videos is positively associated with phubbing others and this relationship is mediated by self-control. Interestingly, Study 1 also finds that this relationship does not hold for Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts. Using two different measures of self-control, Study 2 (198 adults) provides additional support for the mediating effect of self-control on the SFV viewing—phubbing relationship. Again, the model is only supported for TikTok SFV viewing, not Instagram or YouTube. In sum, the viewing of carefully curated short TikTok videos, often 30–60 seconds in length, undermines self-control which is associated with increased phubbing behavior. Implications of the present study’s findings expand far beyond phubbing. Self-control plays a central role in nearly all human decision making and behavior. Suggestions for future research are offered.

中文翻译：

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TikTok 大脑：对短视频使用、自我控制和低头族的调查


低头族（冷落电话）已成为（不）礼貌社会的常态。绝大多数美国成年人表示在最近的社交互动中使用了手机。研究表明，在其他人在场的情况下使用手机会对同事、朋友、家人和恋人之间的关系产生负面影响。最近的研究表明，观看短视频 (SFV)（例如 TikTok）比传统社交媒体（例如 Facebook）更容易上瘾/沉浸，从而更有可能让其他人陷入低头。通过两项研究，本研究调查了 SFV 观看和低头族之间的关系以及自我控制可能的中介作用。我们还测试了 TikTok 与低头族的关系是否比 Instagram Reels 和 YouTube Shorts 这两个受欢迎的 SFV 提供商更强。研究 1（282 名大学生）发现，观看 TikTok 视频与低头阅读他人呈正相关，并且这种关系是通过自我控制来调节的。有趣的是，研究 1 还发现这种关系不适用于 Instagram Reels 和 YouTube Shorts。研究 2（198 名成年人）使用两种不同的自我控制措施，为自我控制在 SFV 观看与低头关系之间的中介作用提供了额外的支持。同样，该模型仅支持 TikTok SFV 观看，而不支持 Instagram 或 YouTube。总而言之，观看精心策划的 TikTok 短视频（通常长度为 30 至 60 秒）会破坏自我控制能力，而自我控制能力又与低头行为增多有关。本研究结果的影响远远超出了低头族的范畴。自我控制在几乎所有人类决策和行为中都起着核心作用。提出了未来研究的建议。