Unique and interactive effects of parental neglect, school connectedness, and trait self-control on mobile short-form video dependence among Chinese left-behind adolescents

Background: Mobile short-form video is becoming increasingly popular among Chinese adoles-cents. Mobile short-form video dependence has become a pressing issue in Chinese adolescents, especially in left-behind adolescents. Previous studies, however, have focused on general mobile phone dependence and neglected specific types of mobile phone dependence. Few studies have explored the environmental and individual predictors of mobile short-form video dependence.Objective: Based on theoretical and empirical evidence, the present study examined the unique and interactive effects of parental neglect, school connectedness, and trait self-control on mobile short-form video dependence among Chinese left-behind adolescents.Methods: A total of 618 left-behind adolescents between 11 and 15 years of age completed the anonymous self-report survey. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was applied for data analysis. Results: Parental neglect was positively associated with mobile short-form video dependence, whereas school connectedness and trait self-control were negatively associated with mobile short -form video dependence in left-behind adolescents. Examination of the two-way interactions indicated that school connectedness and trait self-control could buffer the association between parental neglect and left-behind adolescents' mobile short-form video dependence. However, self-control could not moderate the association between school connectedness and mobile short-form video dependence. In addition, the three-way interaction of parental neglect, school connected-ness, and trait self-control showed a significant effect on mobile short-form video dependence. The moderating role of school connectedness was stronger for left-behind adolescents with low trait self-control than for those with high trait self-control, and the moderating role of trait self-control was stronger for left-behind adolescents with low school connectedness than for those with high school connectedness.Conclusions: The findings contribute significantly to revealing the complex mechanisms of mobile short-form video dependence and providing comprehensive and specific practical suggestions for the prevention and intervention of mobile short-form video dependence among left-behind adolescents.