Background Short video platforms have rapidly gained popularity among college students, leading to issues of addictive use. Existing research has shown a significant association between interpersonal sensitivity and short video addiction, but the underlying psychological mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to explore the mediating role of loneliness and fear of missing out in the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and short video addiction. Methods A questionnaire survey method was used to select 465 college students in mainland China. Scales measuring interpersonal sensitivity, loneliness, fear of missing out, and short video addiction were employed for measurement, and mediation analysis was conducted to test the causal pathways. Results Interpersonal sensitivity is significantly positively correlated with short video addiction ( p 0.01). Loneliness and fear of missing out are both significantly positively correlated with interpersonal sensitivity and short video addiction ( p 0.01). Loneliness and fear of missing out both play a significant mediating role in the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and short video addiction. Loneliness and fear of missing out exhibit a significant chain mediating effect. Conclusion Interpersonal sensitivity not only directly affects college students’ addiction to short videos, but also indirectly increases the risk of addiction by exacerbating loneliness and heightening the fear of missing out. Interventions targeting individuals with high interpersonal sensitivity should focus on both loneliness and fear of missing out management to break the vicious cycle between psychology and behavior and reduce the incidence of short video addiction.
Zhang et al. (2026) studied this question.