Author(s)

Liying Zhan ¹, Rong Liu ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ School of Education, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, China

Corresponding Author

Liying Zhan

ABSTRACT

This study examined the mechanism linking short-form video addiction to academic burnout among high school students, with a specific focus on the serial mediating effects of sleep quality and anxiety. A total of 800 high school students were administered the Short-Form Video Addiction Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and the Adolescent Student Burnout Inventory, yielding 587 valid responses. Results showed that short-form video addiction, poor sleep quality, anxiety, and academic burnout were all significantly and positively correlated. Short-form video addiction had a direct impact on academic burnout (β = 0.196, p < 0.001). Sleep quality and anxiety mediated the link between short-form video addiction and academic burnout. The total indirect effect accounted for 45.56% of the total association, while the serial indirect pathway accounted for 8.89%. These findings indicate that short-form video addiction may increase academic burnout not only directly but also indirectly by impairing sleep quality and increasing anxiety. The results provide theoretical and empirical support for interventions targeting digital media use, sleep hygiene, and anxiety management among adolescents.

KEYWORDS

Short-Form Video Addiction; Academic Burnout; Sleep Quality; Anxiety; Serial Mediation Model

CITE THIS PAPER

Liying Zhan, Rong Liu. A Serial Mediation Model of Short-Form Video Addiction and High School Students' Academic Burnout: The Role of Sleep Quality and Anxiety. Applied & Educational Psychology (2026). Vol. 7, No. 2, 36-44. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/appep.2026.070205.

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