Table 2.

Instrument of the variables.

Variables (sources)	Items
Perceived stress (Cohen et al., 1995)	I am unable to cope with life’s challenges and feel overwhelmed or stressed.
	I cannot control important matters and worries in life and feel depressed.
	I lack confidence in dealing with significant changes happening in my life.
	I feel incapable of overcoming difficulties and making things progress smoothly.
Relaxing entertainment (Khan, 2017)	To relax.
	To pass the time when bored.
Social interaction (Zhang et al., 2023)	To meet new people
	To interact with people with the same interests
	To spend time with people I care about
Attitude (Ajzen, 2002; Eagly and Chaiken, 1993)	I enjoy watching short videos for a long time.
	I think watching short videos for a long time is normal behavior.
	I think watching short videos for a long time is beneficial.
Immersion (Hamari et al., 2016)	I find it easy to concentrate and immerse myself in watching short videos, often losing track of time.
	I often immerse myself in short videos recommended by short video apps.
	I often immerse myself in short videos I am interested in.
Short video addiction (Chen et al., 2003)	I watch short videos whenever I have free time.
	I open the short video application frequently.
	I feel that life without the short videos would be boring, empty and joyless.
	I feel that I watch short videos longer than before.
	I neglect the interaction with my family, friends, classmates and colleagues to spend more time watching short videos.
	On more than one occasion, I have delayed things that need to be completed on time because of watching short videos.
	I try to cut down the amount of time I spend online, but failed.