Validation of the Short Video Addiction Scale: A Psychometric Study Among Chinese Adolescents

The rise of short video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels has led to increasing concerns about addiction, particularly among adolescents. This study introduces the Short Video Addiction Scale (SVAS), a concise, reliable tool designed to assess addictive behaviors specific to short video use. The SVAS, adapted from the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS), was validated with a sample of 2,959 Chinese adolescents. Results show strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.884) and good structural validity, with a single-factor model explaining 63.9% of the variance. The scale correlates highly with the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (r = 0.768) and depressive symptoms (r = 0.497). The SVAS demonstrates excellent diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.875), making it a promising tool for early identification and intervention of short video addiction.