Prospective association between cumulative ecological risk and adolescent problematic short video use: Concurrent associations with cognitive fusion and reflective smartphone disengagement

Cumulative ecological risk (CER) is a robust predictor of problematic online behavior. However, empirical evidence remains sparse regarding the prospective association between cumulative ecological risk and problematic short video use (PSVU), and the indirect and conditional association between these variables have yet to be sufficiently elucidated. To address this issue, this study-grounded in the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model-examines the prospective association between CER and PSVU. Specifically, we examine the indirect association via cognitive fusion (i.e., the tendency to over-identify with subjective thoughts) and the role of reflective smartphone disengagement (RSD, i.e., the conscious regulation of device usage) in this indirect association. Utilizing a two-wave longitudinal design, we recruited 2477 junior high school students from three secondary schools in Jiangsu Province, China, with two assessments conducted six months apart. Results indicated that CER (T1) was positively and prospectively associated with PSVU (T2). Furthermore, CER showed an indirect association with PSVU via cognitive fusion. Notably, the association between CER and PSVU through cognitive fusion varied as a function of RSD (T2); specifically, this indirect association was modestly weaker among adolescents with higher RSD levels than those with lower levels. These findings contribute to understanding the indirect association with PSVU and informing practical implications for prevention and intervention strategies.