Your Call - Keep or Wrap: Examining the Impact of Self-regulatory Intervention on Short-form Video Consumption Behavior

Short-form videos have become one of the most addictive forms of digital media, keeping users endlessly scrolling with little self-regulation. Most existing interventions, screen-time limits or warning messages, are imposed from the outside and often lead to resistance or are simply ignored. To explore a more empowering approach, we designed a self-regulatory intervention that allows users to set their own viewing goals, reflect on what they watch, and receive periodic feedback as well as a summary of their viewing behaviors. We conducted a 4-week field study with 20 participants, spanning baseline, intervention, and withdrawal phases. Participants became more conscious of their viewing and more self-disciplined, finding control over both the viewing quantity and quality. However, sustaining self-regulation proved challenging once the intervention was withdrawn. These findings highlight both the promise and fragility of self-regulatory strategies and point to new design opportunities for interventions that support sustainable self-regulation in short-form videos.