Who Doesn't Get Hooked in Their Golden Years? A Study on the Consumption Behavior Configuration of Middle-Aged and Elderly People in Short Drama

Based on the Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC) theory and narrative theory, this study employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to investigate the factors influencing the short drama consumption intentions of middle-aged and elderly individuals. The findings reveal that the consumption intentions of this demographic are shaped by a combination of role -taking, conflict, and compensation, manifesting in four distinct pathways: traditional intergenerational conflict-driven, family interaction-enhanced, new media compensation-awakening, and supportive multi-integration pathways. These pathways elucidate the consumption behavior logic of middle-aged and elderly individuals under varying resource endowments and social contexts, highlighting that intergenerational and peer conflicts serve as core triggers for consumption behavior, while resource endowment levels significantly modulate the direction of compensation mechanisms. The study's conclusions provide an actionable theoretical model for age-friendly content production in the short drama industry and pave a new path for realizing intergenerational equity in the silver economy.