From Pathology to Purchase: Compulsive Short Video Use and Socio-Technical Moderation in E-Commerce

Short-video platforms such as TikTok, Douyin, and Instagram Reels have transformed digital consumption into an immersive, algorithmically mediated commerce ecosystem. This study examines how compulsive short video use (CSV), a maladaptive pattern linked to diminished self-regulation, shapes purchase intention (PI). Drawing on compulsive consumption theory, dual-process perspectives, and socio-technical systems theory (STST), we estimate a structural equation model using survey data from 542 active short-video users. The results show that CSV exerts a strong and consistent positive effect on PI, indicating that compulsive engagement functions as a commercially consequential psychological state. This relationship is contingent on socio-technical conditions: technical support and platform familiarity substantially amplify the CSV–PI pathway, social belonging provides weaker but positive reinforcement, and social interaction attenuates the effect by redirecting attention away from transactional cues. These findings position CSV as both a form of digital pathology and a commercially activating mechanism within socio-technical environments. The study also offers guidance for platform managers seeking to balance monetization with ethical responsibility in short-video commerce ecosystems.