The double-edged sword of short-form video platform use: Chinese undergraduates’ perceived academic consequences and self-regulatory behaviours on Douyin

Background Short-form video platforms such as Douyin/TikTok have become pervasive among college students, yet participants’ reported perceptions regarding their learning-related consequences remain paradoxical. While offering flexible, accessible learning resources, these platforms may also pose challenges for students’ self-regulatory behaviours. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 268 undergraduate students from three different types of higher education institutions in China. Outcomes were measured through students’ self-reported perceived academic impact rather than objective academic performance measures. Usage patterns, perceived academic impact, self-regulatory behaviour and perceived value and actual use of Douyin use were analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparisons. Results Over two-thirds of participants (67.17%, n = 268) reported using Douyin for academic purposes, acknowledging benefits such as improved knowledge access and learning engagement. However, 39.17% reported having ambivalent effects and 20.9% reported habitual, unconscious use. There was a notable descriptive discrepancy between perceived educational value and actual educational use: while students recognized the drawbacks to focus and productivity, many had difficulty controlling usage. In other words, higher-level participants in our sample showed more adaptive self-regulatory behaviours (no formal statistical tests were performed). Conclusion Short-form video platforms represent a double-edged sword in undergraduates’ self-reported learning experience. They offer valuable microlearning opportunities but also challenge students’ self-regulatory behaviours in the case of poor self-control. These results provide empirical reference for future studies of short-video learning experiences in undergraduates.