[Paper Review] Short-Form for Wellbeing

Paper: Impact of Short-Form Content User Perception on Subjective Wellbeing: Focused on YouTube Shorts Users (Kim Do-hyeon, Kim Heon, 2025). The research moves beyond the "short-form = addiction/time waste" frame to empirically trace the specific path from user perception → satisfaction → subjective wellbeing (daily life change). Key findings: (1) Satisfaction as decisive mediator — YouTube Shorts satisfaction significantly improves subjective wellbeing across 8 specific daily life indicators (concentration, memory, depression reduction, family/friend relationships; beta=0.21, p<.001); short-form is not a "time thief" but a positive mediator for daily function and quality of life when appropriate motivational recognition and participatory use are present; (2) Negative perception asymmetry — negative perceptions (addiction risk, indecent content) have stronger effects on satisfaction than positive utility perceptions; even when users find content useful and enjoyable, strong negative perceptions can overpower those benefits; (3) Creative participation advantage — creation and sharing engagement provides stronger wellbeing benefits than passive consumption; three conditions for short-form content to actually improve users'' lives: ① motivation recognition (clear self-awareness of why consuming this content; beta=0.62, p<.001); ② reducing negative perceptions (self-control and platform content quality); ③ participatory use (creation and sharing beyond mere viewing). Platform design implication: if reducing negative perceptions is as important as enhancing positive features, content quality filtering and transparent content policies are as strategically important as recommendation algorithm optimization.