Can't Stop: How Context and Individual Traits Influence Effectiveness of Different Gradual Interventions for Infinite Scrolling on Short-Form Video Platforms

2026-07-17

AI Summary

This study addresses the challenge of excessive use and post-use regret on short-video platforms driven by infinite scrolling, where existing interventions are limited by individual differences. Through a seven-day randomized field experiment (N=104), we compared the effects of pop-up notifications against visual and haptic progressive design frictions on user behavior and experience. Integrating objective behavioral logs with subjective survey responses and employing Bayesian modeling, we found that self-regulatory traits—particularly impulsivity—significantly moderated intervention efficacy: pop-ups showed initial effectiveness but rapidly lost impact, while visual friction sustained the most favorable subjective evaluations over time. Notably, highly impulsive users responded best to pop-ups, whereas low-impulsivity users were largely insensitive to them. These findings underscore the necessity and promise of personalized intervention strategies in digital well-being design.

Abstract

Infinite scrolling on short-form video platforms like TikTok encourages prolonged engagement and post-usage regret. Interventions aim to mitigate such behavior, but their effectiveness may depend on the interplay between intervention type, contextual factors, and individual traits. In a 7-day within-subject randomized field study (N=104), we compared a baseline pop-up and two gradually intensifying design frictions (visual and haptic). We evaluated behavioral changes and user experience using objective and subjective measures. Results showed that the pop-up was initially effective but quickly lost impact, whereas the visual gradual intervention sustained subjective ratings the longest. Bayesian modeling revealed that self-regulation traits moderate how participants responded to the three intervention types. For participants with low impulsivity, the type of intervention had little influence on its subjective effectiveness. For participants with high impulsivity, however, differences between intervention types were substantial, with the explicit baseline pop-up being most effective compared to the novel gradual interventions. Contextual factors, in contrast, showed little influence. These findings suggest that intervention modality and individual differences in self-regulation shape intervention effectiveness.

Problem

• infinite scrolling
• intervention effectiveness
• individual traits
• self-regulation
• short-form video platforms

Innovation

• gradual interventions
• self-regulation traits
• infinite scrolling
• personalized design
• field study