Adapting to Lockdown: Exploring Stress Coping Strategies on Short Video Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Response to Letter]

Dear editor

We would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Muttaqin for his deep engagement with our work and his valuable suggestions for enhancing the scope of our study.

Regarding the first point about incorporating Problem-Focused Coping (PFC) factors, we agree that aspects such as health, energy, and positive beliefs are crucial in stress management. Our study investigated both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies considering the unique affordances of short video platforms. We underscored the importance of aligning coping strategies with platform affordances, which is grounded in the transactional stress model and the concept of coping flexibility. Future studies, building upon our findings, could indeed benefit from integrating PFC factors to provide a more holistic understanding of the coping mechanisms.

The second concern about the potential oversimplification of the negative impacts of short video addiction is well-taken. In our study, we focused on the positive aspects of short video consumption as a means of emotional relief and information acquisition during a stressful period. However, as the letter pointed out, there is a fine line between use and overuse, which can lead to problematic use such as addictive behaviors with adverse effects on mental health. This aspect deserves careful examination in future studies to provide a balanced perspective.¹

Concerning the depth and limitations of data collection via social media, we acknowledge that our methodology, primarily quantitative and based on online surveys, might not capture the nuanced experiences of individual users. The suggestion of adopting qualitative approaches like case studies and virtual ethnography is indeed valuable. These methods would allow for an in-depth exploration of personal experiences and the complex psychological and social dynamics at play in the use of short video platforms for stress coping. Such an approach could complement our findings by providing rich, contextual insights into the lived experiences of individuals during the pandemic.²

We appreciate Mr. Muttaqin’s feedback, which has been instrumental in highlighting areas for further research and in deepening our understanding of the multifaceted nature of stress coping strategies in the digital age.