Abstract: A survey was conducted on 826 college students with short video usage habits with the Adolescent Life Event Scale, Short Video Addiction Scale, and Self Compensation Motivation Questionnaire. The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between negative life events and short video addiction, and a significant positive correlation with self compensation motivation. Short video addiction was significantly positively correlated with self compensation motivation. In addition, negative life events significantly positively predicted short video addiction in college students, self compensating motivation played a mediating role between negative life events and short videos. Namely, negative life events could directly affect college students' short video addiction, and also played an indirect role through self compensating motivation. Preventing the occurrence and accumulation of negative life events, adjusting the level and mode of self compensation motivation among college students could help prevent and improve their short video addiction.