Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of Video Addiction Scales: The Chinese YouTube Addiction Scale for Taiwan and Hong Kong

As the second most frequently visited website globally, YouTube attracts numerous people who spend significant amounts of time on the platform, potentially leading to problematic consequences. To investigate the underlying mechanism of problematic video-based social media use, the present study translated and culturally adapted the YouTube Addiction Scale (YAS) into two Chinese versions for people in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Psychometric properties and measurement invariance across regions (Taiwan and Hong Kong) and sex (male and female) were further validated. Participants from Taiwan (N = 887) and Hong Kong (N = 1,008) completed an online survey comprising the YAS, Assessment of Criteria for Specific Internet-use Disorders (ACSID-11), and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) between September 2023 and June 2024. The results supported adequate concurrent validity of YAS with the ACSID-11 and BSMAS. A robust single-factorial structure with strong factor loadings and good internal consistency was observed among the two Chinese versions. Measurement invariance across regional and sex groups was also supported by all fit indices. Accordingly, the current findings suggest that the YAS can be used as a validated instrument to assess individuals' problematic YouTube use in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Future studies may investigate the psychosocial influences of problematic use of video-based social media platforms or use the scale in studies of active and passive use of social media.