Abstract: [Purpose/Significance] To provide insights for promoting older adults to use short video platforms positively and healthily, this study explores the mechanisms underlying the digital inclusion paradox of older users' engagement-addiction dilemma to short videos. [Design/Methodology] A mixed quantitative-qualitative research design was employed, and an influencing factors model was grounded in sociotechnical systems theory and the uses and gratifications theory. In the quantitative research phase, a structural equation model analysis was carried out based on 226 questionnaires. In the qualitative research phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted through tracking 13 older people. [Findings/Conclusion] The quantitative results indicate that both short video affordance and digital reverse mentoring can positively influence hedonic gratification and utilitarian gratification. At the same time, both types of gratification have a positive impact on the sense of short video immersion. Moreover, the sense of short video immersion and hedonic gratification have a positive impact on short video addiction, while the impact of utilitarian gratification on short video addiction is not significant. In addition, digital reverse mentoring plays a negatively moderating role in the relationship between the affordance of short video and the two types of gratification. The results of qualitative research verify the findings of the quantitative research and provide support for exploring the causal mechanisms between the constructs. [Originality/Value] This study innovatively offers insights for the scholarly community to understand the elderly's engagement-addiction dilemma on short video platforms from the perspective of the technology integration paradox. Additionally, the mixed-methods design is used to reveal the contradictory interaction effects between digital reverse mentoring and short video affordances.

Keywords: Engagement and addiction dilemma, Short video, Older adults, Affordance, Digital reverse mentoring, Mixed-methods