Socially engaged or informationally overwhelmed? Effect of bullet-screen comment quantity on video-liking

Purpose Bullet screen comments (BSCs) are increasingly prevalent on online video platforms, yet little is known about how their quantity affects viewer engagement. This study investigates the impact of BSC quantity on video-liking behavior and the psychological mechanisms underlying this effect. Design/methodology/approach We conducted one field study and three lab experiments. In the field study, three identical videos with varying BSC quantities (low, moderate, high) were uploaded on Bilibili.com, and video-liking rate (VLR) was calculated. The lab experiments replicated the findings and explored the mediating and moderating mechanisms. Findings Results reveal an inverted-U-shaped relationship between BSC quantity and video-liking: a moderate amount of BSCs enhances liking, while excessive BSCs reduce it. This effect is mediated by perceived social connectedness and information richness. Additionally, BSC usage level moderates the negative impact of high BSC quantity – heavy BSC users are less affected than light users. Originality/value This study extends BSCs literature by shifting focus from BSCs as a viewer response to BSCs as an influential media feature. It also contributes to theories of social connectedness and information processing, highlighting a crowd-out effect of information overload on perceived social connectedness. Practical implications are offered for video platform design, advertising, and viewer experience optimization.