<p>Amid societal transformation and digitalization, the issue of short video addiction among the elderly has emerged as a critical social concern. Previous studies have shown that parental phubbing is positively correlated with adolescent short video addiction. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms behind the relationship between adult offspring’s phubbing behavior and parental short video addiction. This study, grounded in interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory, investigates the direct relationship between adult offspring’s phubbing behavior and short video addiction in the elderly. It proposes a model where loneliness mediates and neuroticism moderates this relationship. A survey encompassing 684 elderly individuals (aged 55 to 83) from Sichuan-Chongqing region of China was conducted, assessing phubbing behaviors, short video addiction, loneliness, and neuroticism. The findings reveal that adult offspring’s phubbing positively predicts short video addiction in the elderly, with loneliness partially mediating this relationship. Furthermore, the level of neuroticism in the elderly modulates the link between loneliness and addiction. Specifically, individuals with high neuroticism exhibit greater addiction under low loneliness, while no significant addiction differences are observed under high loneliness. These results affirm the connection between offspring phubbing and elderly short video addiction, offering insights into problematic smartphone use among the elderly from an intergenerational perspective and guiding future prevention and intervention strategies for short video addiction.</p>