OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between boredom proneness and phubbing among Chinese college students and examine how self-control and bedtime procrastination mediate this relationship during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: A total of 707 Chinese college students were voluntarily surveyed. They completed the Generic Scale of Phubbing (GSP), Short Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS), Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS), and Self-Control Scale (SCS). RESULTS: (1) The results revealed that men scored higher on boredom than women. (2) The analysis revealed significant associations between each of the variables. Boredom proneness was positively correlated with bedtime procrastination ( = 0.318; < 0.001) and phubbing ( = 0.418; < 0.001) and negatively correlated with self-control ( = -0.518; < 0.001). (3) Mediation analysis suggested that self-control and bedtime procrastination mediate the relationship between boredom proneness and phubbing (effect of self-control = 0.094, < 0.001, 95% CI [0.062∼0.128]; effect of bedtime procrastination = 0.025, < 0.001, 95% CI [0.011∼0.042]; and effect of self-control and bedtime procrastination = 0.032, < 0.001, 95% CI [0.020∼0.046]). CONCLUSION: Self-control and bedtime procrastination mediate the association between boredom proneness and phubbing among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.