SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
Social media is used by millions of people all over the world. Numerous
numbers of teenagers, high school students, and elderly people use social
media for communication, entertainment, work, sales, shopping, information
sharing,
traveling
information
sharing,
sharing
experiences,
news,
announcements, and so forth. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Wiki, Google,
YouTube, and so forth are the most common social media (Jiao et al.) The
world’s largest social network, Facebook, has more than 1.31 billion mobile
active users and 1.49 billion monthly active users (Facebook, 2015).
During the pandemic, these have emerged as significant ways to
maintain communication with friends and family to reduce isolation and
boredom which have been associated with anxiety and long-term distress,
therefore becoming an important recommendation for isolation at home to help
to reduce the psychological impact (Brooks et al., 2020).
According to Suhail and Bargees, psychosocial behavior is seen as the
response or reaction of how an individual behaves and develop his/her
relationship in the school environment or anywhere the person found
him/herself as a result of the use of mobile phones, Ipads, tablets, laptops and
other internet services. Reasonable attention has been given to the negative
side of
social
networking
sites; such
as
cyber
bullying,
parent-child
Babiano et al.┃1
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
interactions, internet addiction, and the influence of social media use on sleep
disturbance and academic performance.
In connection with this, the researchers want to determine the impacts of
social media on the behaviors of Grade 11 learners in South East-Asia Institute
of Trade and Technology. Furthermore, due to the limited number of previous
studies carried out by other researchers that investigated the impact of social
media, the researchers would like to further study about it, especially how it
influences students’ eating habits. This present study will be helpful to the field
of counseling psychology, including senior high school students, teachers and
parents of the students. Moreover, it will benefit the South East-Asia Institute
of Trade and Technology administrations to understand and determine the
perceived influence of social media on the eating habits of students, and benefit
other researchers since it serves as a basis and a related literature for their
study.
Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
This section identifies the concepts and theories that have informed
reflection, analysis, and evaluation of work selected for this claim. Theorydriven thinking and acting is emphasized in relation to the selection of a topic
for a dissertation research study.
Babiano et al.┃2
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Social Learning Theory
Figure 1: Social Learning Theory
The Social Learning Theory was developed by Albert Bandura in 1961.
Social Learning Theory explains human behavior within its field of study.
Social learning theory emphasizes the importance of observing, modeling, and
imitating the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. Social
learning theory considers how both environmental and cognitive factors
interact to influence human learning and behavior (Mcleod, 2016).
In Social Learning Theory, Albert Bandura (1977) believes that behavior
is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning.
This is illustrated during the famous “Bobo Doll Experiment” (Bandura, 1961).
Babiano et al.┃3
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Where the children observe the people around them in various ways, children
pays attention to some of these people and encode their behavior and later they
may imitate the behavior they observed.
The term identification as used by Social Learning Theory is similar to
the Freudian term related to the Oedipus complex.
For example, they both
involve internalizing or adopting another person’s behavior. However, during
the Oedipus complex, the child can only identify with the same sex parent,
whereas with Social Learning Theory the person (child or adult) can potentially
identify with any other person (Mcleod, 2016). Identification is different to
imitation as it may involve a number of behaviors being adopted, whereas
imitation usually involves copying a single behavior.
The social learning theory has four four mediational process that help
determine whether a new behavior is acquired:
1. Attention: The degree to which we notice the behavior. A behavior must grab
our attention before it can be imitated. Considering the number of behaviors
we observe and do not imitate daily indicates attention is crucial in whether
a behavior influences imitation.
2. Retention: How well we remember the behavior. We cannot perform the
behavior if we do not remember the behavior. So, while a behavior may be
noticed, unless a memory is formed, the observer will not perform the
behavior. And, because social learning is not immediate, retention is vital to
behavior modeling.
Babiano et al.┃4
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
3. Reproduction: The ability to perform the behavior. This is the ability to
reproduce a behavior we observe. It influences our decision about whether
to try performing the behavior. Even when we wish to imitate an observed
behavior, we are limited by our physical abilities.
4. Motivation: The will to emulate the behavior. This mediational process is
referred to as vicarious reinforcement. It involves learning through observing
the consequences of actions for other people, rather than through direct
experience.
Functional Attitude Theory
Figure 2: Functional Attitude Theory
Babiano et al.┃5
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Functional Attitude Theory. In the 1950s, two groups of scholars
developed attitude theories proposing that attitudes serve different functions
(Katz, 1960; Smith, Bruner, & White, 1956). They posited that people develop
attitudes in order to serve their goals and that although any particular attitude
might serve multiple functions, it would generally serve one more than the
others. They theorized that although two people might have an attitude with
the exact same valence, that attitude might serve very different functions for
each person.
Functional Attitudes theory suggests that beliefs and attitudes are
influential to various psychological functions. Attitudes can be influential on
many processes such as being utilitarian (useful), social, relating to values, or
a reduction of cognitive dissonance. They can be beneficial and help us interact
with the world. This theory proposes that attitudes are held by individuals as a
result of them being important and integral to psychological functioning. The
function of an attitude is more important than whether or not the attitude is
accurate or correct (Functional Attitudes Theory, n.d.).
Smith et al. (1956) focused on trying to understand the relationships
between attitudes and personality. Working independently, and from the then
dominant perspectives in psychology (psychoanalysis and behaviorism), Katz
(1960) and colleagues (Katz, Sarnoff, & McClintock, 1956; Sarnoff & Katz, 1954)
derived attitude functions deductively. Katz’s goal was to define attitude
functions as a means of increasing the effectiveness of persuasive appeals.
Babiano et al.┃6
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
INPUT
Impact of Social
Media in the
Behavior of
Grade 11
Students
- Behavioral
Impacts of Social
Media
PROCESS
OUTPUT
Thematic Analysis
of the gathered
data in the study
A Research
Brochure
about the
findings of the
study
- Dealing on the
Behavioral
Impacts
Figure 3: Research Paradigm
The research paradigm serves as the framework of the study. Figure 3
shows the research process flow of the study, specifically the Input-ProcessOutput (IPO) model. As shown in the figure, the input will be the impact of
social media towards the behavior of Grade 11 students in South East-Asia
Institute of Trade and Technology. Moreover, since most students were too
occupied using social media and browsing on the internet, the main focus of
the study is the behavioral impacts of social media and how students deal with
it.
For the process of the study, thematic analysis will be employed wherein
its main objective is to identify data patterns that are noteworthy based on the
themes that the researchers have constructed. The researchers will use these
themes to determine the experiences of Grade 11 students that encountered
changes in their behaviors due to social media. Furthermore, the researchers
Babiano et al.┃7
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
will also interpret the themes as they summarize and evaluate the data and
repeatedly examine it to form a topic, ideas, and other patterns to make the
themes meaningful.
As an output, the researchers will create a research brochure which
contains the research findings. The research brochure will be beneficial for
individuals, specifically to students who are experiencing behavioral changes
due to social media.
Statement of the Problem
This study aims to determine the impact of social media in the behavior
of Grade 11 students.
Research Questions
1. How does social media impact the behavior of Grade 11 students?
2. How do students deal with the effects of social media towards their
behavior?
Assumptions
Grade 11 students experienced diverse behavioral effects from social
media, either positively or negatively depending on how they use social media
platforms. Additionally, students who have seen behavioral changes as a result
of social media have different coping mechanisms.
Babiano et al.┃8
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Significance of the Study
The present study aims to determine the effects of social media on the
behavior of Grade 11 students. Subsequently, the findings of the study would
be beneficial for the following:
To the school administration. The results of this study will enable the
school administration to identify the social media platforms more useful for
enhancing the mental health of senior high school students. They can also be
aware of the effects that any social media strategy may have on their students.
School administrators will be able to create a data-driven mental health
awareness program for students using the data from this research.
To the teachers. Teachers will develop their mental health during the
pandemic, which will benefit students. Teachers are one of the closest
individuals who will have easy access to information about students' mental
and social wellness. The said teachers can benefit from knowing what mental
health subjects, programs or techniques they should teach so that their
students' mental well-being during the pandemic and communication skills will
improve, which will help students. By creating some speech to develop their
communication skills while mental and social health can develop.
To the parents. The study's findings are helpful to parents since it gives
them the opportunity to know that their child's mental health while using
technology is being monitored with the aid of a program for mental and social
health. They can monitor how their child performs in relation to their mental
Babiano et al.┃9
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
health and how social media influences it. The findings of this study may
influence their capacity to help their child as a parent. Additionally, they will
know more about their child's social media accounts and how those accounts
influence their thinking. If this teaching method is successful for the child, the
parents will also be informed.
To the students. Students will learn about their mental capacities, how
social media influences their mental health, and how learning about their
mental wellness increases their interest, all of which can improve their
performance inside the school's facade. With the aid of the study's findings,
students will be able to improve their communication abilities while utilizing
social media platforms. In this situation, students could also take satisfaction
and enjoy themselves by sharing their ideas and opinions with their group
members. Moreover, it might create a more welcoming learning environment for
them in the classroom. While using social media platforms, students will feel
more secure, and their confidence will grow.
To the future researchers. Future researchers can benefit from this
study since it can be used as a guide when they conduct a similar study on the
impacts of social media on the behaviour of the students. They may also thrive
from this because it gives them access to more resources. The findings of this
study may serve as the foundation for another study they want to conduct.
They can also know if the research they are doing is crucial to solving their
Babiano et al.┃10
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
core issue. Future researchers may have more context for their research on
this subject, which may help them produce good results.
To the readers. This study can be enlightening to them. It will give them
knowledge about the impact of social media, awareness and information about
how social media affects the behavior of students.
Scope and Delimitation
The individuals that are involved in this study are the ones that are
using social media. The participants in this study include senior high school
students (GR11).
A limitation of this study regarding the external validity of the results is
that participants were selected from undergraduate students only. Similarly, it
is unclear how social media used by senior high school students (Gr11) at
other institutions affects the mental health of these students. Participants selfreported the amount of time they spent on social media, so a limitation for
participants was not to accurately disclose themselves. Therefore, the results
should be interpreted with caution. The other limitation is the non-equal ratio
of male and female, with the overwhelming majority of male responders, may
have resulted in male-biased responses. Also, the small number of responses
that is fifty-eight in total would not be enough for the sample population but
since the research is specialized to concerned people, it may not have impacted
that much.
Babiano et al.┃11
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Definition of Terms
This section presents the conceptual and operational meanings of the
terms used in the study, “Virtual Shadow: Impacts of Social Media on the
Behavior of Grade 11 Learners of South East-Asia Institute of Trade and
Technology. The following terms were operationally defined below:
Virtual Shadow. In Jungian psychology, shadow can refer to two different
concepts. First, the shadow includes everything in the unconscious mind, good
or bad. In another shadow psychology definition, the shadowing might include
only the part of the personality that you don’t want to identify as self but still is
a part of your unconscious mind. This dark side of your personality contains
everything your conscious mind can’t admit about itself (BetterHelp, 2022). In
this study, virtual shadow refers to the positive or negative impacts of social
media towards the behavior of Grade 11 students.
Social Media. It referred to the internet website that students use in their
daily lives which impacts their behavior.
Behavior. This refers to someone on how they behave.
Grade 11 Learners. These are the students whoparticipants in the study.
The participants are only focused on students studying in SEAITT.
South East-Asia Institute of Trade and Technology.
Babiano et al.┃12
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter includes a list of related literature that is significant to the
study or can be used to strengthen the present and explains how social media
allows individuals to keep in touch with friends, family, and job/academics.
Furthermore, this chapter shows the importance of the study regarding the
impacts of social media on the behavior of students
Impacts on Psychological Well-being
Research shows that socially active youth and workers at high risk of
being affected by mental health problems, especially students and frontline
health care workers, are disproportionately affected by mental health problems
around the world. Social media can be useful for easing tension and
melancholy by supplying facts concerning the pandemic. While social media in
virtual systems does assist to sell social inclusion amongst youth and younger
adults, the danger related to their immoderate or intricate use cannot be
overlooked.
Digital Media as Form of Social Interaction
Social media is a term used to describe the interaction between groups or
individuals in which they produce, share, and sometimes exchange ideas,
images, videos and many more over the internet and in virtual communities.
Children are growing up surrounded by mobile devices and interactive social
networking sites such as Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook, Orkut which has
Babiano et al.┃13
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
made social media a vital aspect of their life. Social networks are transforming
the behavior in which youthful people relate with their parents, peers, as well
as how they make use of technology. The effects of social networking are
twofold. On the positive side, social networks can act as invaluable tools for
professionals. In this paper we cover every aspect of social media with its
positive and negative effects.
Impact of Social Media Influencers Impact to the Viewers
The impact of social media use on social capital has received academic
attention, and recent studies have highlighted a positive association between
social media use and social capital (Brown and Michinov, 2019; Tefertiller et al.,
2020). Li and Chen (2014) hypothesized that the frequency of Facebook usage
by Chinese students in the United States is positively correlated with the form
of social capital.
Digital media can offer a sustainable solution to the chronic problem of
limited access to mental health care, by helping services overcome geographical
barriers and make the most out of the available workforce through remote
consultations, task-shifting, and supported self-management. The extremes of
digital media`s invasive reach for some people and limited access to others
have increased suicidal tendencies and other mental health problems in certain
populations during the pandemic, or At least it might not have helped.
Babiano et al.┃14
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
The Effects of Social Media on Filipino Culture and Behavior
Many Filipinos know and use Facebook along with other less favored
social networking sites and applications like Twitter, Instagram, Viber and
WhatsApp.
Government,
nongovernment,
educational
and
business
organizations now have their own facebook and twitter accounts. Stores and
independent sellers create facebook accounts to sell and advertise their
merchandise. I also use social media often but I’d like to think I can live
without it. Some kids are being born with accounts on facebook before they
could understand what the internet is, including my own cousins. There is too
many dangers on the internet no matter how useful it is. Almost everyone I
meet has a facebook account and I keep track of my own old friends using it. I
didn’t know how to use computers before the age of ten and I was happy
playing with dirt then. To know if these are just baseless worries or legitimate
dangers.
Social
Media
Usage
and
Its
Impact
on
the
Filipino
Learners'
Profusely widespread use of social media opened multiple reading
opportunities for learners. However, educators have growing concern that
excessive use of social media compromises learners` reading competence and,
eventually, academic performance. The current work aimed to examine the
extent to which social media use may affect the university students` (N=101)
reading attitudes and competence, which are the backbone of scholastic
performance. This study provides insights into the context of social media use
Babiano et al.┃15
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
in shaping learners` reading attitudes and affecting their level of reading
competence.
Impact of social media on students’ academic performance
The use of Social media sites exploded and evolved into an online
platform where people create content, share it, bookmark it and network at a
prodigious rate. Social networking has become a common international trend
which has spread its reach to almost every corner of the world. The
proliferation of mobile phones and advancement of media technology has had a
great influence on the way people now communicate on a daily basis. The use
of social media among the youths of today is growing exponentially and gaining
more and more popularity among students. Social networking is a way that
helps people feel they belong to a community. Its increased popularity has
raised concern over how the time spent and student activities on these sites
could impact their performance in school.
Impact of social media on various field
Social media has increased the quality and rate of collaboration for
students. With the help of social media students can easily communicate or
share information quickly with each other through various social sites like
Facebook, twitter, and Instagram. Technology has shown rapid development by
introducing small communication devices and we can use these small
communication devices for accessing social networks any time anywhere, as
these gadgets include pocket computers, laptops, iPads and even simple mobile
Babiano et al.┃16
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
phones which support the internet. For the purpose of education social media
has been used as an innovative way.
Impact of social media on youngsters
Many young people’s day to day life are woven by the social media
Youngsters are in conversation and communication with their friends and
groups by using different media and devices every day. In past years it was
seen that youngsters are in touch with only friends and their groups in schools
and colleges. But nowadays youngsters are in contact not only with known
friends but also with unknown people through social networking sites, instant
Messaging. Social media portal Consist of the youth and students, praise the
fact that the youth and student have more focus and relation Throughout the
country teenagers frequently use the web, mobile phones, online games to
communicate and gather information with each other.
Positive impact of media on Filipino youth
Social media as become an essential part for today’s younger generation.
Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram has positive effect
on youth but equally it has negative effects as well. social networking sites on
younger generation is that these sites don’t have strict privacy, many of the
personal information has been shared Publicity. Social media websites effected
youth in a way that it is considered to be a great source for professionals. They
can be used as a source to start a new business or any profession.
Effects of social media use on psychological Well-being: A Mediated.
Babiano et al.┃17
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
The use of social media has grown substantially in recent years (Leong et
al., 2019; kemp, 2020). Social media refers to “the websites and online tools
that facilitate interactions between users by providing them opportunities to
share information, opinions, and interest” (Swar and Hameed, 2017, p. 141).
Individuals use social media for many reasons, including entertainment,
communication, and searching for information Consequently, there are
increased concerns regarding the possible negative impacts associated with
social media usage addiction. Notably, adolescents and young adults are
spending an increasing amount of time on online networking sites, e-games,
texting, and other social media (Twenge and Campbell, 2019). Putnam (1995, p.
664-665) defined social capital as “features of social life – networks, norms,
and trust – that enable participants to act together more effectively to pursue
shared objectives. conceptualized social capital as comprising two dimensions,
bridging and bonding, considering the different norms and networks in which
they occur. Bridging social capital refers to the inclusive nature of social
interaction and occurs when individuals from different origins establish
connections through social networks. Hence, bridging social capital is typically
provided by heterogeneous weak ties.” Li and Chen (2014, p. 117) further
explained that social capital encompasses “resources embedded in one's social
network, which can be assessed and used for instrumental or expressive
returns such as mutual support, reciprocity, and cooperation.” social horizons
and perspectives and provides extended access to resources and information.
Babiano et al.┃18
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Bonding social capital refers to the social and emotional support each
individual receives from his or her social networks, particularly from close ties.
Social capital is expected to be positively associated with psychological wellbeing (Bano et al., 2019). Indeed, Williams (2016) stressed that interaction
generates affective connections, resulting in positive impacts, such as
emotional support. The following sub-sections use the lens of social capital
theory to explore further the relationship between the use of social media and
psychological well-being.
Social Media Use, Social Capital, and Psychological Well-being
The effect Social Media Usage Usage on Social Capital have gained
increasing scholarly attention, and recent studies have highlighted a positive
relationship between social media use and social capital (Brown and Michinov,
2019; Tefertiller et al., 2020). hypothesized that the intensity of Facebook use
by Chinese international students in the United States was positively related to
social capital forms. A longitudinal survey based on the quota sampling
approach illustrated the positive effects of social media use on the two social
capital dimensions (Chen and Li, 2017). (Karikari et al. 2017) also found
positive effects of social media use on social capital. Similarly, Pang (2018)
studied Chinese students residing in Germany and found positive effects of
social networking sites' use on social capital, which, in turn, was positively
associated with psychological well-being. Bano et al. (2019) analyzed the 266
students' data and found positive effects of WhatsApp use on social capital
Babiano et al.┃19
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
forms and the positive effect of social capital on psychological well-being,
emphasizing the role of social integration in mediating this positive effect. Kim
and Kim (2017) stressed the importance of having a heterogeneous network of
contacts, which ultimately enhances the potential social capital. Overall, the
manifest and social relations between people from close social circles bonding
social capital and from distant social circles (bridging social capital) are
strengthened when they promote communication, social support, and the
sharing of interests, knowledge, and skills, which are shared with other
members. This is linked to positive effects on interactions, such as acceptance,
trust, and reciprocity, which are related to the individuals' health and
psychological well-being (Bekalu et al., 2019), including when social media
helps to maintain social capital between social circles that exist outside of
virtual communities (Ellison et al., 2007).
Social media use, Social isolation and psychological well-being
Social isolation is defined as a deficit of personal relationships or being
excluded from social networks (Choi and Noh, 2019, p. 4). The state that
occurs when an individual lacks true engagement with others, a sense of social
belonging, and a satisfying relationship is related to increased mortality and
morbidity (Primack et al., 2017). Those who experience social isolation are
deprived of social relationships and lack contact with others or involvement in
social activities (Schinka et al., 2012). Social media usage has been associated
with anxiety, loneliness, and depression (Dhir et al., 2018; Reer et al., 2019),
Babiano et al.┃20
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
and social isolation (Van Den Eijnden et al., 2016; Whaite et al., 2018).
However, some recent studies have argued that social media use decreases
social isolation (Primack et al., 2017; Meshi et al., 2020). Indeed, the increased
use of social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and
Twitter, among others, may provide opportunities for decreasing social isolation.
For instance, the improved interpersonal connectivity achieved via videos and
images on social media helps users evidence intimacy, attenuating social
isolation (Whaite et al., 2018). Chappell and Badger (1989) stated that social
isolation leads to decreased psychological well-being, while Choi and Noh (2019)
concluded that greater social isolation is linked to increased suicide risk.
Schinka et al. (2012) further argued that, when individuals experience social
isolation from siblings, friends, family, or society, their psychological well-being
tends to decrease.
Social media use Smartphone addiction, phubbing, and Psychological Well
being
Smartphone addiction refers to an Individuals excessive use of a smartphone
and its negative effects on his/her life as a result of his/her inability to control
his behavior” (Gökçearslan et al., 2018, p. 48). Regardless of its form,
smartphone addiction results in social, medical, and psychological harm to
people by limiting their ability to make their own choices (Chotpitayasunondh
and
Douglas,
2016).
The
rapid
advancement
of
information
and
communication technologies has led to the concept of social media, e-games,
Babiano et al.┃21
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
and also to smartphone addiction (Chatterjee, 2020). The excessive use of
smartphones for social media use, entertainment (watching videos, listening to
music), and playing e-games is more common amongst people addicted to
smartphones (Jeong et al., 2016). In fact, previous studies have evidenced the
relationship between social use and smartphone addiction (Salehan and
Negahban, 2013; Jeong et al., 2016; Swar and Hameed, 2017). Smartphones
are bringing individuals closer, they are also, to some extent, pulling people
apart (Tonacci et al., 2019). For instance, they can lead to individuals ignoring
others with whom they have close ties or physical interactions; this situation
normally occurs due to extreme smartphone use at the dinner table, in
meetings, at get-togethers and parties, and in other daily activities. This act of
ignoring others is called phubbing and is considered a common phenomenon in
communication activities (Guazzini et al., 2019; Chatterjee, 2020). Phubbing is
also referred to as an act of snubbing others (Chatterjee, 2020). This term was
initially used in May 2012 by an Australian advertising agency to describe the
“growing phenomenon of individuals ignoring their families and friends who
were called phubbee (a person who is a recipients of phubbing behavior) victim
of
phubber
(a
person
who
start
phubbing
her
or
his
companion)”
(Chotpitayasunondh and Douglas, 2018). Smartphone addiction has been
found to be a determinant of phubbing (Kim et al., 2018). Other recent studies
have also evidenced the association between smartphones and phubbing
(Chotpitayasunondh and Douglas, 2016; Guazzini et al., 2019; Tonacci et al.,
Babiano et al.┃22
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
2019; Chatterjee, 2020). Vallespín et al. (2017) argued that phubbing behavior
has a negative influence on psychological well-being and satisfaction.
Furthermore,
smartphone
addiction
is
considered
responsible
for
the
development of new technologies. It may also negatively influence individual's
psychological proximity (Chatterjee, 2020).
Indirect Relationship Between Social Media Use and Psychological WellBeing
Beyond the Direct hypotheses proposed above, this study investigates the
indirect effects of social media use on psychological well-being mediated by
social capital forms, social isolation, and phubbing. As described above, most
prior studies have focused on the direct influence of social media use on social
capital forms, social isolation, smartphone addiction, and phubbing, as well as
the direct impact of social capital forms, social isolation, smartphone addiction,
and phubbing on psychological well-being. Very few studies, however, have
focused on and evidenced the mediating role of social capital forms, social
isolation, smartphone addiction, and phubbing derived from social media use
in improving psychological well-being (Chen and Li, 2017; Pang, 2018; Bano et
al., 2019; Choi and Noh, 2019). Moreover, little is known about smartphone
addiction's mediating role between social media use and psychological wellbeing.
Social Media and Attitude Change: Information Booming Promote
Babiano et al.┃23
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Attitude change and Persuasion are the core concepts in studying individual
behavior (Crano and Prislin, 2006). Companies invest a lot to change the
attitudes of customers (Alba and Hutchinson, 2000). Similarly, people also use
various persuasion strategies to convince others (Briñol and Petty, 2010).
Announcements on mainstream media such as television and newspapers are
one of the most effective persuasion methods, thus attracting the attention of
researchers. However, social media platforms, such as Twitter and Weibo (its
Chinese equivalent), have gradually become invaluable platforms for online
social interactions (Parslow, 2011). They can casually change the impressions
of specific groups. For example, a positive voice on social media platforms has
caused environmentalists to obtain attention and support within a short time
(Herron, 2015). However, over time, the platforms have been overwhelmingly
criticized and accused of ignoring economic development issues and causing
the retrogression of social civilization (Chung and Cho, 2017). Evidently, the
new social media platforms are more diverse and thus could change the
attitudes of audiences more rapidly than traditional media (Lee and Ma, 2012).
The use of these platforms for attitude change has already taken effect in the
business community. They have shaped public opinion and are more appealing,
especially as direct tools of online advertising and shopping (Lee and Lee, 2004).
In cases where the new information does not match the previous attitude, they
retrieve the old context from their long-term memories (Briñol et al., 2004).
Similarly, people tend to seek information from memory to strengthen and
Babiano et al.┃24
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
maintain their original attitudes and beliefs. There is always an inhibitory
defense in attitude change, which causes people to keep their previous attitude
in cases where the new information is not convincing enough. Too much
pressure from new information further causes individuals to resist persuasion
and become more certain of their initial attitude (Tormala and Petty, 2002).
Influenced of social media on the social behavior of students
Social Media is a network of internet facilities that is on the technological and
ideological foundation of web 2.0. which provides space for the development of
user-changeable content (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). According to Lewis (2010),
social media is an umbrella term for technologies that provides space for people
to create and send content, link up, and connect with others. Howard and Park
(2012) stated that social media has three main parts, namely the infrastructure
and instrument to create and share content, such as concepts, ideas, messages,
information and news decoders, users and consumers, e.g. industries,
organizations and individuals.
The influence of social media affinity on eating attitudes and body
dissatisfaction among adolescents in the Philippines
In the Philippines, adolescents aged 13~18 ranked first in internet usage
time, averaging 9 hours and 29 minutes daily, with SM usage time averaging 4
hours and 12 minutes. According to a survey conducted by Kantar Media, SM
greatly influences where and what Filipinos eat. Surprisingly, it also showed
that 80% of Filipino adolescents aged 10~19 were users of SM. In addition,
Babiano et al.┃25
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Philippine adolescents are exposed to unhealthy food and beverages, including
in their schools and the surrounding areas. During an analysis of changes over
a recent 17-year time period in the Philippines, the obesity rate has risen
dramatically, and adolescents are no exception to this trend. This tendency
causes adolescents who are sensitive about their appearance to be dissatisfied
with their body image. Many studies have found evidence supporting a
relationship between body dissatisfaction and unhealthy eating disorders.
Because of its subliminal influences, inappropriate use or overuse of SM can
pose risks, especially for adolescents, given their high usage rates. It is
important that adolescents understand the unintended consequences of SM.
The influences of SM on health have not been extensively studied, and little
empirical evidence has been gathered on SM’s impact on adolescents’ eating
attitudes, body dissatisfaction, and the pursuit of thinness rather than fitness.
This is a particularly critical issue for adolescents aged 1318 in the Philippines
due to their high internet usage time and concomitant exposure to various
effects of SM usage.
Social Networking and Academic performance among Filipino Students
Greenhow (2008, cited in Stenger, 2013) entitled “Educational Benefits of
Social Networking Sites Uncovered" unveiled that students are developing a
positive attitude towards using technology systems, editing, and customizing
content and thinking about online design and layout. They are also sharing
original creative work like poetry and film and practicing safe and responsible
Babiano et al.┃26
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
use of information and technology. Together with the other researchers, she
found out that the students identified acquisition of technology skills, creativity,
openness to new and diverse views and development of communication skills
as among those that they have acquired from social networking engagement.
Social Media and Privacy: the Philippine Experience
The Pervasive use of social Media in the Philippines greatly affected the manner
by which Filipinos interact and communicate. Many live in the always available
mode. While the Philippines is not an Information based society, it is very
much a networked culture. The concept of privacy is not, as we like to imagine,
a universal one. Privacy is hard to define as it is set differently in different
jurisdiction. Traditionally, the right to privacy is concisely defined as the right
to be left alone. It has also been defined as the right of a person to be free from
undesired publicity or disclosure and as the right to live without unwarranted
interference by the public in matters with which the public is not necessarily
concerned. In the Philippines, privacy is traditionally viewed pictures and
videos is a common problem in social media. Women and girls are punished for
the act without understanding the interconnectedness of technology, privacy
and violence against women. as a person’s right against unreasonable seizure
which is the person’s right over his/her house, office or any place where
he/she has expectation of privacy wherein the state/government cannot enter
without warrant. Privacy in the context of social media is less understood and
has resulted to rising cases of violations of privacy occurring in online spaces
Babiano et al.┃27
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
specifically in social media. News reports and anecdotal evidence revealed
many cases of invasion of privacy are committed against women and girls. The
multiple platforms for posting and reposting information in social media make
it hard to control and regulate the personal data women want to share. Viral
circulation of private.
Chapter III
Babiano et al.┃28
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
METHODS
This chapter explains the methodology employed in this study. It
contains the research approach and design, site of the study, target
participants, data gathering tools, procedures, analysis of data and the ethical
considerations followed by the researchers throughout the study.
Research Design and Methodology
The researchers used qualitative research, specifically descriptive
research design in the study. According to Siedlecki (2020), descriptive studies
consist of specific aims and research questions rather than hypotheses. This
research design describes the status of events, people, or subjects as they exist.
In addition, a phenomenological approach was employed to determine
the impacts of social media in the behaviors of Grade 11 students. Delve Ho
and Limpaecher (2022) affirmed that phenomenological approach seeks to
understand and describe the universal essence of a phenomenon. Moreover, it
is popularly used to study lived experience, gain a deeper understanding of
how human beings think, and expand a researcher’s knowledge about a
phenomenon.
In line with this, interpretative phenomenological analysis was also
utilized in this study, wherein the fundamental goal of this approach is to
arrive at a description of the nature of the particular phenomenon. This aims to
provide comprehensive examinations of personal lived experiences (Smith,
2009, as cited in Osborn & Smith, 2015). The data gathered from this study
Babiano et al.┃29
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
involves identifying and describing how social media impacts the behavior of
Grade 11 students of South East Asia Institute of Trade and Technology.
Furthermore, the researchers adhered to the ethical considerations to
reduce harm to the participants’ mental and emotional well-being and
eradicate biases in the data gathering process. Since the data gathering was
conducted
through
online
interviews,
the
researchers
considered
the
availability and stability of the internet connection of the participants to ensure
a smooth flow throughout the interview process.
Participants and Locale of the Study
The participants that were involved in this study were Grade 11 students
from South East- Asia Institute of Trade and Technology who are using social
media. There were four (4) participants, who met the criteria inclusion provided
by the researchers. Criteria for inclusion were: a.) Grade 11 student of South
East Asia Institute of Trade and Technology, b.) ages 16-18 years old, c.)
actively using social media, and d.) can understand and speak in English or
Tagalog. Furthermore, individuals who did not wish to participate and did not
meet the inclusion criteria provided by the researchers will not be included as
participants in the study.
In line with this, purposive sampling was used in determining the
participants in the study. According to Nikolopoulou (2022), purposive
sampling is a group of non-probability samples that are selected because they
have characteristics that requires in the study. The researchers used the
Babiano et al.┃30
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
purposive sampling method to select participants, which relies upon the
researchers’ judgment when they choose who to invite to participate in the
study, specifically individuals who fit the criteria needed to attain by the
researchers.
The researchers conducted this study in South-East Asia Institute of
Trade and Technology (SEAITT) at Las Pinas, Manila. Furthermore, this study
focuses on Grade 11 learners in order to determine and obtain a deeper
understanding of how social media affects their behavior.
Measures
The
researchers
used
a
researcher-made
interview
questionnaire
(Appendix C) as a data collection tool for the study. The data collection tool
consisted of semi-structured questions to elicit more information from
participants and did not follow strictly formalized questions. This data
collection tool was a relatively inexpensive, easy, and efficient way of obtaining
information and allowed participants to speak up about sensitive issues.
Furthermore, questions were stated in an open-ended manner for the
participants to talk and open up about their personal experiences and answer
questions truthfully.
The interview guide (Appendix C) consisted of three parts. The first part
contained questions that helped researchers establish rapport with the
participants. While in part two, it contains questions about how social media
influences or impacts the behavior of Grade 11 students. In addition, follow-up
Babiano et al.┃31
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
questions were provided if the responses of the participants were unclear and
needed to be explained further to gain more comprehensive data.
The interview questions (Appendix C) were translated into Filipino. This
encouraged researchers to ask appropriate questions according to the
participant's preferred language or dialect.
Data Gathering Procedures
This section contains the data collections that researchers applied in this
study. It also includes the procedure used in selecting participants, the stepby-step process of the interview and how the data was accumulated.
Participant Selection
The participants that were involved in this study were Grade 11 students
from South East- Asia Institute of Trade and Technology who are using social
media. There were four (4) participants, two (2) males and two (2) females, who
met the criteria inclusion provided by the researchers.
Interview Administration
The researchers provided an authorization letter (Appendix A) addressed
to the school principal of South East Asia Institute of Trade and Technology
requesting permission to conduct the study before the data collection. After
receiving the approval letter, the researchers started to look for participants in
the school who are actively using social media.
Before conducting the interview, an informed consent form (Appendix B)
was sent to the participants of the study ahead of the scheduled day. The
Babiano et al.┃32
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
informed consent (Appendix B) consisted of the objectives, criteria for
inclusions, purpose, duration, foreseeable risks, expected benefits, and
procedure of the study which indicates what it means to take part. In the
discussions of Owens (2010), informed consent allows potential research
participants to volunteer their participation freely, without threat or undue
coaching. Furthermore, the purpose of informed consent is to protect each
participant's welfare, ensure the participants are voluntary and informed, and
promote positive feelings before and after completing a study. Additionally, the
potential participant is also provided with information in order to know the
details of the study before participating. With this, an educated decision can be
made whether or not to participate.
The participants in this study were Grade 11 students who are actively
using social media such as Facebook, Messenger, Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram,
Twitter, and other social media platforms. Since travel restrictions and social
distancing protocols were strictly imposed in the community, the researchers
interviewed the participants through Google Meet. In line with this, Google
Meet was used as a platform for data gathering about the personal experiences
of Grade 11 students, which mainly focused on how social media impacts or
influenced their behaviors. Moreover, the interview was scheduled depending
on the availability of both the researcher and participants.
The participants were interviewed individually by one researcher using
the researcher-made interview questionnaires (Appendix C). Before conducting
Babiano et al.┃33
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
the interview, the researcher entered the Google meeting 10 minutes before the
scheduled time to check any technical issue and prepared the needed materials,
specifically pen, paper, copy of the interview questions, and gadgets.
During the start of the interview, the researcher used the first part of the
interview guide (Appendix C) to build rapport with the participant. The
researcher introduced himself or herself and asked questions that allowed the
participant to share about his or her usage of social media. After which, the
researcher proceeded to the main questions covering the topic of the study,
consisting of questions which focused on how social media impacts or
influences their behavior. Furthermore, clarificatory questions were asked if
participants’ responses were vague and needed to be explained further. With
this, relevant data gathered provided significant information to achieve the
goals of this study. After the interview, the researchers thank the participants
for lending their time and active participation in the study.
For the researchers to gather the responses of the participants, the
Google meeting interview session was audio-taped as consented by the
participant. Lastly, the researcher adhered to the ethical considerations to
guarantee that participants were not subjected to any harm, prioritize respect
for the dignity of the participants, and refrain from indulging in vicious conduct.
To Resnik (2020), it’s very important to adhere to ethical norms because it
promotes the aims of research, such as knowledge, truth, and avoidance of
error.
Babiano et al.┃34
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Transcription
The audio-taped interviews underwent transcriptions. It allowed the
researchers to construct a thematic analysis to identify, analyze, and construct
themes within the data gathered. Moreover, the patterns easily recognized the
potential themes based on the responses of the participants.
Data Analysis
Figure 3: Thematic Analysis by Braun and Clarke (2006)
The researchers used thematic analysis to process the data gathered in
the study. Thematic analysis is the study of patterns of meaning. In other
Babiano et al.┃35
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
words, it’s about analyzing the themes within the data set to identify meanings
(Crosley, 2021).
The data that was obtained were interpreted through thematic analysis,
wherein the series of procedures was observed. Caulfield (2019) provided sixsteps for the generic process, and relevant steps of thematic analysis.
The first step requires the researchers to understand and familiarize the
gathered data; this is where they’ll do the transcription, converting audio to
text. The second step is coding. Coding means highlighting sections of the texts
or usually phrases and coming up with short codes to describe their content.
The third step involves analyzing the possible patterns or themes in their
codes. As the researchers become more and more familiar with the data that
was gathered, the different themes and codes will be assigned according to
what new element was found. Moreover, for the fourth step, the researchers
will review the themes, codes, and potentially subthemes to ensure that the
themes constructed are in order to consider how each theme fits together into
the overall story.
For the fifth step, the researchers will start finalizing the themes. It's
time to label and finalize them. Furthermore, at this stage, it’s very important
to make sure that the themes should be aligned with the research questions. It
also requires that the themes should fit in with the aims and objectives of the
research study. And lastly, the researchers will now start to write up a report.
Babiano et al.┃36
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
When writing the report, make sure that you provide enough information for a
reader to be able to evaluate the rigor of the data analysis.
Ethical Considerations
The researchers provided an informed consent (Appendix B) to the
participants, which consisted of the objective, criteria, purpose, duration,
foreseeable risks, expected benefits, and procedures of the research that
allowed the individual to decide whether or not to participate. Moreover, giving
consent through signing an agreement indicated participation in the study.
The researcher ensured that the participation of the participants was
voluntary. With this, the participants had the right to refuse or withdraw from
participating in the study at any moment. If the participant chose not to
participate in the study, his or her decision was accepted and respected.
Furthermore, the identity of the participants remained anonymous
throughout the study. In connection to this, any information which disclosed
one’s identity was not released and participants were known through pseudonames. In recording the responses, researchers asked for the consent of the
participants. The researchers did not coerce the participants to respond when
they refused to answer or decided to discontinue due to personal reasons.
All the gathered information from the participants was kept without any
personal identifiers and was not made available to any who was not directly
involved in the study. Furthermore, no one besides the researchers had the
permit to know the information documented during the interview. In addition,
Babiano et al.┃37
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
the recordings and transcriptions will be stored for two years in a secured
computer or file password-protected to ensure only the researchers and
research adviser can have access to the confidential data. In relation to this,
both the recordings and transcriptions will permanently be deleted from the
computer storage after the duration period.
Researchers did not put the participants in a situation that might be
at risk of harm as a result of their participation. Researchers treated
participants ethically and responsibly, considering their welfare and safety, and
informed the potential dangers that participants might face throughout the
interview process, such as potential physical harm, psychological, social, or
discomfort. Moreover, the researchers were cautious in their words since the
topic is quite sensitive and might trigger emotional discomfort. After the
interview process, the researchers debriefed the participants.
Participants who chose to participate in the data collection might benefit
from the study since they were enlightened by the situation they are facing,
specifically in social media having an impact on their behavior. In addition,
their responses might assist others who are in a similar situation. Moreover,
the result of the study serves as a basis for other researchers who will conduct
a similar study and contribute to literacy in society.
Chapter IV
Babiano et al.┃38
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
This chapter explains the gathered data of the participants' interview
transcripts from the conducted thematic analysis. Furthermore, the responses
of the participants are also inserted to present the impacts of social media on
behavior that was experienced by Grade 11 learners from the South East Asia
Institute of Trade and Technology. Furthermore, it consists of discussions
about the outcomes related to previous studies. The results of this study may
negate
or
affirm
other
interrelated
previous
findings.
Figure 4: Thematic Map on Impacts of Social Media on Behaviour of Grade 11
Learners
The figure represents the thematic map including the data that was
gathered from the response of Grade 11 learners analyzing the different
Babiano et al.┃39
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
impacts of social media on their behavior. This demonstrates how social media
can have a beneficial or bad impact on students' behavior. Moreover, after
reviewing the data gathered from the participants, two main themes were
generated, specifically positive impacts and negative impacts. Figure 4
illustrates a summary of themes and their respective sub-themes.
In the first main theme, positive attitudes include perseverance, good
communicator,
and
mindfulness.
Meanwhile,
negative
attitudes
include
pessimistic attitudes and drawbacks in psycho-emotional. In line with this, the
lines presented in the figure above indicated the various impacts of social
media on the behavior of students under the main themes. The thematic map
effectively illustrates the behavioral changes occurred to students due to their
usage of social media in their daily lives. Moreover, the gathered responses
from the participants assisted the researchers to identify and acknowledge
each sub-theme in line with the obtained main themes of the study.
Impacts of Social Media on Behaviour of Grade 11 Learners
Student use of social media is growing at an unprecedented rate,
influenced by the post-pandemic surge in globalized forms of communication.
Social media has created tremendous opportunities for sharing ideas and
emotions, but the type of social support it provides either fails to meet the
emotional needs of students or lacks the purported positive effects. In recent
years, several studies have been conducted to explore the potential impact of
Babiano et al.┃40
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
social media on students' emotional traits such as stress, anxiety, and
depression.
Positive Attitudes
The first main theme was positive attitudes which pertain to the positive
impacts on students behavior or the benefits they gained from social
media. Through social media it helps learners to focus on their studies, make
friends online, and stay up to date with the latest information. In addition, it
plays a big role in students' daily lives since most students use social media for
academic purposes to interact and communicate with classmates and teachers.
Furthermore, three (3) subthemes were acquired from this main topic: Source
of motivation, Way of Communication, and Mindfulness.
Perseverance. Students were influenced by content that showed the
achievements and successes of the vloggers they watched. Eventually, they've
become their source of motivation that results in students to persevere so that
they can achieve more.
In connection with this, out of the four (4) participants, one (1) of them
experienced a source of motivation, wherein the participant got influenced by
social media influencers to persevere in life rather than doing nothing. As what
he mentioned, “yung… napapa sa- mga napanood ko po na ano na… na vlog na
mga vlogger na naging ano po pinipilit nila magsipag ‘yung mga tao para po
makamit nila ‘yung gusto nila.” (The... things that I've watched... the vlogs that
Babiano et al.┃41
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
the vloggers have become. They're people that are willing to work hard so that
they can achieve what they want.")
He also added, “parang gusto ko din minsan magsipag nakikita ko din po
sa social media ano may nararating sila sa buhay dahil ang sipag sipag nila
‘yung gano’n.” ("It seems like sometimes I want to work hard. I can also see on
social media what they achieve in life because of their hard work. That’s it.")
Based on the results obtained, social media affects students to achieve more
since they’re being influenced by what they’re seeing in social media. It implies
that watching vlogs from social media influencers affects him positively. As a
result, the participant wants to be more hardworking to attain his goals in life.
These findings were supported by Yan (2021), he claimed that vlogs
actually affected the lives of young people because they enabled them to gain
knowledge about the world that they had never heard of before. The influence
of these Vlog on young people is subtly changing their understanding of the
world.
Good Communicator. Social media is a bridge for communication. It
enables the students to communicate and connect with other people. Through
this, it causes the students to gain new friends, be sociable, and catch up with
the people who are special to them.
Among the four (4) participants, one (1) of them claimed that social
media is a good sign for communicating with friends. It was evident in her
response, “..at may magandang sign naman siya gaya ng pag communicate,
Babiano et al.┃42
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
makikipag communicate ka sa mga kaibigan mo sa pamamagitan ng social
media.” ("...and there is a good sign like communicating, you can communicate
with your friends through social media.")
In addition, she also stated that it was also good for making friends,
“...Parang mga behavior po na nakuha ko don ahhhm... Parang dun ako
natutong mag to how to get along with other people and parang kumilala pa ng
marami kasi nga marami kang random people na namemeet at nagiging friends
so yun po.” ("...It's like the behavior that I got ahhhm... It's like that's where I
learned how to get along with other people and it's like I got to know a lot of
people because you meet a lot of random people and become friends so that's
it.)
In a study conducted by Georgetown University (2010), new social media
means that that everyone is a publisher and everyone is a critic. People use
social media for many reasons. First, the need for connection and interaction
with other people is evident. As supported by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs,
people desire to fulfill a sense of belonging through support from relationships
with others. After obtaining physiological and safety needs, people strive to
achieve Maslow’s third need of belonging. New social media provide this
opportunity where people can communicate with others and belong to different
networks via virtual communities on the Internet.
Babiano et al.┃43
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Mindfulness. The students are aware that everything they see on social
media is not real and true. Due to the widespread misinformation and everincreasing cases of cyberbullying, students became more mindful of what they
share or post online.
The participant said that she was being careful and conscious of sharing
information on social media, “Naging maingat sa pag share or pagkakalat ng
ibang information… Nagiging conservative tapos nagiging conscious narin sa
mga ibang information na kumakalat at nagiging maingat narin…para narin po
makaiwas sa cyber bullying.” ("Became careful in sharing or spreading other
information...Being conservative and then becoming conscious of other
information that is being spread and being careful... to avoid cyber bullying.")
Moreover, she also mentioned she’s making sure that the information
she will share is true, “Ginagamit ko po ito sa maayos na paraan. Bago po
ano…. magkalat ng ibang information tiyakin po muna na tama yung
information nayun at hindi gawagawa lang.”
("I use it in a proper way. what's
new... spread other information, first make sure that the information is correct
and not just made up.”)
On the other hand, the other participant response was, “parang suriin po
mo mona yung social media and pag isipan po mona yung gagawin nyo kung
ano po yung magiging consequences nyo , yun po parang think before you click
po.” ("It's like checking social media and thinking about what you're going to do
and what the consequences will be, that's like thinking before you click.") With
Babiano et al.┃44
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
this, knowing the possibilities of what might happen from any information that
is fake and harmful; the students ensure to fact check and think before they
click/post to prevent these things from happening.
It implies that students should know if the information is fake or real
before spreading it. Fake news or fake information is always present on social
media, individuals should always be careful when sharing information and
should know if the information is accurate or not to avoid disseminating
misinformation to others. Individuals need to be more careful of the
information that we encounter online, because we may not be aware how
harmful this information is. Social Media is to communicate by sharing a piece
of information and to educate but it depends on how people can manage and
how to use it so there are things that have a bad effect. Also if you use social
media in the right way there are possibilities of a good effect.
Negative Attitudes
The second main theme was bad attitudes which explains the negative
effects of social media that were experienced by the students. Furthermore, two
(2) subthemes were acquired from this topic: Negative Attitudes and Emotional
and Mental Health Issues.
Pessimistic. Social media's negative impacts can highly affect the
students' attitudes. Issues, trolls, and dark senses of humor are much common
to see in social media platforms. Unconsciously, the students adapt to those
attitudes because they've been so invested in it. They keep track of everything,
Babiano et al.┃45
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
spend their time digging deeper into a particular topic or issue and make dark
humor jokes.
Among the two (2) participants, one of them said that social media affects
his behaviour if he doesn’t understand what he was seeing, “Nakakaapekto ang
social media sa’king pag uugali kapag ang aking nakita ay hindi ko
maintindihan. Naapektuhan nito ang aking pag uugali dahil gusto kong
malaman kung sino o ano ang nangyari sa post na ito.” (“Social media affects
my behaviour when I don't understand what I see. This affected my behaviour
because I wanted to know who or what happened to this post.”)
Moreover, the other participant said that, “Uh.. sa bad naman po, sa
tingin ko, ‘yung… mga troll po parang… ginagawa po nilang may mga ginagawa
po sila na parang, dark humors po.” (“Uh.. it's bad, I think, those... trolls are
like... they do things they do like, dark humors.")
Drawbacks in Psycho-Emotional.
As the students browse through
their social media, sometimes, what they see there can trigger their mental
state and health. It can easily drain them and affects their emotions.
Two (2) of the participants explained how it affects their emotional and
mental health. The first respondent said that it’s quite sad since he doesn’t
expect to see the things you shouldn’t see on social media, “...minsan naman
malungkot…Dahil minsan hindi mo ineexpect ‘yung mga bagay na hindi mo
dapat makita sa isang social media platform.” ("...It’s sometimes sad...Because
Babiano et al.┃46
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
sometimes you don't expect the things you shouldn't see on a social media
platform.")
The other participant stated that there are bad things in social media
and it affects his mental health. “...meron din pong bad, kasi parang minsan
ang social media ay nakakaapekto rin po sa mental health…” ("...there is also a
bad side, because it seems that sometimes social media also affects mental
health...")
In a study conducted by Dube (2016), when
children and
teens
spend more time on social media, they may develop many problems.
Moreover, it was revealed that prolonged and excessive use of social media
presents dangers i.e. suffering from mental health issues. Davila et al.
(2009) identified social media behavior and posts can be useful identifiers or
predictors of depression.
Nowadays the majority of adolescents is shifting speedily from electronic
media
like
television
viewers
and
radio
listeners
to
social
media among all age groups. Because of their limited capacity for selfregulation
and susceptibility to peer pressure, adolescents are at some risk as the
y navigate and experiment with social media. Recent research indicates that
there are frequent online expressions of offline behaviors, such as bullying,
cliqueforming, and sexual experimentation,
that have introduced problems su
Babiano et al.┃47
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
ch
as
cyber
bullying,
privacy issues, sexting, Internet addiction and
concurrent sleep deprivation (Patchin et al., 2006).
Figure 5: Thematic Map on Dealing with the Behavioural Changes
due to Social Media
The figure represents the second thematic map including the data that
was gathered from the response of Grade 11 learners analyzing how they deal
with the effects of social media. This shows how social media influences Grade
11 learners' behavior. The one main theme; Etiquette was based on the data
that was gathered from the responses of the participants that were carefully
analyzed using the thematic map.
Babiano et al.┃48
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
The theme that was included in the thematic map is etiquette. Etiquette
includes two (2) sub-themes: Stress Outlet, Breaking Bad habits, and possible
outcomes. Furthermore, the responses from the participants accommodated
the researchers to obtain the sub-themes and main themes of the study.
Dealing with the Behavioral Changes due to Social Media
Students are more connected to social media, especially during difficult
times. While social media provides many benefits, such as giving students
the chance to express themselves creatively, learning opportunities, and
the chance to connect with others, social media can also have a negative
impact on students, both physically and mentally. Having a social network,
especially during these social distancing times, is incredibly important and has
been shown to have a positive effect on mental health and well-being. It allows
students to connect with like-minded peers, breaking limitations of distance
and time.
Etiquette
So many people hear the word "etiquette" and associate it with stifling,
mean, or elitist. Above all, etiquette is understanding, kindness, respect, and
consideration for others. Etiquette helps you reflect on your actions. It helps us
recognize the feelings and rights of others. By eliminating rude behavior and
prioritizing the feelings of others, etiquette promotes kindness, compassion,
and humility.
Three (3) sub-themes were acquired from this topic: Stress
Outlet, Breaking Bad habits
Babiano et al.┃49
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Relieve Stress. Social media is a way for students to escape stress or to
escape from everything. There are many social media platforms that can be a
great way to relieve stress. It can also be a way to reduce anxiety and can lead
to a high level of social support.
The participant claimed that, “Hinaharap ko ang aking ugali sa paggamit
ng social media kung ako ay inaabuso na ng aking sariling mental health.
Madalas dito ko binubuntong ang stress ko sa school para lang mag libang at
para lang tanggalin ‘yung
aking anxiety.” (“I was dealing with my habit of
using social media when I was being abused by my own mental health. I often
take my stress from school here just to have fun and to get rid of my anxiety.)
With this, it implies that students tend to use social media to entertain
themselves or to distract themselves from stress, depression and anxiety. There
are many ways people can use social media as a distraction, such as scrolling
through facebook and Instagram to see posts that comfort them and make
them feel relaxed. They also use other social media such as YouTube and
TikTok, to watch their favorite content creator so they can be entertained and
be able to release their stress. Moreover, in order to stay healthy and balanced,
it's important to spend time with family and friends,
or enjoy a relaxing
weekend away.
Breaking Bad Habits . Mostly, students spend a lot of time on social
media which can result in picking up certain habits that are either good or bad
for them. Sometimes, it's unavoidable because there are a lot of different
Babiano et al.┃50
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
factors that could affect and alter their social media feed. In a worst-case
scenario, they accumulated some bad habits. Their way to be able to break
those bad habits is to impose boundaries between themselves and the platform
by skipping posts and content that could potentially influence them in a bad or
negative way.
From the statement of the participant, he stated that “Parang nag, nag
aano pa po ako ng- naghahanap po ako nung mga good parang tinatanggal ko
po ‘yung mga bad, ‘yung may mga bad na manners, tinatanggal ko po ‘yung
sides na ‘yon ta’s parang nag scroll po…” (It's like, what else am I doing? I'm
looking for the good ones, it's like I'm deleting the bad ones, the ones with bad
manners, I'm deleting those sides, it's like I'm scrolling...")
Babiano et al.┃51
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
Chapter V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter provides an overview of the research findings pertaining to
the impacts of social media towards the behavior of students in South East
Asia Institute of Trade and Technology. Moreover, the conclusions are also
discussed in this section. Additionally, the recommendations are also
presented in this chapter.
Summary of Findings
1. The findings of this study shows the attitudes used by the learners that
experienced the impacts of social media on their behavior. Social media
can influence people's behavior, attitudes, and among other things. This
attitude includes the positive and negative impacts of social media.
Based on the results gathered, it was found that there are two (2) major
themes generated in the study which includes positive attitudes and
negative attitudes.
a. In positive attitudes, some users are dealing with positive impacts of
social media that can significantly change a user's attitude. Moreover,
some of the participants are implying that using social media can have
the result of it’s user’s attitude changing. On the other hand, the other
Babiano et al.┃52
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
participants claimed that using social media was also good for learning
on how to make friends or being a bridge of communication with other
users. In addition, the participants are also conscious that everything
they see in the social media are not always true.
b. In the negative attitudes, some users are dealing with negative impacts
of social media that can significantly change a user's attitude. Some of
the participants stated that they unconsciously adopt the negative
attitude they see from social media. Meanwhile, other participants
implied that using social media can trigger their mental health that
affects their emotions and mentally drains them.
2.
The participants adopt a variety of methods to address the negative
effects of social media, this study’s main theme demonstrated that anyone who
uses social media can encounter and deal with both positive and negative
impacts. The purpose is to explain to other user’s the possibility for social
impact, whether positive or negative.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this study talks all about the ever-growing numbers and
also numerous amounts of people that is currently uses the social interface of
media as well as the improved sustainability of communication and importance
of it to stay in touch with other fellow relatives or friends, helping the normal
folk and reduces things such as Isolation, boredom, long term distress of lack
of communication, anxiety, and also a great way to ease the psychological
Babiano et al.┃53
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
problems of long term isolation and also loneliness that may damage the
psyche of the human function which could cause mental problems.
As well as in addition the behavioral patterns of people that develop their
own mind and business and how one can react differently to what situations
they might occur and encounter during social media, although speaking of the
ways of increasing cyber bullying, the communication of family, as well as the
possibility of internet addiction with the growing influence of social media that
may lead to more disturbance of sleep, and may cause eating disorders due to
being too consumed.
Recommendations
This study generated significant results and conclusions based on the
data that was gathered. In addition, the researchers made recommendations
that would help the learners in addressing what they’re experiencing due to
social media. The following recommendations are:
To the parents, to ensure proper and beneficial use of social media and
other internet services, parents and guardians should pay closer attention to
how their kids and wards use them. In order to limit the negative effects,
students need to be adequately supervised and informed about the harmful
influence of social networking sites so that they primarily use them for
academic growth. In order to prevent kids from wasting valuable time on
unproductive activities while using social media, caregivers, guardians,
educators, and legislators need to educate students on effective usage and time
Babiano et al.┃54
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF
TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
management. This will help put a cap on students' activities at home and in
school.
To the South East Asia Institute of Trade and Technology Community,
the researchers recommend that the school authorities should organize
workshops and seminars regularly for school teachers and school staff on
social media usage and its influence on social behavior so that they can
effectively monitor the behavior of students.
To the teachers, it is important to educate and warn students about
pornography, sex, cyber bullying, fraud, and online theft to help them avoid
becoming victims of or committing cyber crimes and to help them deal with
identity crises. The usage of handheld devices while in class should be strictly
prohibited by the school administration. Students ought to be instructed
To the senior high school students, students should also be made aware
of the drawbacks of improper use of social networking sites. Students should
not let the influence of social media interfere with their daily basis behavior,
they should be knowledgeable on how to use social media as a stepping stone
for their growth.
To the future researchers, future researchers can benefit from this study
since it can be used as a guide when they conduct a similar study on the
impacts of social media on the behavior of the students.
Babiano et al.┃55