“Impact of Social Media on Mental

Health of Grade 12 STEM Students in

King’s College of the Philippines”
Chapter 1

Introduction

Social media is computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts,

and information through the building of virtual networks and communities. By

design, social media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of

content. Social Media is taking part in different types of online networking; it is a routine

movement that inquires about the children and teenagers by upgrading communication,

social association, and even specialized skills (Horst H, 2010). Social networking sites

offer different day by day openings for interfacing with companions, schoolmates, and

individuals with common interests. (Eytan., 2010). Social Media has been defined as

websites which allow profile creation and visibility of relationship between users (Boyd

& Ellison, 2008); web-based applications which provide functionality for sharing,

relationships, group, conversation and profiles (Kietzmann et al., 2011).

This study focused on Grade 12 STEM students as their respondents on gathering data

about the impact of social media on mental health of students. STEM is an approach to

learning and development that integrates the areas of science, technology, engineering

and mathematics. Through STEM, students develop key skills including problem solving;

this strand is one of curriculum made by DepEd in K-12. Mental health is a state of well-
being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal

stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her

community (World Health Organization 2017).

While many of us enjoy staying connected on social media, excessive use of social media

can trigger feelings of depression, anxiety, anger and FOMO (Fear of Missing

Out) relates to a feeling that friends and connections are leading more interesting and

rewarding lives, creating a desire to stay continually connected with what others are

doing online. During this time of social distancing and isolation, social media can be an

invaluable tool for keeping you in touch with friends, loved ones, and the wider world.

Human beings are social creatures. People need the companionship of others to thrive in

life and the strength of our connections has a huge impact on our mental health and

happiness. Being socially connected to others can ease stress, anxiety and depression,

boost self-worth, provide comfort and joy and prevent loneliness. On the other side,

lacking strong social connections can pose a serious risk to our mental and emotional

health. Therefore this research undergoes the impact of social media on mental health of

grade 12 STEM students enrolled in King’s College of the Philippines. The objective of

the study is to determine the Impact of social media on mental health issues such as

anxiety and depression. This study will divert the attention of individuals and will help

them analyze their over indulgence on social media within the most valuable time of their

lived and the possible consequences to their mental health status.

 Web-based social networking is an online association site where individuals

cooperate to construct, offer and change their thought and remarks with respect to any

data. During the previous decade, online long range social networking communication

has caused significant changes in the manner individuals convey and cooperate. There is

a positive correlation between feeling anxious and serious active on SNS than in real life.

This study concludes that more usage of social media, number of SNS and too much of

time spent on social networking sites is affecting the student’s mental health such as

depression and anxiety (Rajesh and Priya, 2020). Evidence suggests that social media can

impact detrimentally on children and young people’s mental health. At the same time,

social media use can be beneficial and have positive effects. This chapter outlines the

detrimental and positive effects of social media use for young people. Schools play a

critical role in educating young people about how to use social media safely and

responsibly. However, schools cannot address all the issues and parents, social media and

advertising companies also have a responsibility to protect children and young people

from harm. This chapter outlines some of the potential solutions to the issues that are

identified. (Glazzards and Stones, 2019).

The technology landscape has rapidly evolved in recent years, with social media

now playing a central role in the lives of youth. Social media has created both significant

new challenges and exciting opportunities. Research is beginning to uncover how specific

social media experiences may influence youth mental health. Digital technologies have

become a universal feature of young people's lives. Exposure to screens begins early in

life for many youth, this media environment has introduced numerous new challenges

and risks for youth mental health, so too has it presented considerable benefits and
opportunities. (Jacqueline Nesi, 2020). The younger generation is experiencing

embryonic stage of life and is at higher risk of serious mental health problem. Younger

generation of present era is acting as active users of social media which has affinity

towards the problems of mental health. The present perilous situation requires more

understanding, to know relation between social media and mental health problems is just

a kick off point (Bashir and Bhat, 2016).

(Sperling, 2020) According to him Social media has a reinforcing nature. Using it

activates the brain’s reward center by releasing dopamine, a “feel-good chemical” linked

to pleasurable activities such as sex, food, and social interaction. The social media are

designed to be addictive and are associated with anxiety, depression, and even physical

ailments. (Richards et al., 2016) mentioned that the health impact of social media on

children and young people was greatest on mental health and specifically in the areas of

self-esteem and well-being, with related issues around cyber bullying and 'Facebook

Depression', with an association between the use of social media and self-esteem and

body image. A growing body of research has analyzed the potential risks of problematic

social media use for mental health and well-being. The current meta-analysis is the first

to examine the associations between problematic Facebook use, psychological distress

(i.e., depression, anxiety, etc.) and well-being (life satisfaction, positive mental health)

among adolescents and young adults as said by (Marino et al., 2017). Some believe that

the constant distraction of social media contributes to shortened attention spans. In

addition, many people who regularly use platforms like Facebook or Twitter report

high levels of stress and even employee’s mental health can have a direct impact on his

work or daily activity. When employees are happy, confident and relaxed, they can be
 more productive and have better relationships with co-workers, clients and customers.

Stress, on the other hand, contributes to multiple physical and mental ailments that can

affect their work (Patersen, 2019). From the dawn of internet and social networking sites

human resources of contemporary world have become more social virtually but less

practically. This virtual life is isolating present man from other fellow beings thereby

affecting his health mentally & physically. Increased usage of social networking

among adults of the present era is a matter of concern for the parents, society &

researchers, as there are always two sides (positive & negative) of every innovation

(Bashir, 2017). Some studies have indicated that social media use may be tied to

negative mental health outcomes, including suicide, loneliness and decreased empathy

(Berryman, 2017).  The benefits and harms associated with social media use varied

across demographic, socioeconomic, and racial population sub-groups. Specifically,

while the benefits were generally associated with younger age, better education, and

being white, the harms were associated with older age, less education, and being a racial

minority (Mccloud & Viswanath, 2020). 

THEORETICAL/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Facebook Depression

Social Media Instagram Mental Health

Stress
Problem

Issues of Individual
Youtube
Decreased Self-
Esteem
 Twitter

Anxiety

Social media is the connection of friends or family which allows you to communicate or share

your thoughts and ideas; with this you can have a long chain of friends where you can share

information or feelings. Social media has changed behavioral lifestyle of every individual in this

modern era, they become dependent to social networking site, wherein this had also cause great

impact on mental health. The social media was designed to be addictive and are associated

with positive effect like allows individual to express their self. It is also associated with negative

effect like anxiety and depression which is our focus on this study. This research work seeks to

identify the awareness of students on the positive and the negative effects of social media to

mental health and aims to motivate users to use social media in balanced way.

PARADIGM OF THE STUDY

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Impacts to Mental Health

SOCIAL MEDIA senior high school students
The purpose of this research was to determine the impact of social media on mental health of

individuals.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study intends to determine the impact of social media on the mental health of senior high

school students.

This study aims to answer the following:

1. What social media site do you usually used?

2. What is the purpose of social media in your life?

3. What are the positive and negative impacts of social media on mental health of students?

4. Is there a difference/significance of using social media?

5. What interventions should we do to prevent or decrease the negative impact of social

media on the mental health of students?

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. How often do you used social media?

[ ] once a week

[ ] everyday

[ ] seldom

2. Have you experienced mental health issues? If yes what are these?

[ ] Anxiety
 [ ] Depression

[ ] Self-esteem

[ ] Stress

Others (Specify): ___________________________________________________

3. Which of the following sites do you use to express about your feelings or situation?

[ ] Facebook

[ ] Twitter

[ ] Instagram

Others (Specify): ____________________________________________________

4. Has talking about your mental wellbeing on social media helped you feel more

connected to others with similar experiences?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

[ ] I have never posted anything on social media about my mental being well being

How? _____________________________________________________________

5. Overall, do you feel social media has a positive or negative impact on your mental

wellbeing?

[ ] Positive

[ ] Negative

[ ] No Effect
What (Positive or Negative) impact?

______________________________________________________________

REFERENCES:

Richards, R., Caldwell, P.H., & Go, H. (2017). Impact of social media on the health of

children and young people. Retrieved from  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26607861/

Marino, C., Gini, G., Vieno, A., & Spada, M.M. (2017) The associations between

problematic Facebook use, psychological distress and well-being among adolescents and

young adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Retrieved from

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29024900/

Peterson, L. (2019) The Negative Effect of Social Media on Society and Individuals.

Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-

individuals-27617.html

The International Journal of Indian Psychology

ISSN 2348-5396 (e) | ISSN: 2349-3429 (p)

Volume 4, Issue 3, DIP: 18.01.134/20170403

DOI: 10.25215/0403.134

http://www.ijip.in | April - June, 201

The International Journal of Indian Psychology

ISSN 2348-5396 (e) | ISSN: 2349-3429 (p)

Volume 4, Issue 3, DIP: 18.01.134/20170403

DOI: 10.25215/0403.134

http://www.ijip.in | April - June, 201

The International Journal of Indian Psychology

ISSN 2348-5396 (e) | ISSN: 2349-3429 (p)

Volume 4, Issue 3, DIP: 18.01.134/20170403

DOI: 10.25215/0403.134

http://www.ijip.in | April - June, 201

Bashir, H., & Bhat, S.A. (2017) “Effects of Social Media on Mental Health”, The International

Journal of Indian Psychology, Vol. 4 Issue 3,

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323018957

McLean. (2020). Like it or Not Social Media is affecting your mental health. Harvard

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health

 Karim F, Oyewande A A, Abdalla L F, et al. (June 15, 2020) Social Media Use and Its

Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review. Cureus 12(6): e8627.

doi:10.7759/cureus.8627
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Feder, K.A., Riehm, K.E.,and Mojtabai, R. (2019). Is there an association between social

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Berryman, C., Ferguson, C. J., Negy, C. (2018). Social media use and mental health

among young adults. Psychiatric Quarterly, 89, 307-314.

Bekalu, M.A., McCloud, R.F., and Viswanath, K. (2019). Association of Social Media

Use with Social well-being, Positive Mental-Health, and Self-Rated Health:

Disentangling Routine Use From Emotional Connection to Use. PubMed. Retrieved

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Rajesh and Priya, (2020) IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MENTAL HEALTH OF

STUDENTS. Retrieved on October 28, 2020

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340779328_IMPACT_OF_SOCIAL_MEDIA_

ON_MENTAL_HEALTH_OF_STUDENTS
 Chapter 2

Methodology

The research is divided into two parts: a theoretical part and empirical part. The

theoretical contains information regarding the impacts of social median on mental health.

The theoretical part also focuses on finding information about whether social media is

helping or harming students. In this part, the information is based on secondary sources

such as different studies conducted in the past, research, journals, google results, and

articles online.

The empirical part is based on questionnaire survey to be used among a group of Grade

12 STEM students in King’s College of the Philippines. A questionnaire will be created

using Google-forms and sent to the students via email and will ask to give responses

voluntarily. There were altogether 5 questions in which will be set as a compulsory

questions, the time given for the survey was one week. The respondents are classified by

gender to compare which group is more aware of the research topic.

Research Design

The study will use the descriptive kind of research. For the purpose of this study a

quantitative research method will be used. A survey-questionnaire will be carefully

prepared by the researchers to gather data. Quantitative research design allows for data to
 be obtained from a larger number of participants and is structured to provide statistical

and computational results of data. The descriptive approach aims to accurately and

systematically describe a population, situation or phenomenon. It can answer what,

where, when and how questions, but not why questions. A descriptive research design

can use a wide variety of research methods to investigate one or more variables.

Population & Sample

The respondents are the Grade 12 STEM students of King’s College of the Philippines

located in Pico Rd, La Trinidad Benguet. There were certain sections in Grade 12 STEM

and 3 class sections are chosen to answer the questionnaires about Impact of Social

Media on Mental Health of Grade 12 STEM students in King’s College of the

Philippines. This age group of students was chosen because the UK’s Royal Society for

Public Health surveyed 1,500 teens and young adults about their social media habits.

They found that Instagram and other social networks are associated with high levels of

anxiety, depression, bullying and a “fear of missing out (FOMO).” They can also foster a

negative body image and poor sleep habits. It was also revealed that the more social

media young adults consume, the more likely they are to report depression or anxiety

(Lopacinski, 2018). The result of the survey will be subjected to analysis.

Participants of the Study

The chosen participants of this study are the Grade 12 STEM students of King’s College

of the Philippines both male and female age 17-20 years old. Three classes are chosen

and each classroom has 30-32 numbers of students. The total number of the respondents

is 70 students.
 Research Instruments

A survey questionnaire we’re used to gather data (Question 1), (question 2),

(question 3), (question 4) and (question 5) because it is relatively simple and it is the

most appropriate tool to gather information. It also facilitates the process of tabulating

and summarizing the data gather. The formulation of questionnaire was based on

(surveymonkey.com/r/BK9DX7S)

The survey questionnaire includes the Impact of social media to students in

King’s College of the Philippines wherein it was also used to measure the level of effect

of social media in their mental health. The questionnaire is an information gathering five

main questions in the pertinent area of the research problem are set-up for the purpose of

obtaining answers from the respondent involved in the study.

Validation of the Instruments

The researchers conduct a pilot study and analyze the data in order to assess the

reliability and validity of the instruments used in the study wherein they invited an experts to

participate. For the pilot test, the researchers asked participants from within and outside the target

respondents. Participants were asked to evaluate one process they are managing or involved in.

researchers then conducted an explorative factor analysis to examine the reliability and validity of

the overall instrument. Researchers found all the intended constructs with loadings showing high

convergent and discriminant validity. The items that indicated problems in meeting the required
validity and reliability thresholds were changed and adapted. The experts additionally provided

comments which we used to further improve the wording of the questionnaire.

The instruments used by the researchers are validated through the use of gathering data

via internet and with the help of the experts. The researchers cited the names of the person who

wrote the RRL that was used in the study, and also the experts that helps in validating the

instruments.

Data Gathering Procedure

The data needed for this research was gathered through the use of survey questionnaires.

In accordance to the administration of the questionnaire, the researchers will gathered

data/ information through the use of internet. After gathering of data, a selected

questionnaire from a previous researches was adopted by the researchers.

The researchers will have a consultation with their adviser to find out if the

content of the questionnaire is related to the researchers’ problem and if it is constructed

appropriately. After which the researchers made a letter to the Registrar’s office to get the

total population of the Grade 12 STEM students and to the Principal asking permission to

float a questionnaire to their students. The questionnaires will be sent through email or

messenger to 70 Grade 12 STEM students who were the target respondents of the study.

Result of the questionnaire were utilized for the analysis and interpretation of

data.
 Statistical Treatment of the Data

Responses to the questionnaire by the Grade 12 STEM students were statistically

analyzed with the data requirements of the study. The students were statistically analyzed

with the data instruments of the study. Descriptive statistics such as frequency count,

mean, percent and rank are considered.

To know if there is a correlation between the independent and dependent variables

Pearson Product Moment of Correlation Coefficient was utilized with 0.05 level of

significance.