Like or Dislike: The Perspicacity on Facebook as a Social Media among

Adolescent Users

An Undergraduate Research Paper

Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Arts and Sciences

UM Digos College Digos City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Bachelor of Science in Pscyhology

By :

Morales, Glorylene V.

Fajardo, Gritcsen Rose L.

JANUARY 2023
 Introduction

“Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make yours shine any brighter.”

In today’s world which has been made smaller by technology, new age
problems have been born. No doubt technology has a lot of benefits; however, it also
comes with a negative side. It has given birth to cyberbullying. One definition of
cyberbullying is the use of electronic means to harass, humiliate, threaten, or
otherwise intimidate another person. My observations and experiences have shown
me that this is most common among kids of all ages, while it can affect anyone.
Victims are reluctant to disclose the situation for fear of reprisal or other adverse
consequences. Because it can lead to psychological issues, low self-esteem, and
personality changes, cyberbullying should be taken as seriously as traditional
bullying. Given the gravity of the issue, it's concerning that cyberbullying has been
linked to psychological distress.

For instance, some people use social networking sites like Facebook to
pretend to be somebody else and to say rude and unkind things about other people
they would never say in person. They could think it's hilarious or great, but doing
something like this can lead the victim to sadness. We, as a society, need to be
more perceptive and inquisitive about this, as it is often missed.

According to our cyberbullying research, in which the researchers studied

parents of kids between the ages of 10 and 18, 21 percent of children have been
cyberbullied. 56 percent of these reports occurred from January to July 2020. We
believe this increase correlates with the increased time spent online during COVID-
19 lockdowns. Of all the social networks, kids on YouTube are the most likely to
be cyberbullied at 79 percent, followed by Snapchat at 69 percent, TikTok at 64
percent, and Facebook at 49 percent, (Statista, 2020).

With this research, we hope to learn how effective Facebook is as a social

platform among younger generations. Over the course of several years, their
distinct points of view are meticulously analyzed in an effort to gain a
comprehensive understanding of the difficulties and successes that individuals
have encountered while using social media, in particular Facebook. This method
centers on the young individual’s point of view because it is crucial to understand
their unique journey and experiences, especially when dealing with exceptionally
challenging cases. As a means of responding, the study's researchers will inquire
into how adolescents perceive and make use of social media platforms like
Facebook, as well as how these young individuals deal with adversity.
Adolescents' voices will be heard and their wisdom will be recognized. This study
therefore sheds light on the way the youth of tomorrow process information, form
opinions, and plan for the future in light of the proliferation of social media sites
like Facebook.

The number of people using social media has skyrocketed over the past
decade, and Facebook has maintained its position as the industry leader throughout
this time. Facebook reports that around 2.2 billion people across the globe have an
active Facebook account, of which approximately 1.4 billion log on to the platform on
a daily basis (Facebook, 2017), spending an average of 50 minutes each day there
(Facebook, 2016). Facebook not only enables users to interact with friends and
establish social networks and capital, but it also exposes users to a large amount of
information and news. It is surprising how little is known about the direct and
comprehensive effects that Facebook has on news exposure and awareness,
subjective well-being, and day-to-day activities, despite the fact that Facebook has
the potential to influence the behavior of an individual through the provision of
information and content. It is possible to investigate Facebook's effects on an
individual's exposure to news information as well as its impact on well-being because
the Facebook platform possesses a number of qualities that lend itself nicely to such
an investigation. Because the platform compiles information from a wide variety of
sources, it has become an essential and fascinating location on the internet to visit in
order to stay current on the news. Individuals use Facebook as a source for news on
the regional, national, and worldwide levels. (Mosquera et al., 2019).

In recent years, social media usage has grown substantially (Leong et al.,
2019; Kemp, 2020). Social media refers to "the websites and online tools that
facilitate user interactions by providing opportunities to share information, opinions,
and interests" (Swar and Hameed, 2017, p. 141). People use social media for a
variety of purposes, including entertainment, communication, and information
gathering. Notably, adolescents and young adults spend more time on social
networking sites, e-games, texting, and other forms of social media (Twenge and
Campbell, 2019). Some authors (e.g., Dhir et al., 2018; Tateno et al., 2019) have
argued that social media has altered the forms of group interaction and the individual
and collective behavior of its users across the globe. The use of social media
platforms and the internet has become increasingly widespread in many different
regions of the world. Based on the statistical report that was compiled by We Are
Social (2018), the Philippines has the highest rate of social media usage in the world.
This is because the number of Internet users in the Philippines has reached 67
million on a national scale, and the average daily time spent using social media on
any device is nine hours and twenty-nine minutes. The findings of this research
indicate a 12% annual growth in the number of Internet users and social media users
in the Philippines compared to the previous year. Facebook is the social media
application with the highest number of users (67 million), followed by Youtube in
terms of user volume (We Are Social, 2018).The Internet has become a very
reinforcing stimulus, which may encourage Filipinos to use it more frequently. The
Internet gives users an immediate and easy access to attain satisfaction and
empowerment to manage the way they present themselves, regardless of their true
identity or physical characteristics. This may motivate Filipinos to use the Internet
more frequently (Wong, Yuen, & Li, 2015). Individuals have been using social media
as part of their daily routine, in school, at work or everywhere they go. Social media
has become a very essential part of one’s life many factor have been affected by the
use of social media and one of them is the behavioral impact of such. Locally, there
are many social media users we encounter in our environment.

Due to the fact that Facebook's platform is offered to users at no cost and is
supported by advertising revenue, the platform's potential monetary value to users,
as reflected in a market price, remains unknown. The platform makes it easier to
develop social networks and provides seamless access to information that is
relevant. It appears from usage rates, both in terms of frequency and intensity, that
this offers consumers some benefits. It has been determined how much of an
economic influence Facebook has had on advertising, but research into the benefits
Facebook provides to its users and how it affects their behavior has been much
more limited. 1 If one were to have a grasp of the welfare effects of Facebook as well
as a monetary measurement of the significance of Facebook to its users, then one
would need to know the worth of Facebook. (Mosquera et al., 2019)

The literature talks about the existing definitions vary in complexity, with some
focusing on the nature of message construction in social media while others are
more straightforward. For instance, Russo, Watkins, Kelly, and Chan (2008) defined
social media as "those that facilitate online communication, networking, and/or
collaboration." Other researchers have come up with similar definitions, a similarly
brief definition of social media was provided by Kaplan and Haenlein (2010), who
described it as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological
and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange
of User Generated Content". Even more, Lewis (2010) pointed out that the term
"social media" is nothing more than a "label for digital technologies that allow people
to connect, interact, produce, and share content". Within the field of public relations,
Kent (2010) provided a comprehensive definition of social media as "any interactive
communication channel that allows for two-way interaction and feedback." He went
on to specify that modern social media are distinguished by their "potential for real-
time interaction, reduced anonymity, a sense of propinquity, short response times,
and the ability to 'time shift,' or engage the social network whenever it suits each
particular member". The behavioral factor of using social media was supported by
the literature that implies researchers from a number of different institutions have
conducted extensive searches for potential factors that may predispose an individual
to use social media and/or the internet. Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan, and
Gladwell (2013) conducted a study in which they recognized the mediating role of a
phenomenon known as Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) in people's use of social media
and the Internet. This study is one example that stands out in particular. They
conceptualized it as a "persistent apprehension that others might be having
rewarding experiences from which one is absent," which is an interesting way to put
it (Przybylski et al., 2013). It is distinguished by the requirement to maintain a
continuous connection with the activities of other people. Some people consider it to
be a form of social anxiety, which can be described as an obsessive fear that a
person will fail to take advantage of a chance for social interactions, enjoyable
activities, or valuable experiences (Vaidya, Jaiganesh, & Krishnan, 2015). In the
study conducted by Herman (n.d.), there are two factors that contribute to the
phenomenon of fear of missing out (FoMO). These factors are the rise of mobile
technology and the expansion of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram. These provide individuals with access to a diverse range of opportunities,
which gives one the impression that every act is important and that no opportunity
should be passed up at any time (Hernan, n.d.). (Browne, Aruguete, McCutcheon, &
Medina, 2018; Burke, Marlow, & Lento, 2010; Wortham, 2011) Research has shown
that fear of missing out (FoMO) is associated with negative emotional states such as
feelings of loneliness, boredom, and negative mood or depressed feelings.

Theoretical Lens

Based on the "Presentation of Self Theory" developed by Goffman, people

utilize social media to make a more favorable impression than they truly are,
according to empirical studies of the topic. In comparison to real life, people's online
personas tend to be more creative. Most young people simplify their lives because
they think it's too complicated. This development in the social network self can be
traced back to Goffman's research. It would appear that our social media profiles are
customized for a certain audience. The presentation of self serves an objective. It
conveys an impression to others that lies in accordance with one’s own interest.
Goffman’s book is therefore all about the outward appearance of action. This
outward appearance is first applied to the agent. The presentation of self is the way
we appear objectively before others. Others will form an opinion about us through
perceptual rationality. Others are perceived in turn through their external objective
qualities and appearance. “Others” are not the same as “us.” In the context of a
public and accessible narrative of a “brand,” micro-blogging sites that allow
messages to be viewed publically across a platform and to spread through likes and
re-shares (such as the Twitter’s re-tweet) are ideal for personal brand construction.
The relatively limited and short messaging style, coupled with easy categorization of
a theme through a hashtag (#), allows a presentation of cultural, social, and political
interests in a consistent and visible manner. While other social media platforms are
characterized by limited connections with others based on shared geographies,
circumstances, or personal histories, micro-blogging sites allow people to make
connections with any other person on the network, regardless of whether the
persons involved know one another or are connected in any other way, and to
present the self in a representational manner.

In Heidegger’s “Social Media ‘‘shared-world” Theory”, empirical findings on

social media may be related to Heidegger’s “shared-world,” such as findings about
connectedness or belonging. People are attracted by social media because of
experiences related to others who use such spaces. The existing form of
associations between persons that already exists on these social networking sites
has the potential to be developed in a number of distinct ways. At the moment, the
majority of the most popular social networking sites make use of buddy networks in
order to construct links between users. Historicity is also an aspect of social media
use; for example, when using Facebook, the behavior of users can be related to both
their past and their future projects. The past appears in Facebook status updates;
the present is seen in terms of what is going on; and the future appears through the
intentions of the user or through a user’s continuous use of Facebook. Indeed, social
media are contributing to identity expression and sociability in a peer-based and
critical way . Social media help young people who come to a university from high
school to maintain their previous high school friends and develop new friends at the
university, especially those who are less satisfied with the university or who have a
low level of self-esteem. Indeed, social media are often used to maintain existing
relationships with friends, strengthen young people’s relationships with existing
friends, or develop intimate relationships. Social media contribute to consolidating
identities.

Research Questions

The research questions aims to answer the following:

1. What are the thoughts of an adolescent towards Facebook?

2. What are the challenges an adolescent encounter while using Facebook?

3. What are the coping mechanisms of an adolescent?

4. What are the insights of an adolescent about Facebook?

Beneficiaries

Adolescents are the beneficiaries of this research. The findings of this study
are helpful to people who spend a lot of time on facebook as their social media.
People will gain knowledge about what information to share on social media and
what information to keep to themselves.

Methodology

Participants

The target participant in this study will be intended only individuals who are
qualified for the following criteria: (a) must have social media (b) a facebook user (c)
adolescent from UM Digos College. The target number of participants in this study is
minimum of 6 until the data is saturated. Participants in the study are students from
UM Digos College who are in their adolescence and are avid users of various
forms of social media.

Research Instruments

The research instruments the researchers will be using is semi-structured

interview due to the exploratory nature of the study being conducted. This type of
interview is characterized by a number of factors that guide the interview in order to
assist data processing and interpretation (Skripsibisa, 2022). Researcher will make
their own questionnaires. To ensure interviewer reliability, all interviews must employ
identically designed interview questions. For formal contacts between the researcher
and the participants, the interview will be conducted in person.

Research Design and Procedures

In this study, the researchers will employ a qualitative research design. As
demonstrated by Aspers and Corte (2019), this approach has a great deal of
variation across the many methods that have been pursued, for instance in terms of
the fundamental epistemological and ontological customs.
Phenomenological description will play a key role in this investigation's methodology.
Based on Nicholls (2019), the fundamental purpose of this research is to discover
hidden insights in situations when there is relatively little documented about the
factors that contribute to human experiences. As a result, any baseline of information
gained is dynamic, vulnerable to interpretation, and dependent on the viewpoints and
expertise of the participants. In this study, the researcher will make sure that its
conduct will be guided by ethical principles. As stated by DeJonckheere and Vaughn
(2019) interviewers' converse with important and personal topics, building rapport
and trust must be established in order to encourage participants to share their
knowledge and perspective. Consequently, ethical considerations must be applied
during the course of the data gathering and thereafter. Participants in the survey will
be given the choice to declare their informed consent, which will state that they are
free to take part in the study on a voluntary basis after being provided with
comprehensive information about what it requires for them to participate. In order to
protect the participants' rights and the safety and of their friends, family, and
coworkers all of which may be put in jeopardy as a result of the results of the
research the researchers will keep the information that they are about to collect
secret and private as soon as they get it. The researchers will take measures to
ensure that the participants and any other individuals who are going to be a part of
the study will not be harmed in any way while the research is being conducted. This
means that the researchers will actively prioritize the participants' dignity, safety, and
well-being.

Data Analysis

Participants in this study were interviewed in conjunction with the analysis of

the data until data saturation was reached based on the rich descriptions provided by
participants during their semi-structured interviews, which is appropriate for a study
that utilized a phenomenological research method. This saturation of data was based
on the rich descriptions participants provided during their interviews (Morse, 2000;
Polit & Beck, 2004). Saturation of data happens when there is little to no change or
surprise in the information that was provided by participants in their extensive
accounts of their experiences. This can happen when there is a lot of data collecting
(Small, 2009). In addition, it has been hypothesized that the data obtained from
research projects that make use of the purposive sampling method will accumulate
to a point of saturation in a shorter amount of time due to the participants' shared
experiences (Guest, Bunce, & Johnson, 2006). So, after gathering 8 interviews,
there was no new material offered that the researcher had not already heard from
participants, and the researcher reached saturation point.

Ethical Considerations

Each potential participant receives and fully understands all the information
required to decide for themselves whether to participate and to sign the informed
consent. There were no survey questions designed to set up a conflict, or stress.
The adolescents that took part in the study were anonymous to preserve their
privacy. Any additional information that might be regarded as private or confidential
was protected. Thus, confidentiality refers to an understanding reached through the
informed consent procedure between the researcher and the participant that
guarantees the participant's name, contact information, responses, and other details
will not be shared with anyone outside the research team unless specifically stated
otherwise.

In this study, the researcher will make sure that its conduct will be guided by
ethical principles according to the following:

Voluntary participation. Voluntary participation means that all research

subjects are free to choose whether or not to participate. All participants have the
option to withdraw from or exit the study at any time without feeling obligated to do
so. Participants are not required to give a reason for leaving the study. It is critical to
emphasize to participants that there will be no negative consequences or
ramifications for refusing to engage.

Informed consent. As stated by Polit and Hungler (1999), ‘informed consent

means that participants have adequate information regarding the research, are
capable of comprehending the information, and have the power of free choice,
enabling them to consent to or decline participation in the research voluntarily.
 Confidentiality and anonymity. A further ethical consideration relates to the
researcher’s responsibility to give assurances of confidentiality and anonymity
(McHaffie 2000). Measures to ensure the confidentiality of personal information
included the secure storage of data and the use of a system of coding to protect the
individual’s identity during the process of data analysis and in the publication of
research results (Walker, 2007).

Authenticity of Data. According to Munhall (1988), the most important ethical

obligation of the qualitative researcher is to describe the experiences of others as
accurately as possible. The concept of 'bracketing' is an essential method in
achieving this responsibility in phenomenological research. The goal of bracketing is
to suspend or set aside one's preconceptions about the topic being examined so that
they do not influence data collection and interpretation (Oiler 1982, Knaack 1984,
Cohen 1987, Jasper 1994).

Beneficence and Non-maleficence. In beneficence and non-maleficence

(Eddie 1994), researchers will comprise the adage 'above all, do no damage,' two of
the most essential ethical concepts applicable to research. It was recognized in
examining the potential adverse effects, dangers, or hazards for reseIn beneficence
and non-maleficence (Eddie 1994), researchers will comprise the adage 'above all,
do no damage,' arch participants that remembering of a resuscitation incident could
be distressing.

Autonomy. Some academics have claimed that human rights

protection in research, rights are a mandate (Dresser, 1998; Kvale, 1996; Munhall,
1988; Raudonis, 1992). According to Capron (1989), any type of research should be
governed by the concepts of respect for people, beneficence, and justice. Respect
for others, he believed, is the recognition of the rights of participants, including the
right to be informed about the study, the freedom to choose whether or not to
participate in a study, as well as the option to withdraw at any moment without
penalty.
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 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND INTERVIEW GUIDE QUESTIONS

PRE-VALIDATION QUESTIONS YES NO

(Oo) (Dili)
PQ1
Do you have social media?
(Naa ba kay social media?)

PQ2
Do you have Facebook?
(Naa ba kay Facebook?)

PQ3
Are you a student of UMDC?
(Estudyante ba ka sa UMDC?)

RESEARCH QUESTIONS INTERVIEW GUIDE QUESTIONS

1. What are the 1.1 In which aspect does social media,

thoughts of an specifically Facebook affect you?
adolescent towards (Sa unsa nga aspeto ang social media, ilabi
Facebook? na ang Facebook makaapekto kanimo?)
(Unsa ang mga
hunahuna sa usa ka tin- 1.2 In what way do think Facebook affects
edyer sa Facebook?) your life?
(Sa unsa nga paagi sa imong hunahuna ang
Facebook makaapekto sa imong kinabuhi?)

1.3 In what circumstances can you tell that

Facebook is important?
(Sa unsa nga mga kahimtang imong masulti
nga ang Facebook hinungdanon?)

2. What are the 2.1 What do you think are the negative
challenges an effects of Facebook to your well-
adolescent being?
encounter while (Unsa sa imong hunahuna ang negatibo nga
using Facebook? epekto sa Facebook sa imong kaayohan?)
(Unsa ang mga hagit
nga nasugatan sa mga 2.2 What are the effects of the negative
tin-edyer samtang posts that you read from Facebook to
naggamit sa yourself?
 Facebook?) (Unsa ang mga epekto sa negatibo nga mga
post nga imong gibasa gikan sa Facebook sa
imong kaugalingon?)

3. What are the 3.1 What are some of the things that you
coping do when you think that Facebook is
mechanisms of an not beneficial for you anymore?
adolescent? (Unsa ang pipila sa mga butang nga imong
(Unsa ang mga buhaton kung imong gihunahuna nga ang
mekanismo sa Facebook dili na mapuslanon alang kanimo?)
pagsagubang sa usa ka
tin-edyer?) 3.2 How do you deal with the toxicity of
Facebook?
(Giunsa nimo pag-atubang ang toxicity sa
Facebook?)