THE

DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS
OF ONLINE CLASS
TO THE MENTAL HEALTH OF BSMA
STUDENTS IN GFI

MEMBERS:

Cabradilla, Stephanie Pamela G.

Fuscablo, Engill Mae D.
Inesario, Hea Jin Pearl G.
Leabris, Ethel Claire B.
Martel, Jay Marie M.
Pallera, Mervilyn L.
Ybañez, Suzanne B.
 Statement of the Problem

1. What are the sources of detrimental effects of online class?

2. What are the detrimental effects of online class to the mental health of BSMA
students in GFI?

3. What program or actions can be done to help the students take care of their
mental health?

Review of Related Literature

 The pandemic had created a big change in the learning methods of the
students. It transitions the face to face classes into online class which gave students a
hard time to adjust. The online class learning mode has created the term Zoom/Google
Meet Fatigue. It is the experience of exhaustion due to the long classes through
gadgets. This exhaustion is a result of overload in acquired information plus the long
exposure to the screen of gadgets. This day to day mode of learning affected the
students because it drains their mental state (Kentucky Counseling Center, 2020).
Online class is a mode where distractions are inevitable. We cannot stop
those distractions therefore, students cannot focus in online class. Some of the student
were working students some are distracted by the chores at home. By these, the
students feel isolated and loss their motivations. It enable their anxiety to trigger which
cause them to be inactive in socialization and academic matter (Kentucky Counseling
Center, 2020).
According to Wirth J. (2020), online class has also detrimental effects.
Since online class needs gadgets such as cell phones, laptops, tablets that expose
them in screens in long times. It affects their mental and physical health. It make them
feel weak and unable to perform well. Online class make the students to be conscious.
They are afraid of cyberbullies who would make fun of their appearances. It breaks their
self-esteem and loss their motivation in school. Rather than focusing in their academic
performance, students also mind their physical appearance on camera that resulted to
anxiety. (Wirth J., 2020).
Technology also possess requirements in order to perform well. In online
class, students can perform well if they have good gadgets. Students may experience
low internet connection and delayed in passing their assignments and activities. These
students are afraid that their teachers will not consider those problems that beyond their
control. These problems breaks the motivation of the students, loss their interest, which
leads to stress, anxiety and depression (Wirth J., 2020).
Online class cause difficulties in concentration. Home is a better place to
sleep and relax rather than a place to study. Since online class is utilized in homes,
students cannot escape to distractions. There are many kinds of distraction in online
class set up. Some of them are, Household chores, loud noises, interruptions by family
members, social media and etc. These distractions lead them to frustration,
discouragement and lack of motivation (Son C., Hegde S. and Sasangohar F. 2020).
As determine by to the study of Son C., Hegde S. and Sasangohar F.
(2020), online class affected the sleeping pattern of students. There are many
workloads that needs to be finish in order pass a subject. Students' sleep routine is
changed therefore, it triggers anxiety. According to the Staner L. (2003), lack of sleep
will cause anxiety and trigger other mental health problems. If neglected, this will cause
to poor performance in physical and mental aspect.
According to the study of Son C., Hegde S. and Sasangohar F. (2020) 16
percent of their participants experience suicidal thoughts. Too much pressure in online
class will cause overthinking that leads to dangerous decisions. Online class might
create safety in person's medical health but it destroy the mental health. Neglection
might be convenient but dangerous.
According to A.Khatar, P.R.Jain, S.M.K Quadri (2020) students across
India are speedily trying to adjust to online-only model of education. It is also stated in
their study that the effect of online learning brought multiple challenges to the students,
connected to the availability of resources. The researchers also stated the detrimental
effects in both physical and mental health to the students of online learning, such as
lesser physical activity, linger screen time, irregular sleep patterns, and improper diet,
lack of in-person contact with classmates, friends, and teachers. These factors could
also be an enough reason for the students to lose their interest in their studies.
The exhaustion during online class makes the brain to function differently
according to science. Problems like delays and lags in video calls can also trigger the
brain to find solutions to overcome the situation. This can cause the brain to be tired,
worried, and anxious. (Vail Health Foundation, 2021). The effect of online class to the
health of students, particularly in their sleeping habits and the increase of digital usage.
Lack of sleep can affect students’ performance and learning outcomes. The increase of
digital usage can also increase the exposure of students to depression and anxiety (A.
Balram, 2020).
One of the factors that is affected by online learning is the psychological
behaviour of the students. The change in the educational approach is one of the reason
that can affect to the emotional and mental health of the students. It shows that taking
online classes is more stressful than face-to-face classes (S. Wahba, 2020). Students
gets bored easily during online classes that leads them to a low performance and low
interest. Students tends to switch off their cameras and do some other things that are
unrelated to their studies to pass their time. By this kind of routine, students will be
engaged to a new triggering changes in mental health and moods of students. Kritika
Nautiyal (2021).
Negative impacts of online learning are seen in the technicality of the
actual use of it. One of these impact is the efficiency of the technology used by the
students that can cause disruption of class. Students need a high speed of Wi-Fi at
home and sometimes can cause complications if not available. Students’ connection
could be shut down or cut off unexpectedly and they may not able to submit
assignments or activities on time, or they cannot attend classes and miss lectures that
will affect their learning and grades (Northenor, 2020).
Technology is now prevalent in many countries around the world.
Technology has exacerbated disparities and has caused an even larger division
between the “have” and “have not” youth (Halupa, 2016). Many lower income families
cannot afford to buy the educational and informational technology that have proliferated
society. This can have a negative impact on students who are expected to have these
technology tools as well as internet access at home by their teachers and peers. This
can impact student self-esteem and personal perceived value and cause undue stress.
According to Reyes, D. (2021) Internet Connection is the main problem for
most students that can’t afford high-speed data or network providers. It’s either the
students can’t join online meetings because of network issues or the teacher/professor
has a poor internet connection and causes lag or choppy voice while discussing
lessons. From those small problems that the student experience it creates a small but
constant fear of missing out, then Mental Illness exists, from a small problem it will grow
eventually.

According to Sander Tamm “The e-learning methods currently practiced in

education tend to make participating students undergo contemplation, remoteness and
a lack of interaction." Lack of human communication can cause in increase of anxiety
and stress of students. Additionally, due to online class, students and teachers lack of
social interaction affect the development of the students communication skills. School
closures not only upended most students' learning mode, it deeply disrupted students'
social networks and interactions with classmates and teachers (Calderon, 2020).
Stress and other mental health issues can negatively impact the health
and academic performance of college students. Students were unable to grasp the topic
or lectures given from teachers because of stress and it highly affect their academic
performances (Oswalt, 2013). Stress and anxiety causes a mental load to students that
affect their learning achievements, since mental load refers to the overloading of the
working memory of students (Chu, 2014). It also add to lack of social interaction due to
pandemic. They cannot do leisure activities with their peers outside to breakthrough
from stress. Numerous research have demonstrated that social isolation has a higher
rate of harmful effects on people’s mental and physical health. Social anxieties and
tensions may be heighten by less social connection. Having a physical contact with your
classmates can make your stressful day free. High Focus Centers (2020).
Academic stress has been linked to worse well-being and an increased
risk of acquiring anxiety or depression, according to KVC (2020). Furthermore, students
that are under academic stress perform poorly in school. This demonstrates how stress
can prevent children from performing at their best. Students’ mental health will improve
if they are offered assistance or a better academic condition.
Excessive screen time can cause a variety of physical problems, such as
bad posture and headaches. However, for children who have difficulty learning from or
focusing on screens, it might be a personal issue. Especially when the internet is
designed to divert students’ attention away from the learning material by providing
social media and entertainment just a click away. The best online learning platforms and
software provide a variety of tools and features to assist students in keeping focused
and engaged. Immanuel Vinikas (2021)
Online class can make students unproductive in social, mental and
emotional health. Students had to wait for another long hours for daily homework and
activities after nearly six hours of online classes. Physical and mental health are
intertwined; poor physical health leads to anxiety and stress. As a result, spending half
a day in front of a computer is neither physically nor intellectually healthy. Eye strain can
also lead to chronic and severe headaches, as well as worry and exhaustion. Kritika
Nautiyal (2021)
According to Kotera et al. (2020), research has determined that the mental
health of college students is generally poor with high rates of depression, anxiety and
stress. With the forced shift to online learning platforms caused by the Covid19
lockdown, the fears that these mental health issues would worsen are well-founded.
Reduced academic achievement and professional development, interpersonal conflicts,
sleep problems, low concentration, poor decision-making, and feelings of inadequacy as
a result of online classes would all have a negative impact on their learning attainment
and other educational pursuits like research output. Kotera et al. (2020)
According to Hollis and Was (2016), in a survey of 129 online learners
found that there was a 29% chance that the students' minds would stray away from the
online learning content. As a result of this situation, the students were unable to focus
on the material communicated by the professors online. The inability to focus on the
information provided by the teachers would result in increased stress levels among the
students because they would not have understood the lesson delivered during the
lecture and, as a result, would not be able to complete their assignments according to
the requirements stipulated by the teachers.
As stated in Mile High Psychiatry, many schools around the United States
have shifted to online learning in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is being
said that online learning has taken away the face-to-face interactions with fellow
students and teachers. For some students, this lack of social interaction can lead to
feelings of isolation and it can have many negative effects on their mental health.
According to (Pietrewicz, 2020) as the University of Massachusetts and
colleges across the country begin online classes this semester, the college experience
is taking a new form. There needs to be a mutual understanding between professors
and students: Zoom learning is difficult and exhausting for everyone. Having exclusively
online interactions can have a real impact on the mental health of both students and
professors. “Zoom fatigue” is real – video chats make it harder for our brains
to process “non-verbal cues like facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, and
body language,” according to one BBC article.
As stated in Kentucky Counseling Center, staying focused on online
classes is a challenge. Separating home life and class time, not following a routine
schedule, the distractions at home, caused students not to able to concentrate well with
their classes. As a result, students tend to procrastinate and set things aside, then
deadlines are missed. This causes pressure, stress, and anxiety to both students and
their parents.

According to (Lear, 2020), “Teachers who modify their expectations for what this
semester should look like may find themselves with happier healthier students.” The
increased screen time of online instruction and the lack of face-to-face interaction have
affected many students’ mental and physical health, Lear said. In fact, increased screen
time has been linked to anxiety, depression and perceived attention problems. Some
students’ social anxiety has increased as a result of taking classes online, partially
because online classes have increased the pressure of looking presentable. “Everyone
is looking directly into a close-up of your face when you talk, and it feels like there’s
nowhere to hide. I find these students tend to be hyper-aware of their appearance on
camera and feel self-conscious or self-critical about how they look on screen.”