TIKTOK AS STRESS-REDUCING TECHNIQUE AMID PANDEMIC

AMONG SELECTED SENIOR HIGH STUDENTS

A Research Paper Submitted

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course

Research in Daily Life 1

Submitted by:
ABONADO, AKIRA
CUNANAN, VICTOR XYRVZ
DELA CRUZ, LIANNA REIGN
DICHOSO, SOPHIA GWYNETH
LOZANO, JANNA LOUISE D.

Grade 11 - ST. RITA OF CASCIA

STEM

Submitted to:
Avegail A. Optana, LPT
 Table of Contents

I. Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………..…..

II. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….
A. Theme 1…………………………………………………………………………….
B. Theme 2 ……………………………………………………………………………....
C. Theme 3 ……………………………………………………………………………....

III. Methodology………………………………………………………………………………..
A. Data Collection ……………………………………………………………………...
B. Procedure ……………………………………………………………………………

IV. Results and Discussion ……………………………………………………….…………...

A. Analysis and Interpretation of Data ………………………………………………
B. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………..

V. References …………………………………………………………………………………..

VI. Appendices ………………………………………………………………………….….….

A. Samples …………………………………………………………………..
 I. ABSTRACT

II. INTRODUCTION

In a pandemic where the majority of the people are isolated from the rest of the world,
connecting virtually is the only way people can feel at ease, and social media is helping to
bridge the gap. It has caused the students to face many challenges and one of them is stress.
One of the aspects affected is education, to fulfill their developmental tasks. Nonetheless,
teenagers build a relationship during the pandemic by using the internet, specifically social
media to stay connected with peers. Teenagers use various kinds of social media and TikTok
was the world's most downloaded app in 2020 as it took the top spot from Facebook
Messenger, according to digital analytics company App Annie (BBC News, 2018). TikTok is a
social media platform where users can share short videos of themselves dancing, singing,
speaking, and interacting with other users and their content (Geyser, 2021). On the other hand,
this app is a stress-reduction technique that can be used not only for academic pressure, but
also for dealing with anxiety and other mental disorders for the majority of students. According
to IGI Global (n.d), stress reduction refers to techniques to assist individuals in coping with
stressors in various contexts, such as workplaces and schools. Stressors include noxious or
toxic aspects of the social or physical environment as well as overbearing demands for personal
performance. It is also becoming a gateway through which they can escape from their bad
moods and difficult thoughts. During the pandemic, there has been an increase in the use of
social media, particularly TikTok. From early 2020 to the present, excessive social media use,
like stress, has an impact on teenagers. This can impair concentration, irritability, and sleep. The
use of mobile phones, excessive social media access, can lead to addiction as well as
psychological and physical disorders. To give a brief, the purpose of this study is to describe
TikTok as a stress-reduction technique among senior high students.

Tiktok also has content that provides information about politics, news, tutorials, tips, and
health. These are entertaining and interesting to watch, and a simple 20-second video can help
a stressed person relax. The mass adoption of new social media platforms flows through
continuous cycles (Dmncreative, 2020). From Myspace in 2005, Facebook in 2008, Instagram in
2014, and then Tiktok in 2021. These apps offer newer and more unique ways to interact. Social
Media apps have a significant role during pandemic. Thus, the present study answers the
following questions: (1) What is the percentage of respondents who use TikTok in terms of:
Leisure-producing technique, Stress-reducing technique, Income-sourcing technique?. (2) What
are the benefits of Tiktok to respondents in terms of: A. Leisure-producing technique, B.
Stress-reducing technique, C. Income-sourcing technique?. (3) How frequently the respondents
use Tiktok in terms of: A. Leisure-producing technique, B. Stress-reducing technique, C.
Income-sourcing technique?. After all, excessive use of social media could have a negative
impact on an adolescent’s mental health. A large number of adolescents’ report using social
media on a daily basis, which can be dozens or even hundreds of times (Filucci, 2016). This
could be due to a positive experience of staying connected with friends and the online
community, or it could be due to stress.

The average age for senior high school students ranges from 17 to 18 years-old. At this
age, nearly at the end of their adolescent phase, they are preparing for the transitions that are
going to take place after their senior life. Stress is a huge issue almost around every age and
phase in life but experiencing this in the starting phase of adult life is different. Along with the
rise of technology, these students resort to the use of social media. In particular, Tiktok as one
of the apps in which its contents are now getting into the mainstream within this time even with
the pandemic going on. Tiktok could either be used as a leisure-producing technique, an
income-sourcing one or a stress-reducing one. A recent study was conducted by Ismail et. al.
(2021) aiming to determine the relationship between the intensity of using Tik Tok social media
and the stress level of teenagers. The study is a quantitative research using correlational
methods, emphasizing the analysis of data collected through measurement procedures and
processed with statistical analysis methods. They have concluded that there is a significant
positive correlation between the intensity of using social media Tiktok and the level of stress of
teenagers when they conducted a study at the city called Makassar. The correlation effect is on
a moderate level. The correlation values indicate that the higher the intensity of using TikTok
social media, the higher the level of stress for active TikTok users. This means that other factors
affecting adolescent stress levels must be investigated. Studying Tiktok as a stress-reducing
technique amid pandemic among selected Senior High School students, the factors to consider
is the percentage of students that use Tiktok, its benefits and how frequently do the students
use Tiktok as a technique. A look at those data could give a clearer interpretation as to how this
app helps the students to cope-up with the stress around them. This study includes three main
objectives, to measure the data and describe how TikTok plays its role to the students, to
analyze the positive and negative effects on well-being as Tiktok as a stress reduction technique
for students and to propose a conceptual framework. Therefore, it is essential to consider how
TikTok has influenced the lives of today's youth.

The findings of the present study will redound to the benefit of senior high school
students who adopted TikTok as a gateway for academic reasons, lowering severe stress, and
improving mental health concerns, and is widely recognized as a feasible app. This study could
be more beneficial among Senior High School students who are dealing with stress. For
instance, the successful experience of Tik Tok enabled them to constantly improve and innovate
their own functions and contents (Liqian, 2018). It enabled them to consistently develop and
innovate their own capabilities on their own. The study may also benefit the society for the
reason that it allowed them to share their experience and knowledge, helped other students in
becoming much more knowledgeable, and allowed them to improve their abilities. Furthermore,
the advantages of this study in terms of changing their behaviors and putting life into
perspective amid pandemic had been adopted with the use of Tik Tok as a stress-reducing tool.
Throughout this study, Senior High School students would be able to appropriately cope up with
their stress and would be well-handled as a result. And by that, they could easily distinguish the
difference between their old behavior and current behavior. Though there are many literatures
and previous frameworks relating to social media, very few are based on TikTok and its role as a
gateway to stress escapism. There are numerous factors influencing students' well-being.
However, The purpose of the study was to describe Tiktok as a stress-reduction technique
among senior high students during the pandemic and to understand how Tiktok plays a
significant role in a student's life.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The diagram focuses on showing the process of the selected topic, which will describe
how TikTok plays a role in the students. The conceptual framework directs the researchers by
providing a clear presentation of the process. The IPO Model (Input-Process-Output) is
commonly used for factor-isolating questions. The research attempts to isolate the factor or
major variable that causes the problem, subject or phenomenon under investigation (Tabuena,
2021). The researchers chose the IPO Model because one of the study's objectives is to
conduct a conceptual framework. As a result, the characteristics of the IPO Model correspond to
the process of our research. For the input as stated in the diagram, the participants are merit
card holders from Senior High School. Therefore, the researchers chose merit card holders
because they are prone to stress due to an imbalance in academic performance and time
management in the midst of a pandemic. Stress also affects individuals to be unable to maintain
the academic activities and anxiety at the same time (Desamparado et al., 2019). And with the
excessive use of TikTok, it determined the huge impact of stress and its stress levels (Ismail et
al., 2021). The process used a quantitative research design in a descriptive survey approach,
and descriptive in the sense that it focuses on determining the how, what, and when Senior High
School students use TikTok as a stress-reducing technique. As a result, the output is TikTok as
a stress-reducing technique among senior high students in Tondo, Manila, during a pandemic.
Similarly, in the statement of the problem in the study.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Theme 1: Stress Brought by Pandemic to Senior High School students

The term “Stress” was first coined by endocrinologist Hans Selye in 1920. He proposed
that stress was a non-specific strain on the body caused by irregularities in normal body
functions. As stated by The American Institute of Stress (2017), stress was commonly
associated with distress, and dictionaries defined it as “physical, mental, or emotional strain or
tension”. Stress is defined as any factor that makes adaptation to an environment difficult for an
individual to maintain a state of balance between himself and the external environment.
Students in the Philippines are frequently in their late adolescence. They are said to
experience a different mix of stressors as students (Garrett, 2001), which may have a significant
impact on their ability to cope with student life. According to Guessoum et. al. (2020),
adolescents require significant adjustment during the Covid-19 pandemic and are currently the
most likely to be exposed to experiencing stress and anxiety as a result of the pandemic. During
a pandemic, everything happens unexpectedly (MacPhail, 2010), which makes adjusting to
uncertain situations difficult, as well as news spreading quickly. As a result, adolescent
psychological well-being, including stress and anxiety levels, suffers even more.The way
adolescents perceive stress is critical to their overall well-being as individuals and learners. The
individual's perception of the stress response and ability to adapt to the stressor are important in
determining whether the stressor is equal to or exceeds his social and emotional resources for
coping. Furthermore, after the pandemic disrupted people's lives the students' psychological
well-being was put at risk, and difficulties arose when the restrictions due to the pandemic were
established for the safety of the people (Manlunas et al., 2021). As a result of the pandemic,
sudden shifts from face-to-face class to online learning disrupt students, making them unable to
cope with the changes easily.
Moreover, In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, introducing the blended learning
modality is critical to the students' learning process, the limitation brought by the pandemic
subsequently had made the students suffer much more and brought more disturbance and with
the inescapable changes, students had to adjust on their own in order to cope up and adapt not
just with the academic changes, but also with their personal well-being. Aside from devastating
and challenging crises, countries across the world have also been suffering from a spike of
excruciating psychological outcomes. Licayan et. al. (2021) had measured the level of academic
stress among the students regarding personal inadequacy, fear of failure and interpersonal
difficulties. Students' psychological problems can be disturbing because once it was started, the
macro problems can lead to micro problems. And it is more likely to occur when the students'
fail, have poor self-esteem, or have high expectations that may lead to disappointment.
The pandemic had an impact on many aspects of our nation, especially education and
health, which was forced to shift from face-to-face classes to flexible learning modalities. These
new learning modalities increased efficiency, accessibility of time and space, affordability,
improved student attendance, and accommodated a wide range of learning styles.

Theme 2: The Rise of Tiktok in the Philippines

Tiktok has become the preferred platform for Generation Z's knee-jerk reaction to the
simple fact of existence: content creation, since its release in 2016. Owned by the Chinese tech
company ByteDance, it was downloaded 738 million times in 2019 alone (Escober, 2020). Tiktok
undeniably became popular over the pandemic. With the lockdowns and quarantines existing,
Filipinos have resorted to this social media platform as a form of distraction and escapism from
the happenings around them. As Tiktok is a platform that provides large varieties of content,
before reaching the amount of content the platform has now, there are these what we called
“content creators” (for some, these content creators are called “influencers”) who create and
share their videos on Tiktok. Those creators that we see on the platform could be those Filipinos
wanting to alleviate their boredom and ease their stress due to the COVID-19.
A recent study conducted by Araujo et. al. (2022) concluded that Tik tok’s appeal to
Generation Z continues to become stronger as it provides a space that allows them to relate
with others and express their emotions. The study was a quantitative study with a
descriptive-correlational design aiming to see the influence of Tik Tok video advertisements on
Generation Z’s behavior and purchase intention. No wonder that Tik Tok is still one of the most
used platforms up until this day. It had provided relatable contents to its viewers, some were
even educational and some creators would share their experiences or product reviews through
a short video on Tik tok which made the audience invested on the app, scrolling through the
never ending “For You” page. At first lip syncs, dance covers and imitating a certain scene from
movies are the contents that you’ll often see when you scroll, afterwards, the platform’s growth
also made the audience and the creators think of other ideas such as Tik tok being one of the
marketing strategies. After analyzing whether Tiktok video advertisements influence purchase
intent, they concluded that businesses considering Tik Tok as their new advertising platform
should put the emphasis on the emotional engagement that they can provide to users. As a
result, Tiktok would undoubtedly rise in the market, particularly in the Philippine market.
Green et. al. (2022) states that Tiktok continues to be an emerging social media platform
for cutting-edge businesses that seek to attract a younger demographic. The rise of Tik tok also
began to ascend at the marketplace and is known as a marketable and beneficial platform not
only to those who resorted to Tik tok as a stress reliever but also to those with businesses. The
case study by Green et. al. (2022) also emphasized that the company has pioneered short
video technology and is atop the social media content industry. Tik tok is the next generation of
social media. At this rate, Tik tok would really reach everyone even with the pandemic going on.
Tik tok’s Lead Generation, the first party solution that helps businesses reach prospects in order
to convert them into potential customers with ease, is also available to businesses in the
Philippines (Inquirer, 2021). This only proves that Tik tok became popular worldwide and has
reached the Philippines. TikTok affected the Philippine marketplace with its contents and with
Araujo et. al. (2022) ’s study above means that this social media platform affects its audience
mainly with their emotional response. Youngsters are mostly affected by the app’s relatable
contents. In the trying times of pandemic what people would really want is something to relate
with.
Technology has had a significant impact on the delivery of library enquiry and reference
services, from the introduction of first generation technologies such as email and chat to second
generation technologies such as Facebook and Twitter. (Benn & McLoughlin, 2013). Technology
alongside social media has also become a medium for education as well as a medium for other
activities and it tends to take over when it comes to getting references and sources of
information needed. As Tiktok is growing and is already mentioned that it has reached the
country, it also became a place of education. Tiktok really is becoming the face of the next
generation of social media. Some students learn from a short video on TikTok for they teach
some techniques and there are also content creators that aim to make the platform a place of
learning. Since Generation Z’s era is exposed to technology, social media is one of their
hideouts. Tiktok being a platform for some learning is not that bad of an idea since it’s where the
students go unconsciously because they are used to it being their resort amidst the pandemic
and also with the online classes going on. The adolescents or citizens in the Philippines take
Tiktok as a platform of their escapism and it results in Tiktok being one of the most used
platforms in the country, the use of it skyrocketed within the pandemic.
Theme 3: Tiktok as a Stress-reduction platform in the midst of the Pandemic.

Tiktok became a bridge for students to reduce their stress through emotional, entertaining
and informative, consuming every students’ behavior. The Philippine government has imposed
limitations and rules in response to the Covid-10 outbreak for the people’s safety & protection.
Students have experienced difficulties, anxiety, and stress as a result of this. As mentioned by
Manlunas et. al. (2021), one of the main principles is the mental well-being of these students
that should be considered in terms of health. These play a critical role in the formation of coping
mechanisms that benefit in times of stress, especially in the present, in which students are
dealing with pandemic that has affected their behavior and their regular responsibilities. The
study about stress-reducing made its way when Araujo et. al. (2022) stated that TikTok
marketing strategies has made its way to be widely known worldwide and made its marketing
and engagement reach to rise. Most of the students consume their time using the app to relieve
stress. Both positive and negative entertainment supported the personal experiences, which
helped the individuals to improve their behavior on its own. The abilities of the students'
improved as well as a result of their use of TikTok as a stress-reducing, which allowed them to
free themselves from stress while developing their skills at the same time. And with the new and
interesting educational technology, each student's work has become more relevant, which is an
advantage to students (Sajonia, 2022). In addition, it is not just the educational creativity of the
students who improved, but also their psychological stability. In line with Amato (2022), the
short-video app is recognized for its stylish dance moves and clever humor. TikTok, on the other
hand, has grown into a platform for young people to share their mental health concerns, learn
from therapists, and connect with others who are dealing with similar issues.
According to Mazo (2015), students’ situations vary in the Philippines, resulting in stress
from personal circumstances, financial distress, lower grades, and balancing of work and study.
Furthermore, school requirements, projects, writing research or thesis, academic difficulties, and
subject workloads, as well as balancing personal, academic, and extracurricular tasks, are
additional sources of stress (Dy et al., 2015). It must be addressed immediately even more so in
the midst of a pandemic, where the impact of online education is increasing particularly in
strands where a technical approach demand is high. Nevertheless, psychological difficulties had
made the students do stress-reducing techniques as an adaptive tool in order to survive with
their lives amid the existing pandemic.
Tiktok has a favorable influence on students. It relieves their stress while also entertaining
them. According to Jiang X.Y (2019), he attempted to investigate the reasons for tiktok's
enormous success. The author claims that the app fits the user's needs and requests in terms of
human-computer interaction, interface design, UGC (User Generated Content) and OGC
(Occupationally Generated Content) and PGC (Professionally Generated Content) content
production models, and content micro narrative models etc which satisfies the user's needs and
demands. In the same way that tiktok meets the requirements and demands of students, the
students need to reduce their stress, anxiety, irritability, depression, frustration, anger, physical
and mental exhaustion. Their stress is lessened and eradicated when they use tiktok, providing
them more time to relax, have fun, enjoy themselves, and forget about stress they are
experiencing. For that reason, Coping is the best word to describe how to deal with all of the
negative thoughts, emotions, and physical discomfort. Senior high school students who were
affected by the pandemic learned various coping strategies to deal with the effects on their
physical, mental, and social well-being. Coping may seem a simple word with a more complex
meaning. Coping is a term that applies to everyone from birth to the geriatric stage of life. As
everyone fights their own battle, particularly in this time of pandemic.
All of these studies found that during the pandemic, there was an increase in the use of
social media, and teenagers use different kinds of social media, and TikTok was the world's
most downloaded app in 2020, overtaking Facebook and Messenger. However, the COVID-19
lockdown's prolonged social isolation worsens the delirious effects of stress and uncertainty on
physical and mental disorders, increasing feelings of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and
posttraumatic stress syndrome. Adolescents are known to be heavy users of social media in
order to connect with friends and feel better. Many studies on how adolescents coped with their
negative emotions during the Pandemic focused on active coping, social relational coping, and
humorous coping as their silver lining, but this study will focus on the silver lining of adolescents'
Tiktok use as a way to cope with negative feelings caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Besides,
TikTok is a popular form of entertainment these days, and the pandemic has been a part of our
journey, the two variables will be the main focus of the study, and it also embodies academic
pressure as the online class is a major part of the pandemic journey and one of the main
reasons why we cope. This will distinguish it from other studies because it aims to discover how
it affects the well-being positively and negatively and the behavioral changes as an individual
and a student through a single app. As a result, they could easily tell the difference between
their previous and current behavior.
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