THE EFFECT OF TIKTOK ON THE SELF-ESTEEM OF GRADE 12 STEM STUDENTS

IN SAINT MARY ACADEMY OF GUINDULMAN, BOHOL, INC.

BUNGATOR, ARCHIE MAE

DELIGOS, HYACINTH ANNE

ESTOMO, RALPH CLIFFORD

LUNA, MICHAEL DOMINIC

MIJARES, PAUL JOSHUA

OLAÑO, SOFIA LOREN

MAY, 2023
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

Social networking sites have become more diverse and popular. In the early 21 st

century, it marked the growth of social networking sites all over the world and has been

part of people’s lives since then (Jan et al., 2017). Social networking sites are internet-

based and are utilized as a means of communication, interaction, and developing

relationships with others. Through these sites, a person can share and get information

and ideas from others. It can be for social, educational, or business purposes (Kenton,

2022). Social networking sites are easily accessible, even to young people. With just a

click, you can download and use it anytime and anywhere.

TikTok is used for creating, sharing, and watching videos. And it is one of the most

popular social networking sites. According to Ocampo (2022) of Metro News, TikTok is

the third most popular social media platform in the Philippines with a percentage of 17%.

And it was widely used for those aged 18 and above, who might be students.

Students use TikTok for entertainment for them to be happy and forget problems

permanently. They watch their idols, favorite celebrities, models, and influencers who are

known for their beauty and physical attributes on TikTok. Those are the people they look

up to and are raising the bar too high. That affects people’s self-esteem in terms of
appearance, body image, and how they view themselves in society (Henriques, M., &

Patnaik, D., 2020).

Self-esteem is defined by Rosenberg(1965) as the positive and negative behavior

of oneself. It might change due to factors, one of which is using social networking sites

such as TikTok. According to the results of the study by Jan et al. (2017), they found out

that there is a strong relationship between social media sites such as TikTok and a

person’s self-esteem. It causes people to make social comparisons with what they see,

which causes psychological distress and lower self-esteem (Chen & Lee, 2013). That also

results in different disorders, self-harm and suicide. Additionally, according to Savira et

al. (2022), some individuals who use the TikTok application experience low self-esteem

because of watching another person’s style of dress, beautiful individuals, or perfect body.

People tend to believe that their worth is determined by how they look, resulting in low

self-esteem and negative self-worth thoughts .

Further, according to CNBC (2021), 16 of the 18 students said they had TikTok.

And knowing that, we researchers want to determine if there is an effect of using TikTok

on the self-esteem of the selected grade 12 STEM students in Saint Mary Academy of

Guindulman, Bohol, Inc. within the school year 2022-2023. This study will assist parents

in guiding their children who are students in the development of self-esteem as well as

students to gain knowledge and awareness of the effect of using TikTok on self-esteem.

Moreover, this study will have a significant impact and be a great source of information

for teachers and the school administration as it will help them develop plans, programs,

create strategies, and implement activities to strengthen the self-esteem of students.

Literature Background

Self-esteem has remained relatively consistent over time, with some individuals

having high self-esteem and others having low self-esteem (Jafarnezhad, 2015). And

these levels of self-esteem are related to those who are using social networking sites

such as TikTok. When individuals are not achieved or are not accepted by others, their

self-esteem will be low (Dr. Jhangiani et al., 2022). And this effect is hard to control as

they are on social networking sites when everything is accessible, diverse, and wide,

according to Valkunberg et al. (2021).

Researchers found out that 68.3 percent of teenagers want to look like content

creators. At this level of desire, teens turn out to be comparing themselves and feeling

insecure when viewing content showing people’s appearances (Savira et al., 2022). 16

percent of the 41 respondents reported feeling extremely anxious as a result of what they

saw on TikTok (Savira et al., 2022).

In relation to this, some teenagers who are students are obsessed with makeup as

they are influenced by social media in order to boost their self-esteem and be accepted

by social standards (Caguioa, 2019). In the survey of the Renfrew Center Foundation

(2007) with 1,292 female respondents, 44 percent of them experienced negative feelings

if they didn’t wear makeup. They feel unattractive and self-conscious, and makeup is the

way to conceal that. Further,social media, such as TikTok, shows fit and lean bodies,

which affects individuals, both men and women. Students indulge in dieting without

consulting an expert to look slim and attractive to others and in society, influenced by

those people they see on social media such as celebrities and creators (Jain, 2022).
Social Comparison Theory (1954)
Explained that people evaluate
themselves in relation to others.
( Festinger, 1954)
Cultivation Theory (1960’s)
This theory states that long exposure
to media shapes individuals’
perceptions of the world and how
they conduct themselves.
( Nabi & Riddle, 2008)
Hierarchy of Needs (1943)
This theory states that unmet needs
develop difficult behavior.
( Maslow, 1943)
Section 24 of Mental Health Law
(Republic Act No. 11306)
A law that states all Educational
Institutions must develop policies and
programs for students, educators,
and other employees designed to:
raise awareness on mental health
issues, identified and provide support
and services for individuals at risk,
and facility access, including referral
mechanisms of individual with mental
health conditions to treatment and
psychosocial support.

THE EFFECT OF TIKTOK ON THE SELF-ESTEEM OF

GRADE 12 STEM STUDENTS IN SAINT MARY
ACADEMY OF GUINDULMAN, BOHOL, INC.

TikTok Self-Esteem
• Appearance

Effect

Figure 1. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

 Social comparison theory is the most extensively used theory in existing studies.

According to the Social Comparison Theory (1954) proposed by Leon Festinger, it is

explained that people evaluate themselves in relation to others. Individuals often compare

themselves to others based on what they see in them. Upward social comparison is made

under this theory, which means comparing oneself to others who are physically and

visually superior to them. This influences and affects confidence or self-esteem in oneself,

and negative feelings emerge (Cherry,2020).

In addition, cultivation theory states that long exposure to media shapes

individuals’ perceptions of the world and how they conduct themselves (Nabi &

Riddle,2008). People’s interpretation of social reality depends on how the media portrays

such realities (Perera,2020).This theory can be utilized to analyze one’s self-esteem and

body image (Shelton, 2015 as cited in IPL). If users see someone that is thin, with clear

skin, and tall in the media, they want to be like them and tend to believe that they are not

good enough as it is labeled as ideal in society or requires social standards that place

themselves according to those standards that lead to poor self-esteem and body image

(IPL, n.d).

The Hierarchy of Needs by Abraham Maslow is also anchored in this study.

Maslow stated that unmet needs develop difficult behavior. The fourth in the hierarchy of

needs is esteem. Esteem represents the human desire to be accepted and valued by

others (Maan,2018).The higher version of esteem means that individuals, such as

students, need for self-confidence. If esteem is not met, it can lead to low self-esteem,

inferiority, and depression (Benchmark Institute, n.d. ). Esteem should develop to upgrade

to the next step of the hierarchy of needs (Maan, 2018).

 In relation, intervention and programs help deal with and increase self-esteem of

oneself. A meta-analysis performed by Niveau et al. (2021) shows that self-esteem

interventions are effective in increasing the self-esteem of individuals. Cognitive-

behavioral therapy (CBT) is an example of an intervention. CBT is widely used as a

therapeutic tool in which negative thoughts and feelings of individuals are replaced by

those that are positive. This approach has been found to treat psychological problems

(Hofmann & Smits, 2008).The Dove Self-Esteem Project and Beautiful Me empower

youth and build self-esteem in terms of how they look aesthetically (Dove, 2022 & Home,

2021). The intervention and programs mentioned above seemed to help students

strengthen their self-esteem.

As the Mental Health Law (Republic Act No. 11036), Section 24 provides that:

“Educational Institutions, such as schools, colleges,

universities, and technical schools, shall develop policies and
programs for students, educators, and other employees designed
to: raise awareness on mental health issues, identified and provide
support and services for individuals at risk, and facility access,
including referral mechanisms of individual with mental health
conditions to treatment and psychosocial support.”

It means that educational institutions, such as schools, are to develop policies and

programs for awareness, aid the students experiencing mental health issues, and make

sure that mental health conditions are accessible to them. The school must cater to the

students’ needs to help them boost confident and perform to their utmost ability. It is also

their responsibility to correct any stigma and discrimination about mental health issues

and identify and support staff, teachers, and especially students at risk of mental health

issues.
 THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the effect of TikTok on the Self-Esteem of the

selected grade 12 STEM students in Saint Mary Academy of Guindulman, Bohol, Inc.

Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 Name;

1.2 Age;

1.3 Sex; and

1.4 Section?

2. How often do students use TikTok on a daily basis?

3. What is the effect of TikTok on the self-esteem of students?

3.1 Appearance?

4. Is there a relationship between the time spent on TikTok and self-esteem?

Null Hypothesis

There is no significant relationship between the time spent on TikTok and the

self-esteem of the Grade 12 STEM students in Saint Mary Academy of Guindulman,

Bohol, Inc.
Significance of the Study

The researchers believe that the findings of this study would be beneficial to the

following:

Students. The students will benefit from this study as it serves as an awareness for

them of the effect of TikTok on self-esteem. It will also make them gain knowledge that

will be useful in developing high levels of self-esteem.

Parents. This study will assist parents in guiding their children who are students in the

development of self-esteem through different methods such as monitoring and raising

awareness.

Teachers. The study could be a good source of information for teachers in developing

plans and strategies to strengthen self-esteem of their students.

School Administration. This study will help the administration see the effect of TikTok

on the self-esteem of students. The outcome of this study will make a beneficial

contribution in planning, making programs, and implementing activities for the students

to help them boost their self-esteem.

The Researchers. The outcome of the study is beneficial to the researchers as it will

achieve their goals and purposes for the study as well as gain knowledge about it.

Future Researchers. The outcome of this study can serve as reference material and a

steppingstone for future researchers who desire to create similar studies to add to the

existing body of knowledge.

Scope and Limitation

The researchers will conduct a study on the effect of TikTok on self-esteem

involving the Grade 12 STEM students of Saint Mary Academy of Guindulman, Bohol,

Inc. within the school year 2022–2023. It focuses only on the appearance self-esteem of

students.

This study will not cover other problems that are not considered as one of the

effects. The grade 12 STEM students who are not using the TikTok application are not

within the scope of this research.

 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Design

A descriptive-correlational design is used wherein the study is focused on the

effect of TikTok on the self-esteem of the students in Grade 12 STEM of Saint Mary

Academy of Guindulman, Bohol, Inc.

A descriptive method is a quantitative research design that aims to observe and

describe behavior in a certain population based on the collected information. The

correlational method involves looking at relationships between the two variables. For the

purpose of this study, a correlational research design was used to describe the

relationship between the amount spent on TikTok by grade 12 STEM students and self-

esteem.

Environment and Participants

The study will be conducted at Saint Mary Academy of Guindulman, Bohol, Inc.

with forty respondents from Grade 12 STEM students, which is twenty respondents per

section. The selection of the respondents is done through simple random sampling by

using the roulette wheel technique, where the researchers write all the names of all the

students on a roulette wheel and randomly pick a sample in every section, so that all

members of the population are given an equal chance. Respondents are required to give

honest answers to the research and collect their data through a questionnaire.
Instruments

A three-part questionnaire will be used by the researchers for the study, where the

first two are created by the researchers. The first part is intended to gather the profiles of

the respondents. The second part is a 1-item questionnaire where it is intended to

determine the amount of time spent by the respondents on TikTok daily. In the third part,

researchers will use the Appearance Anxiety Scale brief version to determine the

students’ self-esteem in appearance after engaging with TikTok. The Appearance Anxiety

Scale is a 14-item scale developed by Dion et al. in 1990. The questionnaire uses a 5-

point Likert scale (1 = never and 5 = almost always). The total score ranges from 14 to

70 (14 to 28 = high self-esteem; 29-42 = moderate self-esteem; 43-70 = low self-esteem).

The AAS brief version is valid and reliable. Its internal consistency measure is 0.86 (Dion

et al., 1990). It is substantial enough for use in the research and evaluation process.

Procedures

The researchers will begin by gathering the profiles of the chosen students.

Second, the researchers will determine how often the selected students use TikTok daily.

Third, the researchers will determine the effect of TikTok on self-esteem. After the

information is gathered and obtained, interpretation will be done. The information will be

collected with the use of a survey questionnaire.

Statistical Treatment

The arithmetic mean was used to determine the group’s score in their appearance

self-esteem.

Formula:

∑𝑥
𝑥=
𝑛

Where:

𝑥 = arithmetic mean

𝑥 = values

𝑛 = total number of values

The arithmetic mean was interpreted using the scale below:

Range Description Interpretation

43-70 Low self-esteem The students got a score

ranging from 43-70, which
indicates they experienced
low self-esteem.
29-42 Moderate self-esteem The students got a score
ranging from 29-42, which
indicates they experienced
moderate self-esteem.
14-28 High self-esteem The students got a score
ranging from 14-28, which
indicates they experienced
high self-esteem.
 In determining the relationship between time spent on TikTok and Self-esteem,

the t-test was used:

Formula:

𝐷 − 𝑈𝐷
𝑡=
𝑆𝐷
√𝑛

Where:

𝑡 = computed t-test

𝐷 = mean difference of time and score

𝑆𝐷 = standard deviation

𝑛 = number of respondents

𝑈𝐷 = population mean of paired differences

 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Appearance. It refers to the individual's way of looking that students may see on social

networking sites such as TikTok that influences the way they look at themselves.

Effect. It refers to what will be the results of using TikTok in the students’ self-esteem.

Self-Esteem. It refers to the negative and positive behavior of students towards

themselves after using TikTok.

Students. It refers to the selected grade 12 students of Saint Mary Academy of

Guindulman, Bohol Inc.

TikTok. It refers to the social networking site for creating, sharing, and watching videos

and is commonly used by students.

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 QUESTIONNAIRE

THE EFFECT OF TIKTOK ON THE SELF-ESTEEM OF GRADE 12 STEM STUDENTS

IN SAINT MARY ACADEMY OF GUINDULMAN, BOHOL, INC.

TO THE RESPONDENTS

Warmest Greeting in the name of our Almighty Father!

We, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students, are
having a research study in fulfillment of the requirements for the subject
RESEARCH PROJECT.
In this regard, we researchers are conducting a study entitled THE EFFECT OF
TIKTOK ON THE SELF-ESTEEM OF GRADE 12 STEM STUDENTS IN SAINT
MARY ACADEMY OF GUINDULMAN, BOHOL, INC. In relation to this, we would
like to ask for your sincere cooperation in answering the questions. We rest assured
that any responses to the questionnaires will be kept confidentially and will be used
for research purposes only.
Thank you so much and God bless!

Respectfully yours,
The Researchers
I. PROFILE OF SELECTED RESPONDENTS

Name: Age: Sex: Section:

II. TIKTOK USAGE BY SELECTED RESPONDENTS

How often you use TikTok on daily basis?(Tick the blank that indicates your answer.)

1-3 hrs. 4-6 hrs. 7-9 hrs. others, please specify

 III. EFFECT OF TIKTOK ON THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE RESPONDENTS

Directions: Please rate each item based on your level of agreement with each of the

statements. Tick the column that indicates your answer. Please do not leave any item

unanswered. Note: R= reverse-scored items

1 2 3 4 5
Never Sometimes Often Very Almost
Often Always
1.I feel nervous about aspects of
my physical appearance.
2.I worry about how others are
evaluating how I look.
3.I am comfortable with my
appearance. (R)
4.I like how I look. (R)

5.I would like to change the way

I look.
6.I am satisfied with my body’s
build or shape. (R)
7.I feel uncomfortable with
certain aspects of my physical
appearance.
8.I feel that most of my friends
are more physically attractive
than myself.
9.I wish I were better looking.

10.I am concerned about my

ability to attract romantic
partners.
11.I feel comfortable with my
facial attractiveness. (R)
12.I am satisfied with my body
weight. (R)
13.I get nervous when others
comment on my appearance.
14.I am confident that others see
me as physically appealing. (R)