1

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

The usage of the internet is now so widespread among students. This has gotten so

out of hand that it is influencing every part of life. Nowadays, students are so engrossed in

internet use that they have little or no time to study and succeed academically. Internet use

has grown so bad that it is interfering with their academic work. It is general knowledge

that both girls and boys are avid internet users. Students communicate efficiently on social

media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Whatsapp, yet they do not

perform well academically (Ipem and Okwara-Kalu, 2020).

Most students have excellent intentions when they access the internet to hunt for

academic information, but they wind up conversing with friends, family, and doing other

activities that are not academically valuable. The problem is that they have spent their

valuable time on nothing tangible before they realize it. According to studies, students

spend more time socializing than searching for academic knowledge. They spend more

time online chatting, messaging, e-mailing, and facebooking with their buddies (Rohani

and Tari, 2012). According to Jones (2001), as mentioned by Ipem and Okwara-Kalu

(2020), college students have more regular communication with friends and family

members. According to Rohani and Tari (2012), the primary usage of the internet for

students is interpersonal contact via e-mail, instant messaging, and chat services.

According to researchers, the benefits of using the internet include keeping in touch

with friends, making vacation plans, managing finances, and assisting with educational

needs (Noreen, 2013). According to Chou and Hsiao (2000), despite the good influence of
 2

the internet, there is a growing literature on the detrimental effects of excessive use. They

also stated that university students are at a high risk of developing internet addiction.

According to studies, internet addiction has an effect on a student's academic

progress (Mishra, Draus, Goreva, Leone and Caputo, 2014; Bolhi and Kaur, 2017).

According to Suhail and Bargees (2006), internet use has a favorable impact on students'

academic performance since it facilitates contact between classmates and professors while

also increasing study hours and study habits. The difficulty is that, despite the favorable

effects of internet use, studies such as (Na and Kim, 2004) claim that college students are

more vulnerable to acquiring online addiction. Najini, Masoumeh, and Syed (2014)

discovered a link between internet addiction and poor academic performance.

Nigeria is one of the world's most populous countries. According to recent studies,

Nigeria has about 50 million mobile internet users, with mobile phone internet usage being

particularly popular (Clement, 2019). The International Telecommunication Union

anticipated in 2015 that over 3.2 billion people, or nearly half of the world population, will

be online by the end of the year, with approximately 2 billion coming from industrialized

countries, including 89 million from least developed countries. Nigeria has 92.3 million

internet users in 2018. This figure is expected to increase to 187.8 million by 2023. In 2018,

internet penetration was 47.1 percent of the population, and it is expected to reach 84.5

percent by 2023. (Clement, 2019). According to Internet World Statistics (2014), the

expected number of internet users globally is 2,212,239,573, making it the world's largest

technology podium (Internet user, internet live statistics 2014). Binita, Lena, Varaakshmi,

and Ashma (2018) found that 44% of their respondents were vulnerable to internet

addiction in their study.

 3

Mak et al. (2014) reported concerning findings on internet addiction in six (6) Asian

countries, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines,

in his study. The differences in Internet behavior and addiction between countries were

investigated. Smartphone ownership is 62% worldwide, ranging from 41% in China to 84%

in South Korea. Furthermore, online gaming involvement spans from 11% in China to 39%

in Japan. Hong Kong has the largest proportion of adolescents who use the Internet on a

daily or weekly basis (68%). According to statistics, the Philippines has the greatest rate

of internet addiction to the IAT (5%), as well as the CIAS-R (21%). Addiction to the

internet is frequent among adolescents in Asian countries.

According to the most current World Internet Usage and Population Statistics

(2020) study, internet use increased by 1,167% between 2000 and 2020. Miao, Jiang,

Wang, Li, Wang, and Zeng (2018) discovered that males were more addicted to the internet

than females, at 30.6% and 21.2%, respectively. Furthermore, Yeong and Won (2014)

discovered that 3.6% and 1.9% of girls were internet addicts. Another study, conducted by

Shao, Zheng, and Wang (2018), discovered that male students (16%) had higher internet

exposure rates than female students (8%). Another study found that men are more

susceptible to the internet than women (Luo, Guo, Hu Zhuang, Wang, 2014). Similarly,

Akhter (2013) discovered that men utilize the internet more than women over the world.

According to Ha and Hwang (2014), internet addiction is more prevalent in guys than in

girls. According to the findings of the US National Library of Medicine (2016), boys spent

much more time on the internet than girls, and guys spent more time on the internet and

used different applications than girls.

 4

Much research has been conducted on internet usage and addiction, but none has

been conducted among Gutalac Senior High School students. This is the gap that this study

attempted to fill by analyzing the difference between internet addiction among students of

Gutalac Senior High School when grouped according to sex.

Theoretical Framework

This study is based on Grohol's Pathological Internet Use Model. Grohol (1999)

claims that "an alternate theory as to why individuals utilize the internet to such an extent

is a really credible suggestion." The behaviors we're seeing are phasic." This theory is

divided into three stages: enchantment/obsession, disappointment, and achieving balance.

The first stage, known as enchantment/obsession, usually happens when the individual is

new to online engagement. Many addicts require the assistance of others in order to

advance faster to the second stage known as disillusionment, in which the individual

frequently becomes disinterested in the activity in which they engaged. In the third stage,

called balance, the balance represents regular internet usage, which everyone achieves at a

different time, and the phases can still be renewed if the individual discovers another

exciting new activity. According to Grohol (1999), as new activities are discovered, an

existing user may have a significantly easier time successfully navigating through these

stages and thereby reaching the balance (stage three) faster than a new internet user.
 5

Figure 1. Grohol’s Model of Pathological Internet Use

In this regard, Walther (1999), in agreement with Roberts, Smith, and Pollack

(1996), assumed that online chat activity is also phasic; first, people are enchanted by the

activity (known as obsession), followed by disillusionment and a decline in usage, and

finally, a balance is reached where the level of chat activity is normalized.

According to psychology's Operant Theory, learning is the most potent little unit of

success that is promptly reinforced (Suler, 1996). Learning theory, which is based on the

principle of operant conditioning, highlights the positive reinforcing effects of internet use,

which can create emotions of well-being and happiness in the user (Murali & George,
 6

2007). Similarly, Kandel (1998) argued that utilizing a computer or the internet gives the

user a level of control that is not available in other pursuits. Most importantly, once a

command is issued, the computer follows it. It is not the same as working with people;

computers can automatically perform everything the users want. Naturally, this amount of

power is very satisfying and reinforcing for persons who have little control over other

aspects of their lives.

Conceptual Framework

To this study, the schema is presented in Figure 2. First, the independent variable

which is the prevalent rate of internet addiction of the students. The independent variable

may somehow have a relationship in the dependent variable due to the availability of claims

by previous researchers.

An arrow, from the independent variable pointing to the dependent variable,

denotes a possible relationship of the independent variables to the students’ academic

performance. Difference in students’ academic performance of the students can be

dependent on moderating variables such as demographics profile which is sex. This paper

explored the demographic factors that affect students’ academic performance through an

empirical and quantitative study using statistical tool process.

 7

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE

 Students Sex  Prevalent Rate of Internet

Addiction among students

Figure 2. Conceptual Framework of the Study

 8

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to assess the internet usage among students of Gutalac Senior

High School during the school year 2022-2023.

Specifically, the study sought to answers the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of strand and sex?

2. What is the prevalent rate of internet addiction of the senior high school students of

Gutalac Senior High School?

3. Is there a significant difference in the prevalent rate of internet addiction of the

respondents when data are grouped according to strand and sex?

Hypothesis

This study is premised on this hypothesis:

Ho1: There is no significant difference in the prevalent rate of internet addiction of the

respondents when data are grouped according to strand and sex.

Significance of the Study

This study is significant to the following:

Gutalac Senior High School Administrator. This study will provide the school

administrator of Gutalac Senior High School an idea as to the effect of internet usage to

the academic performance of the students thereby reviewing current policy on this matter

to purposely help control internet usage among students.

 9

Guidance Counselor. This study will help guidance counselor to come up with a

guidance program and activities that would address the problem of internet addiction of the

students by giving information services and counselling.

Teachers. This study will help the instructors in formulating intervention through

teaching strategy pointing out on achieving the control of internet usage among students.

PTA. This study will help the parents understand the possible effect of internet

usage on the students’ academic performance thereby allowing them to be more vigilant

and pro-active in maintaining control over data usage of their students.

Future Researchers. This result of this study will use as reference for future

researchers researching the same topic with a more expanded scope.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study is limited to exploring the correlation between internet usage and

academic performance among senior high school students of Gutalac Senior High School

during the school year 2022-2023. It is also limited its scope to determining if there lies a

difference in the prevalent rate of internet usage of the students when analyzed according

to profile. Likewise, the study also is limited only to the senior high school academic

students of Gutalac Senior High School.

Definition of terms

For reference, the following terms are operationally defined as follows:

Internet Usage. This refers to the amount of data and time spend by the students

in browsing the internet.

 10

Academic Performance. This refers to the commutative General Point Average

(GPA) of the selected students enrolled in Gutalac Senior High School.

Internet. This refers to the globally connected network system facilitating

worldwide communication and access to data resources through a vast collection of private,

public, business, academic and government networks.

Internet Addiction. This refers to the excessive use of the internet that resulted the

students to spend excessive amount of data and time.

Internet Addiction Test. This refers to the test that is used to scale the prevalent

rate of internet addiction in individual. Though this test, the researchers can check whether

an individual is addicted to the internet or not.

 11

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the review of related literature which are relevant to the

present study.

Smartphone Use, Smartphone Addiction, and Academic Performance

Despite the fact that everyone today considers a smartphone to be a need, incorrect

cellphone use is becoming increasingly problematic and causes parents and educators of

teenagers significant concern. Over the past ten years, various studies have examined the

negative effects of smartphone addiction (SA) on people's mental health and well-being as

well as on adolescents' psychological wellbeing (Samaha & Hawi, 2016, Haug et al., 2015,

and Tamura et al., 2017). Additionally, more recent studies have shown how smartphone

use harms children's academic performance (Ahmed, 2020 and Yildiz, 2019).

Numerous studies from various perspectives have examined the effect of

smartphone use on academic attainment. According to several research (Ng, 2017, and

Kibona, 2015), students who often used their smartphones for learning had lower grade

point averages (GPAs) and cumulative GPAs (CGPAs), while other studies examined the

effect of different smartphone features on academic performance (Ahmed, 2020). Other

research has discovered connections between smartphone use (Kim, 2019), task-

technology fit (Yi, 2016), students' self-control (Troll, 2020), behavioral intention in using

smartphones (Han, 2019), personal traits and mobile activities (Lin, 2017), FOMO (fear of

missing out) (Omer, 2020), social media use (Giunchiglia, 2018), nomophobia (NMP), and

SA (Durak, 2019), as well as time spent on smartphones (Kim, 2019).

 12

Therefore, it would seem that excessive smartphone use puts students' academic

performance at danger (Felisoni, 2018), especially as this may lead to NMP and SA, who

both share the trait of having impulsive, insatiable urges for smartphone use. If someone

experiences anxiety when they are without their smartphone, fears losing it, or is unable to

use it, they may be suffering from NMP (Bian, 2015 and Yildirim, 2014). On the other

hand, if a person displays a strong desire to use a smartphone despite its negative effects

(i.e., neglect of other facets of life owing to recurrent cravings and excessive use), they are

more likely to have SA (Buctot, 2018 and Goswami, 2016). NMP and SA are two modern

habits that high school students commonly engage in, and this predisposition for addiction

frequently manifests as problematic smartphone use (Güzel, 2018).

Smartphone Addiction in the Philippines

Over the past few years, smartphone use has increased among teenagers in the

Philippines. In actuality, Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are the group with the

highest smartphone ownership rates (Lucas, n.d.). Filipinos spend 10.3 hours a day on

average on their smartphones in the second and third quarters of 2018, according to Statista

(The Statistics Portal) (Sanchez, 2017). In 2020, a survey found that among Filipino

teenagers, the prevalence of SA was 62.6%. (Buctot, 2020). A local newspaper (Philippine

Daily Inquirer) recently revealed that 33.3% of Filipinos—or one in three—said they

couldn't live without their smartphones. This indicates that NMP is also evident among

Filipino teenagers (Roa, n.d.)

Cellphone use was widespread among Filipino children and teenagers by 2003. In

response to the misguided and problematic behavior of students, the Department of

 13

Education Culture and Sports (DECS), now known as the Department of Education

(DepEd), issued orders (DECS orders Nos. 26 s. 2000 and 70 s. 1999-30 November 2003)

that forbade elementary and secondary school students from using cellphones in class. The

DepEd renewed the same orders (DepEd order No. 83 s. 2003) to remind school educators

about the policy as smartphone use increased over the following few years.

Personal Profiles, Family Environment, Patterns of Smartphone Use, Smartphone

Addiction, and Academic Performance

It was discovered that smartphone usage patterns were related to NMP and SA, and

these relationships varied based on demographic factors such age, gender, and family

situation. For instance, a prior study discovered that age was adversely associated with

smartphone addiction (Van Deursen, 2015). Additionally, ladies showed a higher

propensity of using their phones for longer periods of time than did males (Roberts, 2014).

Additionally, SA symptoms were more prevalent in those with lesser levels of education

(Kwon, 2013) or younger age groups (Smetaniuk, 2014).

Previous research also suggested that NMP and SA are closely related (Durak, 2019;

Buctot, 2020 and Tran, 2016), indicating that factors associated with NMP can also be

factors of SA. For example, (Durak, 2019) observed that adolescents with social media

addiction also exhibited nomophobic behaviors, and subsequently found a positive

correlation between nomophobic behaviors and social media addiction. The household

surroundings of adolescents also play a significant impact in shaping their smartphone use

(Kim, 2015). According to a research of Korean teenagers, SA is substantially connected

with two-parent and two-income homes, as well as dysfunctional families exposed to

 14

domestic violence and parental addiction (Kim, 2015). Additionally, household contexts

where parents often use mobile devices may contribute to an increase in youth smartphone

usage (Dinc, 2015).

Regarding academic performance, it was discovered that having a solid family

background and access to high-quality educational facilities could help pupils perform

better (Soharwardi, 2020). Additionally, parents' educational background was associated

with students' academic performance (Boateng, 2020), and broken families were

significantly associated with lower academic achievement; these findings suggest that

family structure is a significant factor in adolescents' perceived academic performance

(PAP) (Park, 2020). Additionally, family size was connected with poor academic

achievement among students and with parents from low-income households who struggle

to pay school fees (Soharwardi, 2020).

In a survey of high school students, Gezgin (2018) identified smartphone ownership

length as one of the factors impacting NMP. In addition, Jelisha (2019) discovered a

substantial link between NMP and age, gender, duration and frequency of smartphone use,

use of social networking sites (SNS), checking cellphones for no apparent reason, and

checking smartphones immediately after waking up in the morning. Similarly, Durak

(2019) identified gender, parents' education levels, levels of information and

communication technology (ICT) use, duration and frequency of smartphone use, purpose,

smartphone experience, and academic accomplishment as important predictors of both

NMP and SA. In addition, recent research has linked high frequency and length of

smartphone use to the degree of social anxiety (Lee, 2014; Lin et al., 2015), and the

duration of SNS use and frequency of phone calls and text messages have been identified
 15

as predictors of mobile phone addiction (Roberts, 2014). Other research have identified

psychological variables such as self-esteem, extraversion, conscientiousness, and

emotional stability as significant predictors of NMP (Argumosa-Villar, 2017).

Consequently, the majority of prior research concurs with the premise that demographics

(i.e., personal profiles and familial environment) and patterns of smartphone use are highly

connected with NMP and SA and can negatively impact students' academic performance.

However, the majority of prior studies have explored the negative consequences of the

aforementioned characteristics on academic success as measured by students' GPAs,

whereas studies examining the relationship between students' self-PAP and these factors

remain sparse. To address these gaps, this study employed a sample of Filipino teenagers

(i.e., junior and senior high school students) to examine the association and prediction

potential of personal profiles, family environment, smartphone use habits, NMP, and social

acceptance on students' PAP.

Academic Performance and Perceived Academic Performance

Academic achievement is evaluated based on how much has been accomplished

during a specific time span (Von Stumm, 2011). GPA is the most popular and

straightforward way to measure a student's academic achievement, with a higher GPA

score indicating better academic success (Jayanthi, et al., 2014). According to previous

research, GPA is a strong indicator of academic accomplishment. However, because GPA

is a measure of academic success on a single, unidimensional scale and is built solely from

course grade information, it is not exhaustive (Lei, 2001). In contrast, PAP is a self-

evaluation of academic performance that helps us understand how students see their
 16

academic achievement (i.e., high, average, low) and themselves (i.e., positively or

negatively), which is related to their self-esteem (Clarkson, 2020). In this study,

participants were asked to assess their academic performance based on their perception of

the impact of smartphone use on their academic grades.

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CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the discussion of the method to be used, research

environment, respondents of the study, research instrument, ethical consideration, data

gathering procedure, and statistical treatment of the data in this study.

Method Used

Quantitative Descriptive Survey Method was used in the study. The survey method

was employed since the researchers gathered data through a questionnaire checklist to the

respondents' demographic variable such as sex including the students’ prevalent rate of

internet usage. Creswell and Guetterman (2019) defined a survey as a research method

used for collecting data from a predefined group of respondents to gain information and

insights on various topics of interest.

Research Environment

The study took off in Gutalac Senior High School, a stand-alone senior high school

institution in the Schools Division of Zamboanga del Norte. The school offers complete

senior high school program TVL and Academic strands. Gutalac Senior High School is

located in the Municipality of Gutalac which is one of the Municipalities in the Province

of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. The municipality is about 160 kilometres south of

Dipolog City.

Gutalac is a coastal municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Norte. It has 33

barangays with a land area of 492.86 square kilometres or 190.29 square miles which
 18

constitute 6.75% of Zamboanga del Norte’s total area. Its population as determined by the

2020 census was 36,090. This represented 3.45% of the total population of Zamboanga del

Norte. A map of Zamboaga del Norte showing the site of the study is shown in figure 3.

Figure 3. Map of the Municipality of Gutalac

Respondents of the Study

The researchers employed Random Sampling to select two hundred seventy-two (n

= 272) out of the Four Hundred Twenty Eight (428) population of Gutalac Senior High

School across senior high school academic strand. The researchers used Raosoft Sample

Size Calculator to determine the desired number of sample size. The minimum
 19

recommended sample size was determined by a margin of error of 5% and a confidence

level of 95%. The researchers also used the principle of equal representation in the selection

of respondents in each grade level. The researchers personally distribute the questionnaire

to the respondents. Table 1 below shows the distribution of respondents by year level.

Research Instrument

The study utilized an adopted questionnaire which consisted of two parts. The first

part collected data on students profile such as sex and senior high school strand while the

second collected data on respondents’ internet addiction test (IAT) and it is a 4-point

Likert–type scale and developed by Young (1998) and modified by Pee and Shafeq (2009).

The research instrument was validated by two experts. Content and construct

validity was obtained by the help of other experts. All corrections and constructive

criticism raised by the experts were taken into consideration in the preparation of the final

version of the instrument. Reliability within the survey was obtained by calculating the

correlation coefficient for each scale. Cronbach Alpha (0.79) was used to estimate the

reliability of the instrument showing that the internal reliability was consistent.

Ethical Consideration

The researcher reviewed the application of the principle of respect of persons by

securing informed consent from the institution to distribute research questionnaire free

from technical terms that make it easier for the respondents to understand. The researcher

also solicited consent such as research guarantee form and letter of agreement from the

individual respondent during the conduct of the study. Respondents’ identities are
 20

protected, their active participation guaranteed and ethical considerations satisfied in the

following ways: This research ensured confidentiality of the respondents, this means that

the respondents’ identity will remain anonymous to everyone. At the end of the research,

essential information that can support further research is preserved by the researcher.

Data Gathering Procedure

Before conducting the study, the researchers asked approval from the school

principal of Gutalac Senior High School dully recommended by the research adviser and

dully approved by the school president to undertake the study. The survey questionnaire

was attached to the formal letter request for perusal. The research instrument which is the

questionnaire was personally administered by the researchers to the respondents. It must

be noted that in administering the questionnaire, respondents was informed that

confidentiality was maintained. The respondents were then be required to complete the

questionnaire as sincerely as they could. Two Hundred Seventy Two (272) copies of the

questionnaire will be administered. The researcher strictly observed and followed the

health protocol by wearing of face mask and face shield. After the respondents answered

the questionnaires, it was then immediately retrieved by the researcher. The retrieved

questionnaires were be tallied, tabulated and analysed by a statistician.

Statistical Treatment of the Data

Frequency Counting and Percent. The tools used to determine the respondents’

profile in terms of sex. Percent was calculated by getting the frequency of each category

divided by the total number of respondents.

 21

Weighted Mean. It was used to quantify the ratings of the students on the Internet

Addiction Test (IAT). To arrive at the mean, there are 20 statements/items in the

questionnaire that addressed prevalent rate of internet addition with 4-point Likert scale of

1 (Never), 2 (Occasionally), 3 (Often) and 4 (Very Often). The minimum score is 20 while

the maximum score is 80. All the responses were summed up and divided by the 4-point

Likert scale to get the mean score for each item. Weighted Mean will be interpreted using

the given interval description.

Scale Range Description Interpretation

1 1.00 – 1.59 Never Never having internet addicted
2 1.60 – 2.59 Occasionally Occasionally Addicted
3 2.60 – 3.59 Often Often Addicted
4 3.60 – 4.00 Very Often Very Often Addicted to the Internet

Standard Deviation. It was used to determine the homogeneity and heterogeneity

of the respondents’ prevalent rate of internet addiction where SD ≤ 3 is homogenous, and

SD > 3 is heterogeneous (Aiken & Susane, 2001; Refugio, Galleto, & Torres, 2019).

T-Test for Independent Samples. It was utilized to test the difference in the

students’ prevalent rate of internet addiction when analysed as to sex.

The data collected in the study were encoded and analysed using JAMOVI

Software and Microsoft Excel Data Analysis ToolPak. Hence, posting of the statistical

formulas was not necessary. The statistical test was performed at a 0.05 level of

significance.
 22

CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the gathered data in tabular forms, analyzes and interprets the

results. The presentation, analysis and interpretation of the data are arranged in accordance

with the order of the problems stated in chapter 1.

Problem 1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of and sex?

Table 1. Profile of Respondents in terms of Sex

Sex Frequency Percent
Male 78 28.70
Female 194 71.30
Total 272 100.00

The sex distribution of respondents is shown in Table 1. The table indicates that

there are 194 female (71.30%) and 78 male (28.70%) respondents. Based on the data, it

appears that a greater proportion of students of Gutalac Senior High School – Senior High

School are female.

The results of this study are consistent with the findings of the 2013 census

conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, which showed that women constituted

56.1% of the college-educated population and men constituted 45.9%. There was a 43.9%

success rate. Similarly, among those with degrees beyond a bachelor's, there were more

women (58.0%) than men (42.0%).

The study's findings, however, run counter to those found in the DepEd's Basic

Education Statistics for the 2019–2020 school year, in particular the regional distribution

of enrollment, which shows that of the 27,000,000,605 total enrolled students, 13,744,995

(or 50.89%) are male and 13,263,000,6 (or the remaining 49.11%) are female. According
 23

to the data, male students make up a larger percentage of 2019-2020's formal K-12

enrollment (Llego, 2020).

Problem 2. What is the prevalent rate of internet addiction of the senior high school
students of Gutalac Senior High School?

Table 2. Prevalent rate of internet addiction of the respondents

Weighted Description Interpretation

Statements
Mean

1. I spent up to 8 hours daily on the internet. 2.19 Occasionally AAD

2. I spent up to 2 hours browsing daily. 2.44 Occasionally AAD

3. Internet always make me lonely. 1.73 Occasionally AAD

4. All my school work was done using 2.51 Often OAD

internet
5. I find it easier to get academic information 2.78 Often OAD
from the internet.
6. I watch YouTube daily. 2.28 Occasionally AAD

7. I hardly ask for food while on the internet. 1.85 Occasionally AAD

8. I have many friends on the social network. 2.86 Often OAD

9. I stay on the internet till day break. 2.01 Occasionally AAD

10. I can hardly stay without my 2.11 Occasionally AAD
Laptop/cellphone.
11. I have no friend in the social media. 1.53 Never NHIA
12. I used a lot of megabits/data daily to 2.30 Occasionally AAD
browse.
13. I miss my lesson most of the time because 1.99 Occasionally AAD
I can get better information from the
internet.
14. I have three Handsets (cellphones) used to 1.79 Occasionally AAD
browse.
15. I stay back in the town because there is no 2.00 Occasionally AAD
network in our barangay.
16. I spent a lot of time browsing in the 2.10 Occasionally AAD
internet.
17. I have developed back arch (curved) 2.10 Occasionally AAD
because of the position I used to stay
while browsing.
 24

18. I spent much to maintain my phone to 2.01 Occasionally AAD

avoid being cut off from the internet.
19. I watch and chat in Facebook. 2.96 Often OAD
20. I used internet service every day of the 2.93 Often OAD
week.
Grand Mean 2.22 Occasionally AAD
Legend: NHIA = Never Having Internet Addicted, AAD = Occasionally Addicted, OAD = Often Addicted, VOAI = Very Often Addicted to the Internet

The prevalent rate of internet addiction of the students of Gutalac Senior High

School is shown in Table 2. The table shows that the respondents have different perceptions

across 20 statement indicators. Four of the 20 statement indicators were rated as ‘often’

which has an equivalent interpretation of ‘often addicted’, fifteen were rated ‘occasionally

= occasionally addicted’ while only one statement got a rating of ‘never = never having

internet addicted. By this, the students of Gutalac Senior High School often watch and chat

in Facebook (mean = 2.96) and often used internet service every day of the week (mean =

2.93). Moreover, the statement ‘I have no friend on social media’ got the lowest mean

(1.53).

Generally, the students of Gutalac Senior High School are occasionally addicted

(mean = 2.22) to the internet.

These results of this study are consistent with those of the following studies:

Teenagers and young adults in the United States have the highest rates of smartphone

ownership (Lucas, n.d.). Statista (The Statistics Portal) reports that in the second and third

quarters of 2018, the typical Filipino spent 10.3 hours per day on their smartphone

(Sanchez, 2017). An estimated 62.6% of Filipino adolescents were SA positive in 2020.

As in the year 2020 (Buctot), the answer is yes. One third of Filipinos (33.3%) recently

told a local newspaper (Philippine Daily Inquirer) that they absolutely, positively,
 25

positively cannot function without their smartphones. This data suggests that NMP is also

present among Filipino high school students (Roa, n.d.).

Problem 3. Is there a significant difference in the prevalent rate of internet

addiction of the respondents when data are grouped according to strand and sex?

Table 6. Normality Test on the difference in the prevalent rate of internet addiction of the
respondents when data are grouped according to strand and sex

Tests of Normality
Kolmogorov-Smirnova Shapiro-Wilk
Statistic df Sig. Statistic df Sig.
IntrntAddictio .052 272 .072 .994 272 .366
a. Lilliefors Significance Correction

Table 6 shows the results of a normality test using Shapiro-Wilk for the hypothesis,

“there is no significant difference in the prevalent rate of internet addiction of the

respondents when data are grouped according to strand and sex”, the parametric test

particularly t-test for independent samples was used since the p-values are greater than

0.05, which means the data is normally distributed.

Table 7. Test of difference in the prevalent rate of internet addiction of the respondents
when data are grouped according to strand and sex
Prevalent Rate of Internet Addiction
Groups Mean N T-Test Sig. Result Decision
(2-tailed)
Independent
Samples
Male 2.25 78 0.860 0.391 Not Accept
Female 2.21 194 Significant Null
Equal Variances Assumed (f = 2.134)

Table 7 presents the results of analysis on the prevalent rate of internet addiction of

the students of Gutalac Senior High School when data are categorized according to profile.
 26

Respectively, there were 78 male and 194 female students who served as respondents in

this study. Apparently, the mean of male respondents appeared as 2.25 and 2.21 for those

that are female respectively. The difference of score, moreover, was not significant and

this was evidenced by the Sig. (2-tailed) value of 0.391. This means that sex is not an

indicator of a difference on the prevalent rate of internet addiction of the students of

Gutalac Senior High School; thus, it is believed that the null hypothesis be accepted and

the alternative hypothesis be rejected at the same time.

The results of the current study are consistent with those of the following research

works: Addiction to smartphones was found to worsen with age, according to research by

Van Deursen (2015). In addition, women were more likely to use their phones for extended

periods of time compared to men (Roberts, 2014). Those with lower levels of education

(Kwon, 2013) or those in the younger age groups were also more likely to have SA

symptoms (Smetaniuk, 2014).

 27

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter consists of the summary, findings and conclusions of the study; the

findings of which were utilized to make the recommendations endorsed by the study.

Summary

The Problem. The study's primary objective is to assess the internet usage among

students of Gutalac Senior High School during the school year 2022-2023. It also evaluates

the prevalent rate of internet addiction among respondents and analyzed whether is

provides enough evidence of a difference in the prevalent rate of internet addiction among

students when data are grouped according to sex.

Method. This study employed a Quantitative Descriptive Survey to ascertain the

internet usage among students of Gutalac Senior High School. It employed T test for

Independent Samples to check if there was a significant difference in the prevalent rate of

internet addiction among students when data are grouped according to sex. The study

utilized an internet addiction test (IAT) and it is a 4-point Likert–type scale and developed

by Young (1998) and modified by Pee and Shafeq (2009). The study also employ Random

Sampling to select two hundred three (n = 203) out of the Four Hundred Twenty Eight

(428) population of Gutalac Senior High School across senior high school academic strand.

However, there were 272 valid responses and was then utilized as the data of the study.

Before beginning data collection, the researchers obtained permission from the adviser and

the school president of Southern Philippine College – Inc. for approval to conduct the
 28

study. After approval, the researchers also sent an approval letter to the school principal of

Gutalac Senior High School – Senior High School Department. Prior to data collection, the

questionnaire was submitted to the panel of experts for validation purposes. To address the

study's specific problem, the data were analyzed using the mean, percentage, and T – test

for Independent Samples with the aid of JAMOVI Software, a new 3rd generation

statistical spreadsheet.

Findings. Based on the data gathered from the study, the following findings are

thus presented:

1. Female make up a larger proportion of the students of Gutalac Senior High School.

2. The students of Gutalac Senior High School are occasionally addicted to the

internet.

3. Sex is not an indicator of a difference on the prevalent rate of internet addiction of

the students of Gutalac Senior High School.

Conclusions

Based on the findings of the study, the conclusions and implications can be claimed.

1. Since there is no significant difference on the prevalent rate of internet addiction of

the students of Gutalac Senior High School when data are categorized according to

sex (t = 0.860, p = > 0.05); therefore, the null hypothesis “there is no significant

difference on the prevalent rate of internet addiction of the students of Gutalac

Senior High School when data are categorized according to sex” is hereby
 29

accepted. Inversely, the alternative hypothesis is hereby rejected.

Recommendations

The summarized findings and formulated conclusions above are the research-based

sources for offering recommendations. Salient results are the following:

1. Infrequent internet addiction is common among Gutalac Senior High School

students, and sexual orientation does not seem to play a significant role in this trend.

Hence, we frame recommendations to wit:

1. The school administration of Gutalac Senior High School should craft an activity

that will make students aware of the danger of prevalent usage of internet to their

studies.

2. It is recommended that future researchers will conduct similar study in a much

expanded scope.
 30

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 36

Appendix A

QUESTIONNAIRE
ASSESSING THE INTERNET USAGE AMONG STUDENTS
OF GUTALAC SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

PART I. Students’ Profile

Direction: Please check (√) and fill the blanks some items seeking for pertinent
information.

Name: (Optional)_____________________________________________________

Sex:____Male____Female

Part II. Please check (√) on the number representing your response or express opinion.
1 Never
2 Occasionally
3 Often
4 Very Often

Internet Addiction Test 1(N) 2(O) 3(O) 4(VO)

1. I spent up to 8 hours daily on the internet.

2. I spent up to 2 hours browsing daily.

3. Internet always make me lonely.

4. All my school work was done using internet

5. I find it easier to get academic information from

the internet.

6. I watch YouTube daily.

7. I hardly ask for food while on the internet.

8. I have many friends on the social network.

Internet Addiction Test 1(N) 2(O) 3(O) 4(VO)

 37

9. I stay on the internet till day break.

10. I can hardly stay without my

Laptop/cellphone.

11. I have no friend in the social media.

12. I used a lot of megabits/data daily to browse.

13. I miss my lesson most of the time because I

can get better information from the internet.

14. I have three Handsets (cellphones) used to

browse.

15. I stay back in the town because there is no

network in our barangay.

16. I spent a lot of time browsing in the internet.

17. I have developed back arch (curved) because

of the position I used to stay while browsing.

18. I spent much to maintain my phone to avoid

being cut off from the internet.

19. I watch and chat in Facebook.

20. I used internet service every day of the week.

Pee Q. T. & Shafeg (2009). The relationship between academic performance

among students I Universiti of Technologi, Malaysia. Universiti
Technologi, Malaysia. Master Thesis.

Thank you for your Indulgence! Researcher

 38

Letter to the Principal

Date:

REZVE M. SAEL
Secondary School Principal II
Gutalac Senior High School
Poblacion, Gutalac, Zamboanga del Norte

Sir:

We would like to request permission from your office to allow us to administer the research
instrument of our study entitled “ASSESSING THE INTERNET USAGE AMONG
STUDENTS OF GUTALAC SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL”to the students of Gutalac
Senior High School – Senior High School Department, Academic Strand who are currently
enrolled during the first semester of the academic year 2022-2023. In this connection, our
target participants will undergo survey through survey questionnaire checklist by the
research team at their most convenient time.

We firmly believe that your consent would be a great contribution to the success of our
study. Your approval to conduct this study will be greatly appreciated. We fervently hope
for your full support and cooperation on this matter.

Very truly yours,

Name of Researchers

Researchers

Recommending Approval:

MARK C. MARAVILLAS
Research Adviser
 39

INFORMED CONSENT

The undersigned are currently enrolled in Southern Philippine College, taking up

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education - Filipino and is presently conducting a
research study titled “ASSESSING THE INTERNET USAGE AMONG STUDENTS
OF GUTALAC SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL”

The study aims to assess the relationship between internet addiction and the academic performance
of the students of Gutalac Senior High School. The respondents of the study are the senior high
school students – academic strand who are currently enrolled in GNHS in the Academic year 2022-
2023.

In line with this, researchers will employ Simple Random Sampling to select Two Hundred
Three (n = 203) out of the Four Hundred Twenty Eight (428) Senior High Academic Strand of
Gutalac Senior High School across all grade level and you have been chosen as a respondent
to answer the prepared standardized questionnaire. In the survey, you will be asked to answer
the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Your name will be asked, but rest assured, the undersigned
will safeguard your identity and your name will not be revealed in the analysis and report.
Nevertheless, we are strictly implementing anonymity and privacy measures. Rest assured, all
information gathered will be kept confidential and will only be used for aggregated analysis.

We are humbly asking for a few minutes of your time, should you allow me or my trained
enumerators to continue and facilitate the questionnaire administration. If you wish to skip or
refuse to answer any item at any time, kindly let me or my enumerators know. Participation in
this survey is voluntary and you are free to refuse participation, stop the survey administration,
and skip any item you are uncomfortable with.

On the overall, this survey will approximately take 10 minutes to finish. Do you fully
understand the terms set above and agrees to participate in this survey? Kindly check the
appropriate response.

_____ Yes, I am giving my consent to participate in this survey.

_____ Apologies, but I do not wish to participate.

Thank you very much. I warmly welcome any comments, suggestions, or questions regarding
this questionnaire or to the study mentioned. You may contact me at ---------------- or my
adviser at 09129875943.

___________________________ _____________________________
Signature of Participant and Date Name and Signature of Enumerator