NAME: ALANA ANDREWS

SUBJECT: SOCIOLOGY UNIT 1

CANDIDATE NUMBER: 1600090068

SCHOOL: BISHOP ANSTEY HIGH SCHOOL

CENTER NUMBER: 16009

YEAR OF EXAM: 2023

TOPIC: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF TELEVISION/ ONLINE STREAMING

ON STUDENT PRODUCTIVITY IN A SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOL.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background……………………………………………………….……………2
Definition of the Research Problem……………………………………………2
Aim and Objectives………………………………………………………........3
Literature Review……………………………………………...………………4
The Research Design…………………………………………………………..6
The Sociological Perspective…………………………………………………..6
Selection of Sample……………………………....……………………………6
Data Collection Method…..………………………….………………….……..7
Presentation of Data……………………………………………………………8
Analysis of Data…………………………………………………....…………17
Discussion of Findings………………………………………………………..1
Conclusion………………………………………………………….…...…….19
Bibliography……………………………………………………….....……….20
Appendix……………………………………………………………..…..…...23

1
Background

Television which debuted in the 1940s has changed from a luxury to a standard feature within
households around the world. Television streaming has evolved from information broadcasting
to a variety of online entertainment streaming services. In the 21st century, television streaming
accessibility amongst teenagers expanded to the point where Teen Health and Media.org
recorded that the average teenager spends more time in front of the television than any other
activity besides sleep, posing a possible threat to their health.

Definition of the Research Problem

Television/online streaming is a source of entertainment for teenagers but the overuse of the
media can have dangerous effects on teenage development. High levels of television/online
streaming screen time can contribute to low student productivity and poor academic
achievement. Television/online streaming can be addictive, exposing teenagers to habits of
media overuse. This investigation seeks to determine whether there is a link between the usage of
television/online streaming services and student productivity in an attempt to understand the
impact of growing media usage amongst teens and aid in improving academic efficiency.

2
Aim and Objectives

Aim

● To investigate the impact of television/ online streaming usage on student productivity.

Objectives

● To determine the amount of screen time that students dedicate to television/online streaming.
● To assess the nature of the impact of television/online streaming screen time on student
productivity
● To investigate possible ways to aid in the overuse of television/online streaming to improve
student productivity

3
Literature Review

Television viewing/ online streaming media consists of video content in a compressed

digital format seen by multiple viewers instantaneously (Safar 2016). The growth of online
streaming in the 21st century has been a subject of interest by organizations of academia as many
attempts to determine the link between the use of this media and academic performance to
improve student productivity (J Adolesc. 2006). Iris Reading.org describes student productivity
as students’ ability to perform efficiently in school, specifically how time management and
prioritization skills affect their overall academic success. (Lastiri 2022).
A study held by the Psychology Department, at Soran University, mentioned that in 2003
‘almost every single student in the world watches television every day. However, this study and
others with similar conclusions neglect to acknowledge the population that functions entirely
without electricity. 940 million (13% of the world) do not have access to electricity therefore a
significant portion of students function with little to no technological access.
(OurWorldinData.org) These countries include developing nations like those of the Caribbean
where studies used to understand student productivity are also limited.
Nevertheless, general human screen time increased, and many studies attempted to analyze
media screen time in adolescence, such as the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.
The study utilizes statistics from interviews and surveys along with secondary data sourced from
government-conducted census research. However, there appears to be little secondary data in the
Caribbean due to limited studies on this topic in the region.
More than 2 hours per day of television viewing has been associated with lower academic
performance in adolescents (Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011). Twenty eight percent (28%) of
adolescents are engaged in screen-based activities for more than 4 hours per day, (J Adolesc.
2006). The overuse of screen media results in adverse psychological health consequences such as
learning disabilities (Environ Res. 2018). Therefore education and health professionals consider
screen media restriction/reduction as strategies to improve student productivity. (JAMA Pediatr.
2019). Studies suggest that television/online streaming habits are not the only thing negatively
affecting student productivity. The socio-economic position of students, the involvement of
parents in their childrens’ academic lives and the quality of education in schools also play

4
integral roles in how efficiently a student academically performs (Micheal, 2016). However this
study also acknowledges the role that the overuse of media plays in student productivity.
In conclusion, the consensus of research on this topic suggests that the increase in
television/online streaming media can adversely impact student productivity. Although many
studies acknowledge the negative effects of television/online media streaming there is still a need
for further research specifically in the Caribbean. The expansion of this research can help student
productivity and subsequently improve academic performance.

5
Research Design

The study will be a quantitative cross-sectional research design as the data collection will use the
quantitative method. This method allows for a concise and time-efficient collection of data that
can provide a generalization of the impact that television viewing/online streaming have on
student productivity. The selected population will be high school students between the ages of 12
and 18. The sample will be given online surveys to complete. The survey question will be mainly
close-ended.

Sociological Perspective

The sociological perspective for this study is that of the positivist approach, specifically the
functionalist perspective. The study will particularly examine Robert K. Merton’s theory of
Dysfunctionalism. Dysfunctionalism outlines how some institutions cause disharmony and
conflict rather than coherence and consensus. By selecting this perspective one can observe how
students' ability to effectively work is affected by television/online streaming media as a social
institution.

Sample Selection

For this study the sample was chosen using the simple random sampling method and the sample
size will consist of 35 participants. This type of probability sampling will ensure that each
member of the population will have an equal chance of being chosen. The questionnaire will be
shared through the apps, Whatsapp and Instagram, using the status/story and messaging feature
where mass amounts of teenage students could randomly access it. This will ensure a lack of
bias as there will be no special requirements to determine participants. This will allow for
generalizations to be made about the population.

6
Data Collection Method

To effectively collect data for the questionnaire, quantitative questions will be used. This will
ensure the results are appropriate for the study and that sufficient data could be collected, studied
and generalized.

7
Presentation of Data

AGE RANGES

Fig. 1- Pie chart showing the ranges of ages of the participants

GENDER

Fig. 2- Pie chart showing the genders of participants

8
 CATEGORIES OF TELEVISION/ONLINE STREAMING

Fig. 3- A bar graph showing the categories of television/online streaming viewed by participants

HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU SPEND WATCHING TELEVISION/ONLINE

STREAMING NETWORKS DAILY?

Fig. 4- Pie chart showing the hours that participants spend watching television/online streaming
networks daily

9
TELEVISION/ONLINE STREAMING PLATFORMS USED BY PARTICIPANTS

Fig. 5- A bar graph showing the various television/online streaming platforms used by
participants

HOW MANY HOURS ON AVERAGE DOES ONE SPEND WATCHING

TELEVISION/ONLINE STREAMING NETWORKS IN ONE SITTING?

Fig. 6- Pie chart showing the average hours that participants spend watching television/online
streaming networks in one sitting.

10
DOES YOUR TELEVISION/ ONLINE STREAMING HOURS NEGATIVELY AFFECT
YOUR SCHOOL WORK?

Fig. 7- Pie chart showing whether television viewing/online streaming hours negatively affect
participants' school work

HOW OFTEN DO YOU WATCH TELEVISION/ONLINE STREAMING MEDIA

DURING THE SCHOOL WEEK?

Fig. 8- Pie chart showing how often participants watch television/online streaming media during
the school week

11
HOW MANY HOURS OF SLEEP DO YOU GET ON AVERAGE PER NIGHT?

Fig. 9- Pie chart showing the average amount of hours of sleep participants get per night

DO YOU THINK WATCHINNG TELEVISION/ ONLINE STREAMING AFFECTS

YOUR SCHOOL WORK NEGATIVELY?

Fig. 10- Pie chart showing whether participants think television watching/ online streaming
affects their school work negatively
ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 5, 1 BEING NOT AT ALL AND 5 BEING VERY MUCH SO, TO
WHAT DEGREE DOES YOUR VIEWING OF TELEVISION/ONLINE STREAMING
NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR PRODUCTIVITY AS A STUDENT?

12
Fig. 11- Pie chart showing the degree, from a scale of 1 to 5, that participants' television
viewing/online streaming negatively affects their productivity as a student

DO YOU THINK YOUR HOURS OF SLEEP ARE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED BY

YOUR VIEWING OF TELEVISION/ONLINE STREAMING?

13
Fig. 12- Pie chart showing whether participants believe their hours of sleep are negatively
affected by their viewing of television/online streaming

DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH ANY OF THESE AS A RESULT OF YOUR

TELEVISION/ONLINE STREAMING SCREEN TIME?

14
Fig. 13- A bar graph showing possible issues participants experience as a result of their amount
of television/online streaming screen time

DO YOU THINK LIMITING YOUR TELEVISION/ONLINE STREAMING SCREEN

TIME WILL IMPROVE YOUR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL?

Fig. 14- Pie chart showing whether participants believe that limiting television/online streaming
screen time will improve academic success
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE IDEAL AMOUNT OF TIME YOU SHOULD SPEND
WATCHING TELEVISION/ONLINE STREAMING MEDIA DAILY?

15
Fig. 15 Bar graph showing what participants believe to be the ideal amount of time spent
watching television/online streaming media daily

Analysis of Data

16
 Firstly the survey covered personal information. Figure 1, shows 67.6% of students fell under
the age“16-17” category, leaving 13.5% within the “14-15” and “18 and above” range and “12-
13”, with 5.4%. The majority of participants, 86.5%, were female, and the remaining 13.5% were
male.
The second section deals with students’ television/online streaming viewing habits. Figure 3
shows that the majority (97.4%) of participants watch series on television/online streaming
media. As for the other categories, 78.9% watch movies, 42.1% documentaries, 36.8% sports,
21.1% news, and education, and 2.6% anime.
Based on Figure 4, the majority of participants (48.6%) spend 1-2 hours daily, then the 3-4
range with 43.2%, and lastly the 5+ range with 8.1%.
According to Figure 5, the majority of participants (89.2%) use the Netflix streaming
platform. Other platforms include Youtube (70.3%), cable television (40.5%), local television
(27%), HBO Max (21.6%), Disney Plus, and Amazon prime video (both with 10.8%), and Hulu
with (5.4%). 29.7% of participants selected ‘other' and listed the online websites Soap2day,
Dramacool, and 9Anime under this category.
Figure 6 shows how many hours participants spend on average watching television/online
streaming media in one sitting. Surprisingly the majority of participants (52.6%) voted spent
relatively little time steaming daily with only 1 to 2 hours daily while 21.1% said 2-3 hours,
15.6% said 3-4 hours, 7.9% said 5-6 hours, and 2.6% voted 7-plus hours.
Figure 7 queries whether the aforementioned television/online streaming viewing hours
affect participants’ school work. Seventy one point one percent (71.1%) of participants said ‘yes,
sometimes’, 23.7% voted ‘no, never’ leaving 5.2%responding with ‘yes, always’.
Figure 8 showcased that the majority (37.8%) of students ‘always’ watch television/online
streaming during the week. This is followed by the categories of ‘sometimes’ and ‘rarely’ which
both garner 29.7% of votes, leaving the minority (2.8%) in the ‘never’ category.
Figure 9 illustrates that the majority of students either get 4-5 hours of sleep per night
(54.1%), or 6-7 hours(37.8%). The minority falls into the 8-9 hours (5.4%) and 2-3 hours (2.7%)
categories.
In Figure 10, participants do not believe television/online streaming affects their school
work negatively as the extreme majority voted no(62.2%).

17
 Figure 11, showcases how television/online streaming viewing negatively affects
participants’ academic productivity on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being not at all and 5 being very much
so). On the scale of 1 to 5, the majority of participants(48.6%) voted in the ‘2’ category.
Figure 12 shows that the majority of participants (40.5%) believe their sleep schedule is
affected by television/online streaming viewing.
Figure 13 shows issues participants experienced as a result of their television/online
streaming screen time. Eighty nine point two percent (89.2%) of participants struggled with
procrastination, 81.1% with a poor sleep schedule, 70.3% had a poor balance of everyday
responsibilities, 40.5% with mental illness, 32.4% with low school involvement, and 24.3% with
poor academic performance.
According to Figure 14, the majority of participants (35.1%)agreed that limiting
television/online streaming screen time could improve academic success. 35.1% selected maybe
and 29.7% no.
Lastly, Figure 15 illustrates that the majority of participants (65.7%) believe that 1- 2 hours
is the ideal amount of television/online streaming viewing that should be spent daily and the
remaining participants (34.3%) believe that the ideal hours of daily television/online streaming
viewing fall between 3 and 4 hours.

Discussion of Findings

18
 The study aims to investigate whether television/online streaming usage impacts student
productivity. The first objective is to determine the amount of screen time that students dedicate
to television/online streaming. Based on the survey, it appears that the majority of the students
do make use of television/online streaming on a daily basis with 54.1% participants viewing 1 to
2 hours of television daily.
The study also assesses the impact of television viewing/online streaming on student
productivity. It should be noted that 62.2% of students do not attribute their television viewing as
a negative hindrance to their school work. It is likely that the results reflect this sentiment
because the majority of participants (48.6%) spend 1-2 hours watching television daily.
According to the Australian Capital Territory health department, the ideal television hours for
adolescents is no more than 2 hours daily.
The third objective seeks to investigate possible ways to aid in the overuse of
television/online streaming. JAMA Pediatrics suggests that screen media reduction can improve
the academic success of adolescents. This suggests that students must be aware of the
recommended viewing times if they are to improve. While the majority of participants (65.7%)
accurately maintain 1- 2 hours of television viewing, the remaining participants(34.3%) believe
that the ideal hours of daily television viewing fall above 3 hours. Hence the results that 89.2%
of participants struggled with procrastination, 81.1% with poor sleep schedules, 70.3% poor
balance of everyday responsibilities, and 24.3% with poor academic performance which are all
possible effects of television misuse.
This showcases that there is still a need for students to be informed about the effects of
poor television/online streaming viewing habits. Possible solutions for this can include, school
assemblies, notices or mandatory school briefings on maintaining a healthy television/online
streaming screen time.
The results of this study align with the prior literature in several aspects like, the study
appears to prove that ‘almost every single student in the world watches television every day’
supporting the study done by Soran University. Secondly the majority of survey participants
maintain the recommended 1-2 hours of television/online streaming media suggested by the
Australian Capital Territory health department. However large percentages of participants still
experience academic struggles related to poor academic productivity. This may align with the
Nigeria University’s study which suggests that aspects ,such as the socio-economic position of

19
students, involvement of parents childrens’ lives and the quality of education in schools, also
impact the productivity of a student.
Limitations of this study included the fact that due to time constraints, the survey was not
spread as sporadically as possible. This could affect the validity of the research and may hinder
how accurately the study could be generalized. The survey also relies heavily on self reportage
which may affect the results of the research if the participants do not answer questions honestly.

Conclusion

20
In essence, the television/streaming usage of teenagers to some extent has an impact on their
student productivity. While some students may have a grasp on the recommended amounts of
television viewing time others are at risk of poor academic efficiency due to their misusage. A
significant portion of students experience many academic struggles, possibly as a result of their
overuse of television. Hindrances to student productivity, such as television/streaming misusage,
can be detrimental to the academic potential of any student.

Bibliography

21
1Department of Centre for Community Medicine. (n.d.). Screen-based media use and screen
time assessment among... : Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. LWW. Retrieved
March 9, 2023, from
https://journals.lww.com/jfmpc/Fulltext/2018/07060/Screen_based_media_use_and_screen_time
_assessment.16.aspx

Adelantado-Renau, M., Moliner-Urdiales, D., Cavero-Redondo, I., Beltran-Valls, M. R.,

Martínez-Vizcaíno, V., & Álvarez-Bueno, C. (2019, November 1). Association between screen
media use and academic performance among children and adolescents: A systematic review and
meta-analysis. JAMA pediatrics. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6764013/

Binge watching: Why are college students glued to their screens? (n.d.). Retrieved March 9,
2023, from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326799916_Binge_watching_why_are_college_student
s_glued_to_their_screens

Charlotte Nickerson. (n.d.). Dysfunction in sociology. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from

https://simplysociology.com/dysfunction.html#:~:text=According%20to%20sociologist
%20Robert%20K,manifest%2C%20latent%2C%20or%20both.

Dubey, M., Nongkynrih, B., Gupta, S. K., Kalaivani, M., Goswami, A. K., & Salve, H. R.
(2018). Screen-based media use and screen time assessment among adolescents residing in an
urban resettlement colony in New Delhi, India. Journal of family medicine and primary care.
Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6293917/
Education Resources Information Center. ERIC. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2023, from
https://eric.ed.gov/
How social media affects student productivity. St. Cloud Technical Community College. (2020,
October 20). Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://sctcc.edu/news/10-20-2020/how-social-
media-affects-student-productivity

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Mullins, B. (2018, October 3). Productivity and student success. Ithaka S+R. Retrieved March 9,
2023, from https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/productivity-and-student-success/
The relationship between watching television and academic achievement ... (n.d.). Retrieved
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evision_and_Academic_Achievement_in_9th_Graders_Students

Ritchie, H., Roser, M., & Rosado, P. (2022, October 27). Access to energy. Our World in Data.
Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://ourworldindata.org/energy-access#access-to-electricity
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https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1092391.pdf

Safar, A., & Alkhezzi, F. (2016, November 15). Students' perspectives of the impact of online
streaming media on teaching and learning at the College of Education at Kuwait University.
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media-on-teaching-and-learning-at-the-4645

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Appendix

Television Watching Survey

My name is Alana Andrews. I am a lower 6 Sociology student researching the effects of
television watching for my Sociology I.A. It would be appreciated if you could complete this
survey fully and honestly. All information collected will be confidential and only used for this
study.

24
__________________
Please note: Television viewing includes the use of local and cable television channels,
streaming services and media applications to view routinely established content.
________________
Section 1
How old are you?
○ 12-13 ○ 14-15 ○ 16-17 ○ 18
What is your gender?
○ Female ○ Male
__________________
Section 2
What do you watch on television?
○ News
○ Education
○ Sports
○ Movies
○ Series
○ Documentary
○Other
How many hours do you spend watching television?
○ 1-2
○ 3-4
○5+
What platform do you use to view/stream television media? Select all which apply.
○ Local television
○ Cable television
○ Netflix
○ Hulu
○ Disney plus
○ Amazon Prime Video
○ HBO Max

25
○ Youtube
○ Other

On average, how many hours do you spend watching television in one sitting?
○ 1-2
○ 2-3
○ 3-4
○ 5-6
○ 7+

Do you often watch television during the school week?

○ Always
○ Sometimes
○ Rarely
○ Never

If so, does it affect your schoolwork?

○ Yes, always
○ Yes, sometimes
○ No, never

How many hours of sleep do you get on average per night?

○ 2-3
○ 4-5
○ 6-7
○ 8-9
○ 10+
__________________
Section 3
Do you think television watching affects your school work negatively?
○ Yes

26
○ No
○ Maybe
On a scale of 1 to 5, to what degree does your viewing of television affect your productivity as a
student?
12345
Not at all ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Very much so

Do you think your hours of sleep are affected by your viewing of television?
○ Yes
○ No
○ Maybe
How often do you find yourself watching television when you ought to be sleeping?
○ Always
○ Often
○ Sometimes
○ Rarely
○ Never
Does your sleep schedule affect your school attendance?
○Yes, positively
○Yes, negatively
○No, not at all
Do you struggle with any of these, Select all which apply.
○ Procrastination
○ Poor academic performance
○ Low involvement in school activities
○ Poor sleep schedule
○ Poor balance of everyday responsibilities
○ Mental illness
○Other

Do you think these issues are a result of your amount of television screen time?

27
○ Yes
○ No
○ Maybe
Do you think limiting your television screen time will improve your success in school?
○ Yes
○ No
○ Maybe
What do you think is the ideal amount of time you should spend watching television daily?
________________

28