EXAGGERATED

BANDWAGON TRAIT
AND BASIC MIND
THINKING
ALTERATION PROPONENTS:
CAUSED BY TIKTOK
AND TWITTER TO Alicbusan, Dustin Alex B.
THE GRADE 11
Anquillano, Edison B.
HUMSS STUDENTS OF
QUEEN ANNE Antiporta, John Paul C.
SCHOOL OF SANTA
Dinulos, Dave A.
ROSA
Eloria, John Maveric D.
Frilles, Ron Abiel C.
Nebreja, Marianne N.
Reyes, Richmond P.

February 2023
Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

 As the world continues to progress, technological capabilities have advanced. People

from every corner of the world have used a gadget even once in their lives; gadgets such as

cell phones, tablets, and computers that can access the internet have become a big part of our

daily lives. We use it for our jobs, education, and to communicate with other people. The

pandemic that we experienced led many of us to isolate and spend plenty of our time

exploring the internet with these gadgets.

The usage of these various technologies has impacted our society with positive and

negative effects. Other students had benefited from using gadgets to study and learn abundant

factual information that helped with their education. While others used it to engage in social

media for the purpose of isolating or keeping themselves from the real world and self-

diagnosing their mental states, this negative aspect of technology use has been a problem and

sometimes the cause of the mental thinking alteration of some students.

Social media use, just as use of alcohol or drugs, can highjack the dopaminergic

pathways more quickly and reliably than naturally derived awards such as studying hard and

getting a good grade. Effort gained from diligent, time-consuming work is slower to access

the reward system, while checking TikTok causes a rush of dopamine that provides

immediate gratification. Recurrent checking behavior can be likened to smoking a cigarette,

which floods the dopaminergic pathway quicker. Thus, the almost instant dopamine rush

becomes addictive and can result in depression, anxiety, and other mental illness. Self-

disclosure on social networking sites lights up the same part of the brain that ignites when

taking an addictive substance. In the mesolimbic system, dopamine is released during

pleasurable experiences and binds to dopaminergic receptors located in the nucleus

accumbens. Bureau, News. (2022). Is social media bad for your mental health. Middle
Georgia State University, 1-2. https://www.mga.edu/news/2022/06/is-social-media-bad-for-

your-mental-health.php

Social media is so pervasive in Filipino society that it's nearly impossible for

individuals to disengage. Providing ordinary people a platform for self-expression has

profoundly influenced Philippine culture. Yet, this platform can also offer a number of risks.

As a result, it is critical to educate oneself on how to use social media responsibly and wisely.

Getting an outside opinion on your looks, for example, might increase your self-esteem. Yet,

it is essential to be cautious of the harmful consequences of using nasty words. If you believe

that social media is having a bad impact on your life, you should take some time to

disengage. You are not required to be online at all times. Rodjel, Aya. (2022). How is social

media changing the Filipino culture. Stream Tech, 5.

https://www.streamtech.com.ph/news/fiber-internet-social-media-and-filipino-culture/

This study aims to deal with the exaggerated bandwagon trait and basic mind thinking

alteration caused by TikTok and Twitter to the Grade 11 HUMSS students of Queen Anne

School of Santa Rosa School Year 2022-2023. To begin with, these social media apps are

prevalent in our society and have been a huge part of our lifestyle.

The researchers decided to conduct a study about this certain topic after observing how

these social media applications can affect the students of the school. Many students engage in

various social media trends that go viral on these platforms, some of which can help them for

the better and some of which can harm them in abundant ways. The mind alteration and the

bandwagon trait that the students can develop from the platforms are such an alarming

problem that affects many people in our society.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

According to Hannah Guy’s theory of Relating to Social Media (2021), a master of

social work (MSW), a licensed clinical social worker and certified clinical trauma

professional “Social Media applications can further change the way of thinking of a person”

If you’ve spent any time on social media in the past few years, odds are you've noticed the

vastly expanded mental health conversation occurring online. These platforms, especially

TikTok and Twitter, have become a space for people to share their mental health struggles

and diagnoses, for experts to provide general insight, and for users to learn more about their

feelings. Certainly, the boost in mental health discussion has made great strides for visibility,

reducing stigma, and helping people gain the insight they may have no other way to access.

However, along with this has come an increase in people self-diagnosing based on

unregulated information. Certainly, there are few downsides to the boost social media has

provided in the realm of mental health, particularly when it comes to visibility, access, and

destigmatization. However, one key problem doctors are worried about is the growing

prevalence of people diagnosing themselves based on unregulated information. There are a

few risks on engaging in social media. An exaggeration can lead to the change of someone

else’s mind-set and self-diagnosing can lead to receiving the wrong treatment and

interventions down the line. If you eventually see a mental health professional, they may
correct the diagnosis, but, unlike many physical conditions, mental health is greatly informed

by the history a patient presents.

According to Jacqueline Nesi, Sophia Choukas-Bradley, and Mitchell Prinstein’s

theory of "Mirroring Framework” (2018) asserts that teenagers' experiences on social media

merely reflect their offline experiences. Some other academics, like the author, feel that

social media is a social environment with norms and affordances that impact social media

usage and the changes in users that arise from this use. These researchers realize that the

social media environment intersects with other settings such as family, peer, and school. Yet,

similar overlap occurs in other social domains as well (e.g., family with school; peer group

with school). The transformation framework discuss how the social media context differs

from equivalent offline interaction contexts. Although adolescents construct the same

developmental issues online and offline, this theory proposes that they use specific

affordances of social media that do not exist in offline situations to construct and coconstruct

their identity, intimacy, and sexuality. Finally, the transformation framework considers social

media as a context that differs significantly from face-to-face and earlier digital interactions.

As a result, this environment may influence socialmedia use and its consequences differently

from face-to-face or previous digital contacts.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 The student’s  Gathering Exaggerated

Relevant Bandwagon Trait and
purpose of Information Mental Thinking
Alteration Caused by
using TikTok  Presenting the TikTok and Twitter to
Data The Grade 11 HUMSS
and Twitter
Students of Queen
 Analysing the
 Effects of the Anne School of Santa
Data
Rosa
bandwagon
 Interpreting the
relating trait Result
 The alteration
of the student’s
basic mind
thinking

Figure 2: Conceptual Framework

FEEDBACK

The conceptual framework of this study presents the input, the process, and the output

of the thesis paper. The independent variables presented in this study are the social media

applications TikTok and Twitter that cause the said problems to the dependent variables. The
researchers sharply determined that these two applications are the main source of the

disturbance in the student’s traits and way of thinking. The dependent variables of this study

are the students mental thinking, their altered persona, and their exaggeration towards

relating, as these are the aspects that get affected by the independent variables. The aimed

output of this study is the firm recommendations and well-constructed suggestions that this

study will be producing for the Grade 11 HUMSS student at Queen Anne School of Santa

Rosa.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The main purpose of this study is to determine the exaggerated bandwagon trait and

basic mind thinking alteration caused by TikTok and Twitter to the Grade 11 HUMSS

students of Queen Anne School of Santa Rosa and to give the righteous solution.

Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions:

1. What is the student's demographic profile?

1.1 Age

1.2 Sex

2. What do the students use TikTok and Twitter for?

3. What does TikTok and Twitter contribute to the students:

3.1. Daily Living

3.2. Stress Free Mind

3.3. Perception and Basic Mind Thinking

3.4. Exaggerated Bandwagon Relating Traits

4. Is there a significant relationship between the use of TikTok and Twitter to the

student’s traits and basic thinking?

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To determine the main usage of TikTok and Twitter by the students.

2. To determine the effects of using TikTok and Twitter to the students, in terms of:

2.1. Daily Living

2.2. Stress Free Mind

2.3. Perception and Basic Mind Thinking

2.4. Exaggerated Bandwagon Relating Traits

3. To assess the significant relation between the usage of TikTok and Twitter to the

student’s traits and basic thinking.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS

This study aims to determine and assess the exaggerated bandwagon trait and basic

mind thinking alteration caused by TikTok and Twitter to the Grade 11 HUMSS students of

Queen Anne School of Santa Rosa. This will only cover the Grade 11 HUMSS students. Only

a certain amount of respondents will be needed for this study; only the available, selected

students from the 2 sections will be the respondents.

This study will be conducted at the Queen Anne School of Santa Rosa Laguna School

Year 2022-2023. The research paper will require a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 20

selected students from the Grade 11 HUMSS strand as the respondents.

This qualitative research study does not include any other type of question but only

covers the stated problem listed on the research paper. For the survey questionnaire,

researchers will use internet platforms such as Google Form for the reason of having a tight

budget to have a printed out copy of questionnaire. The researchers will also use a face-to-

face survey method for the respondents who will not be able to access the online platform.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

 This study states the impact of TikTok and Twitter use to the HUMSS students of
Queen Anne School. The output of this research aims to be beneficial to the following:

The Students, this study can help them to know that social media platforms such as

TikTok and Twitter can alter their mind thinking, this will also help them to be aware so that

they could avoid this problem.

The Parents, so that they could have a deepened insight towards their children’s

mental state and to have a basis for the required care for their child.

The Teachers, so that they could have a well-constructed perception about their

student’s capability and how they are doing, and for them to give assistance if it is necessary.

The School Administration. The result of this study will give them a deepened
knowledge on their students. This may help them recognize the difficulties that their students
encounter and give them an idea on how to give their students an assistance.

The Future Researchers, the result of this study can serve as a basis for further

studies.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following are the terms in this study. These terms were defined conceptually and

operationally by the researcher

Basic Mind Thinking – According to Merriam Webster, basic mind thinking is the action of

using one's mind to produce thoughts. As used in this study the researchers referred to it as

the thing that produces logical and illogical thoughts.

Mental Health – According to Merriam Webster, Mental Health is the general condition of

one's mental and emotional state. As used in this study the researchers referred to it as the

state of someone’s mind.

Stigma - According to Merriam Webster, Stigma is a mark of shame or discredit. As used in

this study the researchers referred to it as a vile and repulsive act of prejudice towards

someone.

Bandwagon - According to Merriam Webster, Bandwagon is the acts of relating to a current

trend. As used in this study the researchers referred to it an act of trying to catch up on the

mass.

Self-Diagnosing – According to Quora Digest, Self-Diagnosing is the process of diagnosing

or identifying a medical condition in yourself. As used in this study the researchers referred

to it as the act of when someone tries to diagnose themselves base on someone’s legit

diagnosis.

Alteration – According to Merriam Webster, Alteration is the action or process

of changing or being different. As used in this study the researchers referred to it as the

process of being changed.

Trait - According to Merriam Webster, a distinguishing quality. As used in this study the

researchers referred to it as a personal quality that each individual has, uniquely.

 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies of our research study, local

literature and foreign literature ; local studies and foreign studies.

LOCAL LITERATURE AND LOCAL STUDY

Filipinos are some of the most active social media users, spending an average of 4

hours on networking sites like Facebook and Twitter every day. This heavy use of social

media has led to some worry about the impact it may be having on Filipino society, Most

specifically on our people’s physical and mental health. However, there is no need to panic

just yet. While it is true that social media can be used for negative purposes, it can also be

used for good. Social media applications like the bird app, Twitter can be a force for positive

change in the Philippines. It can raise awareness about important issues, connect people with

similar interests, and provide a platform for discussion and debate. (Camella 2023)

Social media has been so prevalent in the Filipino culture that it’s almost impossible

for people to disconnect. Giving everyday people a platform for self-expression has changed

Filipino culture tremendously. However, this platform can pose too many dangers as well.

Hence, it is essential to keep yourself educated on using social media respectfully and

smartly. For example, getting an outside perspective on your appearance can boost your self-

esteem. However, it would be best to be cautious about the negative ways unkind comments

might affect you. If you think social media has a negative effect on your life, you should take
time to disconnect. You don’t have to be online all of the time. Aiya Rodjel. (2022). How is

social media changing the Filipino culture. Stream Tech, 3-4.

https://www.streamtech.com.ph/news/fiber-internet-social-media-and-filipino-culture/

All the negativity online might affect you in negative ways as well. That’s why, you

must know how to filter between what’s good for you online and what might affect your life

negatively. Social media can be harmful, but it can also be used positively. That’s why you

should know how to navigate social media with kindness and responsibility. Jannah

Anderson, Lee Raine. (July 3 2020). The negatives of digital life.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/03/the-negatives-of-digital-life/

Social media has become part of life for many young people today. Most people

engage with social media without stopping to think what the effects are on our lives, whether

positive or negative. Are we as a society becoming more concerned with Facebook “friends”

than we are with the people we interact with face-to-face in our daily lives? What will the

long term effects of today's social media use be? Social media has become an essential part

for today’s younger generation. Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

has positive effect on youth but equally it has negative effects as well (EMFY 2022)

According to this article, “43.8 percent or two out of five Filipino children

experience violence online, sexual violence or cyberbullying.” Considering that under the

pandemic, classes are held online, it is a serious issue for everyone. (lookupgrade.com 2018)
 Spending long hours on social media can lead to poor sleep. Sleep is essential to

both our physical and mental health, as it keeps us away from an imbalance in our body and

mind. Aside from sleeping time, a person may scratch their time for interacting with family,

or studying, which would also have a negative impact on their life and career.

(lookupgrade.com 2018)

There are negative impacts of social media on youth as well. One of the negative

impacts is cyber bullying, which is very common nowadays on the internet. This commonly

occurs on social media. Cyber bullying is basically an electronic base communication to

tyrant a person, most often by sending threatening messages. There are also videos on social

watching contents that contain violence they become more aggressive, their behavior with

their family changes and their minds become assertive, this could ultimately affect their

living in the society. (Academia.au 2022)

According to a survey, seeing people on social media having fun or on holiday, or

watching heavily photo-shopped images can lead to feelings of anxiety. Some may compare

themselves to what they see on social media and feel left out (fear of missing out), or have

low self-esteem. This anxiety disorder, if not paid the necessary attention to, can lead to

alcohol and substance abuse. (lookupgrade.com 2018)

Social media has changed Filipino culture and behavior in both positive and negative

ways, we should know these changes so that it won’t cause problems for us and the people

around us. (scibd.com.ph 2019)

 The role of social media in lives has become central and globally ubiquitous. At the

same time, many advantages of using social media are existent, like having more prominent

connectedness with others. Social media, being a significant part of adolescents’ lives, may

relate to negativity as an effect. Connections between the time spent engaging in social media

and emotional well-being issues, such as depression and anxiety, were found since their

social media engagement could be the potential intervening pathways relating to their

emotional well-being. (Andreas 2019)

FOREIGN LITERATURE AND FOREIGN STUDY

Users seek out social media to meet basic needs for entertainment, autonomy,

relatedness, intrinsic and external motivation, and perceptions of well-being. Teens and

young adults spend an increasing amount of time with online socialization and are at greater

risk of negative effects. Teens have a less fixed sense of self that relies more on feedback

from peers. Also, teens and young adults have a less mature prefrontal cortex, the area of the

brain that regulates emotional responses to social rewards. Research studies note the

connection between use of social media and its undesirable outcomes that increase incidence

of anxiety, stress, depression, body image concerns, and loneliness in teens and young adults

(APA 2022).

Social media use, just as use of alcohol or drugs, can highjack the dopaminergic

pathways more quickly and reliably than naturally derived awards such as studying hard and

getting a good grade. Effort gained from diligent, time-consuming work is slower to access

the reward system, while checking Snapchat or Instagram causes a rush of dopamine that

provides immediate gratification. Recurrent checking behavior can be likened to smoking a

cigarette, which floods the dopaminergic pathway quicker. Thus, the almost instant dopamine
rush becomes addictive and can result in depression, anxiety, and other mental illness. Self-

disclosure on social networking sites lights up the same part of the brain that ignites when

taking an addictive substance. In the mesolimbic system, dopamine is released during

pleasurable experiences and binds to dopaminergic receptors located in the nucleus

accumbens (Kumar 2020).

Social media has a reinforcing nature. Using it activates the brain’s reward center

by releasing dopamine, a “feel-good chemical” linked to pleasurable activities such as sex,

food, and social interaction. The platforms are designed to be addictive and are associated

with anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments. (MCLean.com 2020).

Social Media use has been linked to depression, anxiety and loneliness. People

who frequently use social media feel more depressed and less happy with life than those who

spend more time on non-screen related activities. (Lan Caster 2022).

Social media use can lead to low quality sleep and harm mental health. It has

associations with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. At its core, social media is a

powerful communication tool that has changed how individuals interact with one another. It

speeds up how people exchange and share information, thoughts, and ideas across virtual

networks. However, social media does have downsides. Some evidence suggests that its use

in particular, its overuse can negatively affect mental health in numerous ways. (MDNT

2021)

The same can be said for most social media platforms, but this seems

exceptionally prominent with TikTok. TikTok offers a short video glimpse into

the lives of others from around the world. With the video platform, it seems to
feel a bit more personal and intimate. Videos on TikTok often give off a false

sense of reality.(authenticallydel.com 2022)

The amount of hateful, hurtful, and malicious comments that I have

seen on TikTok is mind-boggling. From personal experience, I have seen more

hate on TikTok than on any other app. Body shaming, slut shaming, name-

calling, etc… It all feels too common on TikTok. Naturally, this is one of the

biggest negative effects of TikTok. This is cyberbullying! Cyberbullying can

be extremely damaging to the mental health of victims. Depression, anxiety,

anger, isolation, and extreme stress are all effects of cyberbullying.

(authenticallydel.com 2022)

Anytime a person puts their content and opinions on a social media platform, they

open themselves up to bullying. A large number of young people using TikTok increases the

likelihood a teenager will encounter this issue. For example, their videos could be ridiculed

and then shared with other students. Bullying has an enormous impact on a teenager’s well-

being. The alienation caused by bullying is well known to create enough negative mental

health effects to even lead to suicide. (NIT.com 2022)

TikTok Can Lead to Self-Harm and Eating Disorders – Issues like these are

prevalent among teenagers. Since many young people who struggle mentally face these

disorders, they will talk about this subject matter with some frequency on TikTok. While this

is good in some way, it can also introduce these concepts to a very impressionable

population. Instead of talking to an adult, they may turn to another teenager who is clueless

about how to deal with their feelings. (NDDTreatment 2023)

 Spending hours on TikTok browsing videos can lead to addiction. And while this is

entertaining at first, it can prompt serious trouble in the future, especially for kids. They will

be more invested in browsing videos rather than doing their homework or household chores.

And people also treat fame as validation, Due to influencers who get instant fame for simply

posting random videos, people assume that popularity is their passport to being accepted by

society. This leads to people creating videos, no matter how dangerous they are, for the sake

of being unique and getting all the attention users think they need. (CNN 2022)
 Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter will present and discuss the methods and the whole process of

conducting the research paper. This contains the research method, research design, research

rationale, research setting, research instrument, the respondents of the study, and the data

gathering procedure.

RESEARCH METHOD

The researchers decided to use the case study method in conducting the research

paper to constructively evaluate the student’s behaviour, perception, and assertion towards

the effects of TikTok and Twitter to their daily lives. This will also give the researchers an in

depth knowledge in effectively understanding this phenomenon to auspiciously formulate

solutions and suggestions to resolve these problems

RESEARCH DESIGN

Qualitative research design is used in this study to concisely and effectively assess the

impacts of TikTok and Twitter to the Grade 11 HUMSS students at Queen Anne School of

Santa Rosa. It is efficient to use this method in understanding and formulating answers

especially because the researchers and the respondents are the students of humanities and
social sciences. The research paper will cover and focus in the problem that affects the aspect

of an individual’s daily living

RESPONDENTS OF THE STUDY

The respondents of this study are the Grade 11 HUMSS students at Queen Anne

School of Santa Rosa. The researchers chose this particular strand as they personally think

that it is much convenient and suitable. Humanities and Social Sciences students has a much

better knowledge in labelling and understanding human behaviour and traits. The researchers

assert that HUMSS students are much open and vulnerable.

SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

The researchers will use quota sampling to efficiently reach the desired amount,

minimum of 15 and maximum of 20 Grade 11 HUMSS student.