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Social Media and its Effects to the Mental Health of Senior High
School students

A Research Presented to
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Strand
NOVALICHES HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Department

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements in
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

By:

Karishma Durano Bhambi

Jiro Salando Acosta

John Carl Ayen Conmigo

Rhian Clarisse Verdadero Del Rosario

Ken Roso Regalachuelo

John Lester Tura Tusi

Jordan Nombrado Verzosa

Month Year
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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Social media platforms have become an integral part of the lives of Senior
High School (SHS) students, providing them with opportunities for social
interaction, information sharing, and self-expression. However, as these
platforms continue to gain prominence, concerns have been raised
regarding their potential impact on the mental health of SHS students.
With the ever-increasing presence of social media in their daily routines, it
is crucial to examine how these platforms influence their mental well-
being.

The relationship between social media and mental health among Senior
High School students is a topic of growing interest, drawing attention from
researchers, educators, and parents alike. Numerous studies have
explored the potential consequences of excessive social media use,
revealing both positive and negative outcomes. Understanding this impact
is vital, as the mental health of SHS students plays a pivotal role in their
overall development and academic success.

Research indicates that social media can have a significant impact on the
mental health of Senior High School students. It has been observed that
prolonged exposure to social media can contribute to feelings of anxiety,
depression, and loneliness (Primack et al., 2017). Furthermore, the
constant comparison to carefully curated online personas may lead to
decreased self-esteem and body image issues (Perloff, 2014). These
adverse effects on mental health can have long-lasting consequences,
affecting not only their academic performance but also their emotional
well-being.

However, it is essential to acknowledge that social media is not solely

detrimental to Senior High School students' mental health. It also offers
opportunities for social support, connection with peers, and access to
valuable educational resources (Kross et al., 2013). Therefore, a
comprehensive understanding of the impact of social media on SHS
students' mental health requires a balanced assessment of both its positive
and negative aspects.
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This Quantitative research aims to delve deeper into the intricate

relationship between social media and the mental health of Senior High
School students. By examining the existing literature and conducting
empirical research, we seek to provide insights into the multifaceted
effects of social media and offer recommendations for educators, parents,
and policymakers to promote healthy online behaviors among Senior High
School students.

THEMES

The Digital Dilemma: Navigating Social Media and Mental Well-being

Social media is becoming an essential component of contemporary life

since it brings people together globally, allows for the exchange of ideas,
and gives people a place to express themselves. Loução (2023).
Social media use has a big impact on mental health. It can improve
belonging, boost self-esteem, and strengthen connection. But it can also
result in a lot of stress, pressure to measure up to others, and an increase
in loneliness and sadness. Consuming social media responsibly is crucial.
Social media may promote negative experiences such as Inadequacy about
your life or appearance ,Fear of missing out (FOMO) and social media
addiction , isolation. Depression and anxiety, Cyberbullying and many
more. Robinson & Sminth (2023).
Social media is very compulsive, and it was purposefully created using the
"attention extraction model" to manipulate us, keep us scrolling, and make
us want more. By doing this, it takes advantage of our need to feel
connected to and validated by others, giving us a dopamine rush
whenever we receive a like or response without ever really meeting our
basic needs. Vogue India (2020)

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Social Media to Mental Health

Social Media
has had a significant impact on society over time, particularly on a person'
s mental health.
It’s changed the way we communicate and the way we frame the narrative
of our lives. There are many positive aspects of social media, but there’s
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also a darker side to the endless scroll that keeps coming back for more.
Montare Behavioral Health (2020).
Social media can Increases our awareness
One of the best things about social media is how rapidly it can raise a
large audience's awareness of a crucial topic. Every day, more people use
social media to advocate for change and contribute to global
improvements. It can help combat loneliness
Social media is frequently accused of displacing in-person interactions.
However, for some people, social media is a tool to foster friendships and
interactions with people who share their interests.
It creates and maintains relationships
Social media has altered both how we establish and maintain relationships
since it has altered how we communicate with one another. But despite
having those positive effects of social media on people's lives, social
media also has negative impacts on mental health. It can increase the
feelings of loneliness and isolation, Considering the fact that social media
was created to foster social connection, a poll revealed that individuals
who used it more frequently felt more isolated than those who used it less
frequently. Despite the fact that social media brings people together
virtually, it may endanger our in-person relationships and worsen feelings
of loneliness and detachment. It may support antisocial behavior,
Antisocial conduct is more likely to occur if social media replaces any face-
to-face encounters. Social media was created to unite us, but when used
improperly, it can cause us to compare our lives to those of others, which
is harmful to our wellbeing. Social media frequently only highlights a
person's positive attributes. Therefore, spending too much time seeing
false or biased content might leave you feeling inadequate in some way
and lead to severe psychological and physical issues, including low self-
esteem. Cyberbullying,
Even if social media makes it possible to connect with individuals who
share your interests and can foster healthy interactions and conversations,
cyberbullying and trolling are major causes of anxiety and despair.
Cyberbullying is when someone is harassed, bullied, or intimidated through
technology. Lido Wellness Center (2021)

Likes, Comments and Stress: Social Media Toll on students

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This research project explores the complex relationships between social

media usage, with an emphasis on the need for likes and comments and
the incidence of stress among Filipino students. We examine many
different aspects of this inquiry, such as conceptual frameworks,
underlying psychological mechanisms, adaptive coping mechanisms, and
the influence of cultural influences on these interactions.This study
emphasises the critical need for targeted activities and interventions meant
to encourage students to use social media platforms in a positive and
healthy way. We seek to further knowledge of the junction between social
media participation and stress by illuminating the complex facets of this
relationship, ultimately paving the path for more research.

Social Comparison Theory The theory assumes that people make social
comparisons because they have a need to maintain stable and accurate
appraisals of themselves compared to other people, and to maintain and
protect their self-esteem and self-worth. Razalan(2022)

These self-related psychological perceptions include self – concept, self –

esteem, and self – efficacy. Education in the Philippines represents the
ever-changing facets of life. Augmenting the current educational system
through the implementation of the K to 12 curriculums. Thus, this study's
primary purpose was to determine the students' self-concept, self-esteem
and self-efficacy, and academic performance. Tus(2020)

Local

Influence of Social Media in our Way of Life

Communication, information consumption, and interpersonal interactions

have all undergone significant changes as a result of social media's quick
assimilation into contemporary culture. This abstract examines the many
ways that social media affects our way of life, including how it affects
cultural norms, behavioral tendencies, and individual experiences. It
explores how social media has changed societal norms, modified
interpersonal relationship dynamics, and impacted our everyday routines.
Understanding these changes is essential if you want to understand how
our social fabric is changing in the digital age.
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De Castro and Villanueva (2021) examined how social media use affected
Filipino millennials' mental health, illuminating the psychological effects of
heavy social media use (Philippine Journal of Mental Health, 2021).

Garcia and Garcia (2019) examined the connection between social media
use and mental health among Filipino adolescents, providing details on
how online interactions with this group effect their mental health
(Philippine Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Sciences).

Local

Social Media's Impact on Students' Mental Health Comes Into Focus

A particular research interest in the fields of digital determinants of health

and digital sociology is digital mental health, particularly the influence of
the Internet and other Internet-related technologies on mental health
outcomes and the pathways where these effects are transmitted. Review
evidence suggests that Internet use has both positive and negative
outcomes for mental health among higher education students (Rouvinen et
al., 2021). Local evidence suggests that increased use of particular
Internet technologies (i.e., social media) among Filipino undergraduates is
associated with mental health changes during the pandemic (Cleofas et al.,
2022a). This study also found that whether college students demonstrate
good or poor mental health is based on their problematic or reflective use
of the Internet. Education-based research in the Philippines has also noted
that poor digital access and tools were linked to poor academic and
wellbeing outcomes among students (e.g., Cho et al., 2021).

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

What are the effects of social media usage on the mental health of senior
high school students?

What insights can be gleaned from understanding these effects?

What are the implications of these insights for the well-being of senior
high school students and potential interventions?
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What is the correlation between the number of followers or friends on

social media and feelings of loneliness among students?

How does the frequency of exposure to idealized images on social media

influence body image dissatisfaction among students?
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REFERENCES
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