EXPLORING THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

ADDICTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

A Research Paper Presented to the Senior High Faculty of

Kapalong College of Technology Inc.

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

Practical Research II

BAJAO, STEPHANIE

CARAS, NEHEMIAH DAVID

DOLIENTE, JOHN REY

DUMALAOG, DANIELA

GANAL, ALLEAH JEAN

LOZARITA, MARIA CARLA

UDTOHAN, KOBEBRYANT

March 2024
INTRODUCTION

THE PREVALENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION HAS BECOME A

GROWING CONCERN IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY WITH THE WIDESPREAD USE OF

PLATFORMS SUCH AS FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, AND TIKTOK. INDIVIDUALS

ARE SPENDING INCREASING AMOUNTS OF TIME ENGAGING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA,

OFTEN TO THE DETRIMENT OF THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, RELATIONSHIP, AND OVERALL

WELL-BEING.

UNDERSTANDING THE LIVED OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTS IS CRUCIAL

FOR SEVERAL REASONS. FIRSTLY, IT CAN HELP IDENTIFY COMMON TRIGGERS OR

PATTERNS THAT LEAD INDIVIDUALS TO DEVELOP ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS TOWARDS

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. BY EXPLORING THE UNDERLYING MOTIVATIONS AND

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES INVOLVED. YOU CAN GAIN A DEEPER

UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROOT CAUSES OF THIS ADDICTION AND INFORM

INTERVENTIONS OR TREATMENTS TO ADDRESS IT EFFECTIVELY.

ADDITIONALLY, THIS STUDY CAN SHED LIGHT ON THE IMPACT OF

SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF INDIVIDUALS’ LIVES, INCLUDING

THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, PRODUCTIVITY, AND SELF-ESTEEM.

BY HEARING DIRECTLY FROM THOSE WHO HAVE STRUGGLED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

ADDICTION, WE CAN GAIN INSIGHTS INTO THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE, THE

STRATEGIES THEY USE TO COPE, AND THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO OVERCOME

THIS ADDICTION AND LEAD HEALTHIER, MORE BALANCED LIVES.

 ULTIMATELY, THE FINDINGS OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY HAVE THE

POTENTIAL TO INFORM POLICYMAKERS, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS,

EDUCATORS, AND TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES ABOUT THE COMPLEXITIES OF SOCIAL

MEDIA ADDICTION AND THE NEED FOR TARGETED INTERVENTIONS AND PREVENTION

STRATEGIES. BY AMPLIFYING THE VOICES OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTS AND SHARING

THEIR STORIES, WE CAN RAISE AWARENESS, REDUCE STIGMA, AND PROMOTE A

MORE INFORMED AND EMPATHETIC DIALOGUE AROUND THIS PERVASIVE ISSUE IN

TODAY’S DIGITAL AGE.

RATIONALE

THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXPAND AND INFORM THE EMERGING BODY OF

RESEARCH ON THE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE AMONG YOUTHS

AND HOW YOUTHS DEAL WITH THEN, IN AN ASIA SETTING, USING A QUALITATIVE

APPROACH.

RRL

SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION (SMA) LED TO THE FORMATION OF HEALTH-

THREATENING BEHAVIORS THAT CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF

LIFE AND WELL-BEING. MANY FACTORS CAN DEVELOP AN EXAGGERATED

TENDENCY TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA (SM), WHICH CAN BE PREVENTED IN MOST CASES.

THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXPLORE THE REASONS FOR SMA (M CHEGENI · 2021 )

THEORIES
INDEED, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT IN THE CASE OF ADOLESCENT USERS,

EXCESSIVE LEVELS OF USE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PARANOID THOUGHTS, PHOBIC

ANXIETY AND FEELINGS OF ANGER AND HOSTILITY (BILGIN, 2018).

WHEN THE WAY DEALING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION IS EXAMINED, IT CAN BE

SAID THAT NOWADAYS, SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION HAS CEASED TO BE AN ORDINARY

PROBLEM AND BECOME A DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH A GLOBAL EPIDEMIC. PEOPLE

ALL OVER THE WORLS CAN SHOW EXCESSIVE INTEREST IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND

SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME USING SOCIAL MEDIA. FOR THIS REASON, SOCIL

MEDIA HAS A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE LIVES OF MILLION OF PEOPLE IN THE

WORLS (ANDREASSEN,2015: SINGH ET AL., 2020).

TOGETHER WITH THE VERY RAPID DIGITALIZATION IN OUR AGE, THE USE OF SOCIAL

MEDIA IS INCREASING IN OUR COUNTRY AND IN THE WORLD (ERSOZ & KAHRMAN,

2020; SINGH ET AL., 2020).