Glendale School Inc.
11 St. Benedict St. Paradise Village, Quezon City
An Evaluation of Glendale Junior High School Students’ Social Lives Through the Use of Facebook
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the subject of Practical Research
Submitted by:
Rockwell Clark G. Concepcion
Jasper D. Gallos
Submitted to:
Ma’am Geraldine Gentozala Juachon
March 2018
Acknowledgement
The researchers would first and foremost like to express their gratitude to their thesis adviser Ma’am Geraldine Gentozala Juachon for her being a mentor and giving the researchers continuous guidance. The researchers would like to thank her for the efforts and time she has sacrificed to help when it comes to all the researchers’ questions and concerns. Without her, the researchers would not be able to finish their research study, much more finish it successfully.
The researchers would also like to give their thanks to Ernestine Estrella, for the support and encouragement she has given. She has been assisting the researchers from the start to the end of their study along with Marcus Sonega, Maggi Dailisan, and Franchesca Morales. The insight, experience, and wisdom they voluntarily shared to the researchers have been tremendously helpful, and the researchers cannot have learned this information from anybody else. With that, the researchers are highly appreciative, and forever thankful.
The expression of gratitude the researchers have would primarily be for the high school students of Glendale School Inc., the respondents of the study. Without their active participation and answers as a basis for our study, the research would have not been created in the first place.
Our sincerest gratitude goes to Mr. Aldrich Juachon, for sharing what he knows when it comes to statistics. His patience when the researchers ask questions about tallying and compiling the data collected is admirable.
The researchers are full of gratitude for the guidance of Nancy David Galang, one of the researchers’ parents for enlightening and assisting both the researchers all throughout the study especially when they are facing difficulties. She also helped the researchers find a media literacy expert who shared to us everything he knows regarding our topic.
To our interviewee Mr. Jose Reuben Alagaran for his valuable time, for sharing the immense knowledge he has on the subject matter so willingly. To our second interviewee, Ms. Sherrlene Uy, the researchers would like to give their thanks for believing in the researchers and the study they decided to pursue, as well as for the encouragement and enthusiasm she has provided.
Lastly, the researchers would like to thank God for the provision of strength when the tasks required to complete the study became difficult; for serving as in inspiration and reminder for the researchers to always stay grounded and strive to work harder.
Abstract
Facebook has been one of the more pervasive social media platform currently used by most teenagers. Given this, the study entitled An Evaluation of Glendale High School Students’ Social Life Through the Use of Facebook investigated the significance of Facebook on the social life of Glendale high school students, focusing on Grades 7-10 students in Glendale High School as respondents of the study.
To be able to successfully gather data, the researchers used questionnaire and interviewed (1) Glendale School Administrator and (1) Media Literacy Expert, people that can share and disclose information regarding our topic.
The researchers were able to evaluate whether Facebook is significant and beneficial to the social lives of Glendale High School students. They were able to yield results on the roles of Facebook. As Facebook is highly utilized by the students of the school, creating a separate subject regarding technology and proper media use is needed to better understand the roles of Facebook. In addition, the researchers were able to give recommendations on alternative ways to use Facebook.
CHAPTER I
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Introduction
Humans as Social Beings
Humans are social beings. The saying that “No man is an island”, no matter how cliché it may sound, speaks of this truth. When babies are born, touch and any other form of showing affection is pertinent for its survival. This explains why infants are dependent on the primary caregiver when people are born, which is usually the mother. Thus, social life can be seen as a part of human beings’ daily existence and therefore, a basis of a human individuals’ mental and emotional welfare. Human beings enter and maintain different kinds of relationships with their families, friends, co-workers and more. Therefore it is necessary for these relationships to be cultivated through communication.
A social life is a capacity or the ability of an individual to interact with a certain group of people, to a person, and to an entire community locally and internationally, states Ms. Sherrlene Uy in the interview the researchers conducted for her provision of further insight regarding the study. She also said that a social life is healthy if it is cultivating and brings positive benefits to a person’s life. For her, these are the types of relationships that inspire people and enables them to be able to be motivated to achieve more, develop and explore more things about one’s self and the world.
The History of Facebook
Before Facebook was even created, it had its predecessor which was Facemash. Facemash opened in 2003, which was a site exclusive for Harvard University students as well. It was a website for entertainment which was a “hot” or “not” game for students in the university. Mark Zuckerberg got in trouble with creating Facemash, as he was accused of breaching security, violating copyrights and violating individual privacy stated by Katharine A. Kaplan, a Crimson staff writer on her article “Facemash Creator Survives Ad Board”. Though he wasn’t forced to leave the school or expelled for such violations, he still eventually drops out of college. Going back, the infamous website Facemash served as inspiration for Facebook. In 2003, Facebook was only a student directory page containing basic information and photos of the students, only a part of what it evolved into today.
Mark Zuckerberg, studied Psychology at Harvard University. The Facebook was a website he originally designed exclusively for the university before it became widespread around the world. His main purpose for creating it was the provision of interactive connection within the school community. He thought to himself that it would take years for Harvard to implement such a simple system for communication for its’ students, so he took matters into his own hands by registering thefacebook.com domain on January 11, 2004. The website immediately had 1200-1500 registrants overnight, just after posting it on a Harvard residential house mailing list named Kirkland House, inviting the Harvard students to join and register.
With the growth in the number of The Facebook users, it caught the attention and was discovered by Sean Parker (the former co-founder of Napster), who later on became the President. By June 2004, Peter Theil, the founder of PayPal, was the first person ever to invest in The Facebook giving $500,000 in exchange for 10.2% of the company. Before then, all the costs and funds in making the platform possible was paid by Mark Zuckerberg and his friend Eduardo Saverin. From here, many investments lead to Facebook being worth $15 Billion, and this was only in 2007. (Prefumo, A. 2017)
After Introducing TheFacebook in different college campuses, it reached over one million members by December 30, 2004. The network extended to other Boston Universities, the Ivy League, and later on all the United States Universities. The website’s domain name was changed to Facebook in August 2005, and by 2006 was it then spread worldwide. Facebook expanded their audience, allowing high school students to have access to using and registering as well. (Zeevi, D. 2013)
Facebook was opened to Filipino users on February 5, 2004. The estimated growth through the years 2015-2022 of Facebook is drastically high and has no plans of decreasing in the near future whatsoever. The news article by Rappler entitled “A Profile of Internet Users in the Philippines is a profile of Facebook users in the Philippines which tackles aspects such as the statistics on who uses Facebook in the Philippines, how they use it, and everything between. As of today, there are now 47 million active Facebook accounts in the Philippines. The Philippines has one of the highest digital populations in the world, with an average usage of 3.2 hours per day on a mobile phone, and 5.2 hours per day on a desktop or tablet.
Facebook in the country is used as a means of income through marketing, both by international and local brands. Since the online market is booming through e-commerce, media streaming services, and platforms powered services such as Grab, Uber, and Airbnb are gaining success and a huge following. The success of these services and products is that the Filipinos feel the need to have a fundamental connection. Technology is inevitable socially and economically, so the country has embraced technology and its use which is trying to address problems today and will hopefully help fix the problems people have in the future.
A report by Opera Mini states that the Philippines is the most “Social Nation” based on the country’s social media activity. Going back way before smartphones were even a thing, the Philippines was already considered as the “Text Messaging Capital” of the world. (Gonzales, Y. 2015). Social Networking sites alone, accounted for 86% which have been accessed through a mobile browser, making the Philippines the highest percentage among 50 countries. The unstoppable adoption of smartphones, leading to more frequent internet access through a mobile browser which increased from 41% to 51% says the report. Facebook, is one of the top three social media platforms that have been visited.
After twelve years after the release and creation of Facebook, the Facebook Philippine Office was established on April 21, 2016, specifically in Manila. The investment of Facebook in the country has been strengthened after the launch had happened. Facebook says it sees “strong momentum” in the Philippines with more than 49 million Filipinos on Facebook, 44 million of whom access the social network on mobile. In the program held for the launch, the country is said to have the potential to lead the progress of Facebook.
When it comes to marketing and business, 1 in 3 Filipino Facebook users are very vocal about their opinion and recommendation of products that they see online. Facebook Vice President for Asia Pacific Dan Neary states that Facebook for Filipinos is not only for connection, but is highly used by companies and their businesses. He also stated that the Philippines is a nation that is filled with innovative, creative, entrepreneurial people which is a great revenue for Facebook’s business goals. Digs Dimagiba was recently the mobile business director for Samsung Electronics in the country. He will serve as the head of Facebook Philippines.
A big change in the Facebook platform is the whole reformat that had occurred in 2012. Before this big decision to change everything about the layout, Facebook had already been improving the site little by little ever since TheFacebook.com was launched, but nothing compared to the revolutionary and drastic change the new format has brought. The Facebook timeline was introduced, which gave more organization controls when it comes to handling and
Again, as an up and coming business and marketing platform, Facebook has included the Pages application both on mobile and on the desktop version. This professionally creates a space for job opportunities. Although it seems complicated, it makes it easier for admins and sellers to reach their target audience, possibly through advertisements and consumers and everyone involved to navigate through the business side of Facebook.
Some of these features have been retained, some have been removed throughout the years as Facebook sees and tries to alter the platform to the consumer’s liking and preferences. The transformation of these features can still be seen as a revolutionary way people use the platform.
The changes and alterations will continue to happen as the digital world is always be evolving. Currently today, the development that has happened over time can be seen throughout the platform. Instead of having the well- known like button which has the opposite that is the dislike button, they instead changed it into something interactive and in the positive light which is the “Reactions”. This change occurred in December of 2015, with Mark Zuckerberg conceding that the like button is not appropriate for every post on the platform. The devised solution is a quicker way to respond to a post and leave feedback rather than having to think of a comment, since emojis are playful gestures that serve as shortcuts Zhuo, one of the Facebook design team members emphasized that it was necessary to make what people did every day easier which was react to posts, providing only 5 main emotions as the reactions, which are non-verbal in nature. (Stinson, E. 2016)
Facebook is now a global phenomenon, with a mission to bring people around the world together, through a connection. Facebook aims to connect different people with different backgrounds. This allows an exchange of perspectives on things, for them to reach a mutual understanding and can be seen as a great opportunity given by the platform.
There are three purposes of Facebook stated by Tom Gresham in the article “The Purpose of Facebook”. The first is the most important and is considered as the core purpose of Facebook which is that Facebook gives its users the provision of personal engagement through an online space. Individual users are now capable to communicate with other people such as their friends and loved ones. Facebook is not limited to direct messaging as a means of communication, but it also gives users freedom for the exchanging of their thoughts, news and media content through the sharing of posts and updating of statuses. This makes Facebook an interactive platform as the activities mentioned are only a handful of Facebook’s provisions for its users. (Gresham, T. 2018)
There are three purposes of Facebook stated by Tom Gresham in the article “The Purpose of Facebook”. The first is the most important and is considered as the core purpose of Facebook which is that Facebook gives its users the provision of personal engagement through an online space. Individual users are now capable to communicate with other people such as their friends and loved ones. Facebook is not limited to direct messaging as a means of communication, but it also gives users freedom for the exchanging of their thoughts, news and media content through the sharing of posts and updating of statuses. This makes Facebook an interactive platform as the activities mentioned are only a handful of Facebook’s provisions for its users. (Gresham, T. 2018)
It is included in the Personal engagement that people use Facebook to maintain their relationships, especially with family and friends who are far away. It can be seen as a personal news site, with information, pictures, and photos that serve as short updates on what is happening in one’s life. It is very effective as a majority of people seem to already have Facebook accounts, so finding a friend and trying to keep in touch with them is not a hard thing to do.
Sharing information is something people can do on the social networking platform. It is easy to post credible information such as videos or links to articles, so learning through these posts and information can be done even if they do not notice that they are doing so. The information online is beneficial as people who read it can become aware of the current events that is happening around them. (Andrus, A. 2012)
Facebook can provide jobs for its users through the form of online businesses. It is easier for them to connect with their target market or audience in the form of advertisements and campaigns. Another use of Facebook is for the purpose of creating revenue and providing jobs which again, is made possible by the first core purpose which is personal engagement as we communicate with everyone when it comes to the field of business and marketing. (Gresham, T. 2018) Another example is that Facebook can be used as an online personal portfolio. Companies check Facebook to have a background on who a person is. People post their curriculum vitae on Facebook, so Facebook can also serve as something like LinkedIn, which is a website where a person posts his or her qualifications for people and companies that are looking into hiring. (Prefumo, A. 2017) With all this taken into context, it is easy to see why people tend to rely upon and use Facebook in their everyday lives.
Facebook is transforming to be part of the everyday lives of individuals. People are now dependent on the social media platform, especially that it is growing at a fast pace. Facebook has grown in terms of retail, as the website has changed the way we shop. There is a thing called Facebook credit now, which you earn by buying or being interactive on Facebook such as liking and visiting pages much like points being earned. Another significant change that Facebook has added to the platform is subscribing to people, which has shown to be a very useful too. Though it may come off as stalking, it allows people to be updated on the lives of other people they subscribe to. This tool has huge implications for the way communication happens.
From Ms. Uy’s perspective, Filipino students today are more sociable as they are outspoken. They like to engage, explore, and discover things and sharing what they have on social media. Social trends such as the “Ootd” or the “Selfie” have formed. These are example factors creating a more sociable generation, as social media is a big part of their life. The current state of Filipino students’ social life is similar to what can be seen in Glendale’s high school students’ social life.
Facebook is a common tool of communication used by majority most students in this generation. However, there is a need to explore how Facebook influences the aspects of a student’s social life, so this is what the researchers decided to focus on.
The purpose of this study is to find out the significance of Facebook in the social life of Glendale high school students. If the researchers find out if Facebook has an influence on the social lives of the Glendale high school students, it will be easier for the researchers to know the effect of Facebook on their relationships.
The researchers aim to answer the following questions in order to find out the impact of Facebook is on Glendale School high school students’ social life:
- What is the significance of Facebook on Glendale junior high school students real-life interaction?
- Does Facebook influence Glendale junior high school students’ social lives?
- What are the effects of Facebook on Glendale junior high school students‘ social lives when it comes to relationships in general?
- To examine if Glendale junior high school students’ Facebook use is beneficial in their social life.
- To identify the significance of Facebook in the social lives of Glendale School junior high school students.
- To raise awareness of the roles that Facebook might play in a Glendale junior high school students’ social life.
- To come up with alternative ways of using Facebook if used improperly in Glendale junior high school students’ social life.
It has been established that Facebook is a major part of the everyday lives of the students and has been used as a way to communicate with others. It is also where relationships begin, develop, and sometimes end. Being so, Facebook is an important aspect of the social lives of most people and this includes Glendale High School students.
This study is significant because it focuses on Facebook as a tool used by Glendale High School students to communicate and build relationships with one another and with the rest of the people surrounding them such as their family, friends, and others.
This study may yield results that show that Facebook is not beneficial to Glendale High School students and therefore researchers will propose and suggest possible solutions on how the instruments of this study can adjust the way they use Facebook in their social lives.
This study is also significant because it will provide information on the roles that Facebook might play in the social lives of Glendale students and therefore may be used by can be a viable source for information regarding the importance of Facebook to its users. The students, upon knowing and being aware of the outcome this relationship creates, can be champions of spreading and raising awareness on the possible negative or positive roles that Facebook play in the students’ social lives and therefore may help other users become aware as well.
As the researchers also aim to come up with alternative ways of using Facebook, students would benefit from this by adjusting the ways they use the social medium if ever there is a misuse on their part.
For the Researchers
As the researchers being students themselves, it can also serve the same purpose. They will be able to know what the specific implications and impact have on a student’s social life. It can be beneficial for the researchers as they are able to put up data wherein they learned and gained knowledge themselves. Putting this information out there should help other people as it might answer the questions they have in mind.
Future researchers who wish to do studies on the role of social media and how it affects relationships and social interactions will benefit from this study as it will provide the information that can serve as a guide for their own study. Studies on other social media like Instagram, Twitter, and the like can use this study as an anchor and springboard.
For the Facebook Online Users
Other Facebook users, in general, would become aware of how Facebook is significant in their social lives. With this awareness, they will be able to cultivate the positive roles of Facebook, while avoiding the negative effects that the social medium may give. The users will, therefore, be more discriminating on whether Facebook is beneficial to them and how to properly use it for the benefit of creating healthy social lives.
The researchers’ study can benefit the field of communication as it contributes on how social interaction can be affected by the forms of media used to interact socially. In this specific study at hand, Facebook use is analyzed as it affects the social interaction of students, and therefore established whether it is an effective tool for communication. Social media such as Facebook has transformed the way people are now communicating, building relationships and sustaining them, and therefore this study is significant to the field of Communication as experts in the field will realize its importance and role in social interaction and will draw due attention to doing further studies on it. The social interaction that takes place online is different from real life social interaction. The study could provide insight to people in this field in virtual context especially to those who have yet to explore it.
This research will only focus on Glendale high school students which are composed of 76 high school students as subjects and respondents of the study. It will not include students of other schools and is only limited to Glendale High School students. The collected data is only limited to the Glendale School, specifically its high school students. These grade 7-10 students serve as the respondents of the research conducted. Other grade levels of Glendale are also not included.
The researchers also adopted the Uses and Gratifications Theory by Elihu Katz and Jay G. Blumler. It is an approach that is fixed by the consumer and the audience member rather than the message being sent. The audience member according to this approach is a person who discriminatingly uses media.
The audience who views the media becomes biased because of his own perspective and direct experience with the media. They are not passively being acted upon by the media, as they are active. This is seen in how they are interactive in stating their stance on a certain topic which intervenes with the media being presented to them. The media is one factor on how needs get met, and the theory states that the audience is in charge as they are the ones who know what needs they need to gratify.
The Uses and Gratifications Theory will help the researchers understand how the Glendale high school students use Facebook for their own benefit and their own needs. The study the researchers are conducting will clarify and highlight why Facebook is utilized by the said students, and what these students get from this platform. Knowing the implications of Facebook on their social lives through this theory will show the purpose of Facebook for the students and why the students use Facebook in the first place.
The researchers also propose the Technology Acceptance Model. It is a model proposed by Fred Davis that predicts if new technology or new information systems should be accepted in a certain situation wherein it gives benefits. The two aspects this theory takes into consideration is the (PU) perceived usefulness and the (PEOU) perceived ease of use. The (PU) perceived usefulness is the measure of which a particular system will enhance the work quality of an individual. Meanwhile, the (PEOU) perceived ease of use is the belief of a person that a particular system efficiently works and is easy to use, free from any hassle and effort. If the technology used in the work setting fits these two aspects, then the technology that is being critiqued and tested is considered to be useful. Although this is usually applied in work settings, it can possibly be applied for personal benefit as well. Through finding out if something is useful or not, individuals practice the Technology Acceptance Model and can verify if something is useful by easily just researching something.
This theory is applicable to the study at hand in the sense that as the grade 7-10 students use the technology of Facebook, they will discover certain benefits of it in their daily lives. Some of these may be for easy communication, getting updates about their friends even if there is no face to face communication, or learning about what is happening around them etc. As they use Facebook for a longer time, they might also find it easy and convenient to use. If these two factors are taken into consideration, then the students of Glendale will accept the technology. Facebook then becomes a part of their regular means of communication and plays an important role in their social lives.
Another theory that is very significant to the researchers’ topic is the technological determinism theory, which is also known as the Medium Theory. Proposed by Marshall Mcluhan, this theory questions to what extent the influence of technology has on the actions or thoughts of people who use it. It is stated in this theory that the technology itself determines and mirrors the society who uses it, and determines and serves as a guide of a society’s cultural, political and economic aspects and what its history would be.
The progression attained through technology plays one of the most important roles in a society because it affects how people adjust the way they live their lives and use the technology to improve its quality.
Technological determinism is highly connected to the researchers’ study. Through technological determinism, the researchers can find out how Facebook as a medium, influences the thoughts and actions in regards of how Grade 7-10 students socialize with one another and how they socialize with everyone around them.
There are parts of a students’ social life that are altered and given direction by the technology that is Facebook. Because of the exposure of the high school students of Glendale to the social platform, there are effects on their social lives and how they interact with one another. When these implications or impacts are identified by the researchers, they should be able to see to what extent Facebook is significant the social lives of the students.
The researchers have also adopted the Social Presence Theory proposed by Short, Williams, and Christie which has the main purpose to disclose the effects telecommunication media can possibly have on communication. These effects can have different degrees depending on the type of medium to be used to communicate.
An appropriate example is media with a higher degree of social presence such as videochat compared to chat only which is seen to have a lower degree of social presence. The types of media people use has implications on the quality of the communication that is being held. With a high degree of social presence, a medium is seen as being warm, sociable and personal which are common factors of face to face or clear conversations as opposed to a low degree of social presence which is a medium seen as less personal and of less quality. (Lowenthal, P. 2009)
This theory will help the researchers distinguish what type of Facebook communication feature fits the Glendale students’ liking and preference. This is necessary because if the chosen Facebook feature of the students is compatible to their liking, they can use it for their own benefit. The quality of each relationship the students have when it comes to the social interaction offline is improved because of the high degree of social presence that is caused by the use of their preferred Facebook feature. Having a high degree of social presence when it comes to the student’s real-life interaction, will give an improvement in their relationships or conversations by making them warm, sociable and personal.
If the Glendale high school students perceive Facebook useful and easy to utilize, they will accept this technology in their everyday lives, through the Technology Acceptance Theory. By Glendale high school students use of Facebook, the students are influenced by Facebook through their actions and thoughts, which can be seen in things such as how they socialize with one other and those around them which is manifested in the Technological Determinism Theory. Lastly, Through the Uses and Gratifications Theory, Facebook gratifies the needs of students. Facebook gives them the opportunity to make more friends, have closer relationships, have more self-confidence in expressing themselves etc. They continue their use of Facebook as they see what the social media platform can give and benefit to them.
The Social Presence theory is manifested in the way Glendale students use Facebook. They have the option to choose which among the Facebook features such as commenting, posting, merely chatting or video calling works best to be able to increase the benefits and the quality of using Facebook as a communication tool to socialize. The more effective the feature, the higher the social presence.
Facebook- An interactive social networking site with different types of features such as creating a profile, upload, sharing or looking at photos and videos, and wherein a person can communicate with people they know, and even people they don’t know.
Evaluation- To be able to examine the value of something and determine its significance or quality.
Social Life- A social life is relationships with the people surrounding a person, formed through spending time and knowing these people through interaction.
High School- A school department or division that typically comprises grades 9 through 12, attended after primary school or middle school.
Student- A student is a person who is studying at a school or college.
Role- Any part played in life. The function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation.
Impact- An impact means to have a direct or strong effect on something. It may be an something influential effect that creates action.
Implication- A suggestion or possible significance from analyzing something.
Communication- It is the exchanging of information or news, a means of connection between people, in particular.
Social Media- It is websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.
Twitter- A social networking website with the main purpose of microblogging to share what one wants to say through posts called “tweets”.
Instagram- A social networking website with the main purpose of sharing images through the posting of pictures.
Real life interaction- The face to face communication that happens in person
Online interaction- It is the active involvement and communication of social media users using a social media platform.
CHAPTER II
Review of Related Literature and Studies
In this section of the study, the researchers discussed mainly information they have retrieved from news articles, academic journals, books, experimental videos and the previous thesis that has helped them conduct their research. The information below has benefitted the researchers as they have better knowledge for them to easily analyze the data that they have collected. These resources have aided the direction of the research.
Effects of Facebook
1) Positive and Negative Effects of Facebook
According to the MSN News article of Kendall (2017) entitled When Facebook asks if Social Media is Bad For Us, It’s Time to Listen, Facebook openly wrote a post recently negating itself and questioning if Facebook is bad for its users. The result they have come upon to share with the readers is that Facebook has a lot of positive effects, but it has its downsides as well. It only gives a negative effect on its users when they passively consume the information given to them, and when they do not engage and interact actively with the Facebook community.
Also mentioned in this article was the study of Dr. Brian Primack of the University of Pittsburgh, which had an expectation that the results would lean towards young adults having depression when they are not able to access social media. The results that they have received was that social media mostly made young adults depressed, which was the opposite. However, the results do not give the connotation that people should stop using Facebook but should focus on using Facebook to improve their way of living.
Awareness and moderation is needed as it affects people’s behavior and mental health severely. A great example is Jonathan Ives and Steve Jobs on limiting their children’s gadget use because they know what’s best for them.
2) Effects of Facebook on Teenagers: Positive and Negative
. In August 2011, new research by Dr. Larry Rosen a psychology professor at California State University, reveals that suspicions turned to facts that there are grave psychological effects when teenagers overuse Facebook. Dr. Rosen has been studying and examining teenagers and Facebook. In his study, he had conducted 1,000 surveys and observed 300 teens actively studying and got the following results. Firstly, teenagers who use Facebook become more narcissistic, as they tend to focus on how they are perceived on their Facebook profiles. Secondly, If a teenager has a very strong Facebook presence, and enjoys being on Facebook rather than being present in the real-life social world, thus more often than not considered to be antisocial people. Lastly, excessive use of Facebook is proven to have symptoms such as sleep issues, depression, anxiety and removes their attention on things that matter most such as their own education.
In Dr. Rosen’s study about Facebook, he observed different students and their study habits. Children who check their phone during a 15-minute study session have poor academic performances compared to those who have their full attention on what they are studying, and not on their phones. The information supposed to be retained after studying is forgotten when these students check Facebook in their study sessions.
There are still positive aspects when teenagers use Facebook such as empathy. Empathy is practiced online through leaving of nice comments, simply by just complimenting someone or trying to lift a friend’s mood. Children who have trouble making friends and are shy have the advantage of the platform to socialize with potential friends and can hopefully teach them to translate and grow their virtual communication into communication in real life. It develops one’s identity and can be a strong basis for confidence and self-esteem as a person tries to formulate how they want to be perceived by their fellow peers. (Trapp, K. 2016)
There are things we should take into consideration and be aware of when we use Facebook. The effect of Facebook often causes people to have a lack of productivity. Applications such as games that provide entertainment remove the attentiveness of people, these are seen as major distractions. The Facebook community gives the Facebook users addiction that is not even necessary in the first place.
Facebook influences our self-control. A great instance is the marketing of consumables such as food, items, products and more that leads the person to be easily persuaded. Although Facebook is said to increase a person’s self-esteem when focused on the relationships and benefits we get, it reduces our self-control as we are more exposed to the influence that it gives.
People on Facebook show and post their own emotions and what happens in their daily life. Facebook users wait on the notifications they look forward on receiving to be able to feel satisfaction and support from the community.Facebook envy is one of the main reasons for the struggle when it comes to people’s self-esteem as people often compare their lives to what seems like a perfect life from their peers online. It is easy for Facebook users to be diagnosed with depression because of the comparison they create with other Facebook users. From the outside, it seems like the things people disclose and share on Facebook makes them happier than they really are as they can alter what they want to share with the online world. Majority of people would not show to the public how miserable a day had gone. Moderation is the key to avoiding the envy that is often met online. Facebook users should not cut off Facebook entirely, but should also know about their own responsibilities on using Facebook, and be cautious about the negative effects it may cost.
The researchers of the study entitled Facebook Effect on Academic Performance and Social Life for Undergraduate Students of University of Human Developments by Ghareb, M. and Sharif H. the Facebook use of students in their school as a basis. The paper aims to know the impacts of utilizing Facebook on the social life and academic performance of the school’s 110 respondents, and how the positive impacts can be increased, and the negative ones decreased.
Through the conduction of the research, Facebook was found to be one of the websites with the most social influence on its users. Also based on the results, social relation and interaction are the main reason why the respondents use the network in the first place. The study has successfully shown how the users use Facebook and what the implication of this is, which includes how when the students who use Facebook tend to make more friends. Using Facebook has lessened social problems, and has served as a medium for instructive purposes. The learning processes are improved, whether or not academics are involved as in Facebook, solid groups of people are built. (Ghareb, M. and Sharif H. 2015)
The study conducted by Ryan Masin entitled The Effects of Facebook use on College Students’ Interpersonal Development seek to establish the connection between students and social media, and how these effects impact and affect their development.
Although Facebook is seen as a website that provides viable information to users from a variety of sources, the development of networks like Facebook provides not only this exchange of information but also the exchange of opinions and even experiences.
From the results and findings of the study, it was found that Facebook definitely does have an influence on the students’ development. Even if there is only a small difference, the intensity of Facebook use does affect the maturity of interpersonal relationships regardless of the students’ gender. Maturity in relationships can be greatly affected by the use of Facebook through what people choose to share and what people choose not to share. Intimacy is sacrificed in a relationship through Facebook as for how people want to present themselves to who they really are is different.
Relationships can be forged or broken on Facebook, they can be reinforced or
broken down based on shared content, wall posts or relationship statuses.
It indirectly forms and develops a students’ sense of purpose which give students the opportunity to build relationships as these relationships as well as offline relationships are very helpful in terms of forming a person’s identity. (Masin, R. 2009)
The Impact of Facebook
1) The Impact of Facebook on Our Students
According to The Impact of Facebook on Our Students, an article by Co-Directors on ChildrenOnline.org Fodeman and Monroe (2009) students are encouraged to use Facebook as it enables them to form strong opinions without anyone’s influence. However, student’s Facebook use is linked to negative topics such as age appropriation, online behavior, and internet safety. The internet behavior of teenagers has been surveyed by Children.org, resulting in issues and concerns. For schools that encourage the use of Facebook, comes the problem of underage children using it. It was recorded that four years ago, it was unlikely for a 7th grader to be using Facebook. Today, 4th graders have been reported to be on Facebook. It is important for us to know why even 8th graders, are not fit for Facebook. Firstly, with our devices always with us, 24/7, not to mention the yearning of the youth for connection and communication with their peers, creates an addiction that gives no downtime to do more important tasks. It is unhealthy as it affects the mental and physical health of students. Secondly, privacy is non-existent. Awareness and social sensitivity are needed when it comes to sharing humiliating and degrading posts that would greatly affect their peers. There are grave consequences simply by posting as these can be used to harm one’s self-image benefitting scammers, hackers, or whoever. The manipulation of personal information is present which can only be solved by understanding the value of it. Barnes (2007) published a study that 20% of universities search social networks for their admission candidates. Privacy cannot be promised by Facebook as security can be easily hacked and flawed. People usually accept acquaintances and strangers on Facebook who can easily obtain their personal information as soon as the friend request was accepted. There are scamming and cracking software found everywhere online, which help hackers get into any account.
Facebook creates a moral disconnect for everyone using it. Online, it is easy to get away saying hurtful things as no adult supervision is present. Negative actions such as harassing language or sexualization are normalized. Netiquette is needed to be able to translate the respectful attitude we have with one another in real life. Facebook is now seen as a tool for making friends and avoiding difficult face to face interactions such as confrontations. This will affect everyone’s communication skills, especially for young people.
2) Facebook 101: Smart Social Media for College Students
(Impact on Self-Esteem)
Recent studies show that people spend way more time on Facebook tend to have lower self-esteem according to the article by Rivero entitled Facebook 101: Smart Social Media for College Students. The study they have conducted correlated the frequency of Facebook use and self-esteem of a college student. The content people view on Social Media has a big impact on them mentally as the results were that these people are aware of the people superior to them, creating a sense of negative comparison amongst the people online to themselves.
Facebook brings depression to its users because it creates competitiveness. Users take interest in pitting themselves against each other for a high number of likes or shares which statistics show, is a form of power or attractiveness. People not getting contentment and attention feel subordinate. There is no direct association between Facebook use and depression. However, when Facebook is used for surveillance, starts a feeling of envy or jealousy which later on then leads to depression. Thus, it is incorrect to blame Facebook for depression, as other people use this platform for a gratifying experience.
The proper use of Facebook is easier to understand if we follow these tips or suggestions for people to follow. Facebook and technology are dynamic especially for the young people living in this digital age. Talking with others is a good step as exchanging of experiences can benefit each person involved. This creates a critical decision-making mentality that leads people to find more information from other users. It is good to take a break from spending time on Facebook or other social media applications as this creates more time to do other things. We cannot control Facebook envy and it is important for us to be aware of that. Remembering that social media profiles are often idealized versions of how people want others to think of them and their image. Facebook makes it easier to plan and schedule things like meetings and other activities such as catching up with friends.
1) Millennials Here’s How Social Media Impacts Your Relationships
(Impact on Relationships)
Knowing how to develop relationships outside of Facebook is essential to be an emotionally healthy person. Despite the majority of millennials that use Facebook for connection, it is still important for us to know how to address our basic need for connection and social interaction offline. Sites like Facebook was originally created to be able to connect with people a person knows personally. That is not the case today as most millennials use Facebook to get to know acquaintances and strangers. This has a big implication on the quality of relationships and friendships that are being formed and maintained. A great instance is how jealousy is easily formed when people’s peers get more likes or comments. This is proven to be present in 42% of social media users. With jealousy often comes distrust, and it is now easy to be able to betray and talk behind someone’s back through private messages.
Social media creates unmet expectations when it comes to people online especially when it comes to online relationships. People tend to alter themselves on how they want to be perceived online by tweaking or editing. This creates inaccuracy on how a person really is in real life. This gives unrealistic ideas on what a person should look for in a relationship (not limited to a romantic relationship) and creates pressure on an individual as they feel like they have to fit into what is socially acceptable. Everyone online seems to be having perfect lives, which is what they want their viewers to see. Social media disconnects people from the world and their current surroundings. People do not focus on bonding when it comes to spending time with friends and family as everyone is busy on their phones. The quality of the time spent together is sacrificed.
There is still a positive side when it comes to creating relationships in the digital world, as the negative side really is dependent on how an individual uses a platform. Those who take precaution and set healthy boundaries are those who do not suffer from the negative consequences social media has to offer. (Rohampton, J. 2017)
2) How Does Facebook Affect Your REAL LIFE Social Network
(Impact on Real Life)
Jeremy Harrison’s article entitled “How Does Facebook Affect Your REAL LIFE Social Network” focuses on his realization on how each individual’s exposure to Facebook affects different close personal friendships and is altered in either a positive way or a negative way. There are three types of people which is those who are fully-engaged using Facebook as a means of connection, business and share their personal life online. Partially-engaged meaning using parts of Facebook and only a fraction/portion of their life is on there. Lastly which is the non-users, a small percentage who do not use Facebook and refuse to use it at all.
These are relevant to be discussed because it has an implication in real life for those who are fully-engaged which is missing out on deep friendships. There is more often than not still a small portion of a person’s inner circle who is not on Facebook so it is important to stay connected and updated with their lives as well. The implication for those who are only partially-engaged is that they may be judged for what little they post online. Remembering that what is posted on Facebook only is a fraction of a person’s life is an important thing to keep in mind. For non-users, the implication of having no Facebook at all is that it is harder to maintain and building offline relationships, so if you do not have an account it is important to be always reaching out to friends and to make friends. (Harrison, J. 2017)
The research entitled Facebook's Impact on User's Social Life aims to assess the impact of Facebook on human relationships, and in turn, know if excessive use of the network can negatively affect the cultivation or even the maintenance of current relationships in any way. Though these communication technologies give us undeniable benefits such as building bridges, removing boundaries and barriers that different kinds of people have, it has made the informal process of communication. Does its influence weaken the human relationship at the end of the day? Does it make it stronger? The broad exchange of information through posting, messaging, tagging are examples of things that should be analyzed in their research to truly know the current state of relationships because of Facebook.
Based on the results of this research, the majority of the respondents highly have an inclination when it comes to Facebook, that is why addiction is present in most cases. It does have its benefits such as the sharing of opinions and connection online, but it definitely also makes face to face communication harder for everyone. Though the negative effects are evident, the research strongly suggests that academic and career-related performance did not decline or falter in any way. (Fakhouri Et Al. 2012)
1) A study says that a social life is a healthy life
A study conducted by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revolves around their research of health studies which aims to know how a social interaction and connection helps a person’s health throughout life.
The effects of having the lack of social interaction in adolescents are similar to the effects of having no exercise. Meanwhile, the lack of social interaction in old age is similar to the effect of having diabetes in terms of increasing hypertension stated by Kathleen Mullan Harris, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The main goal is to be able to find out the impact of social connections to the health of adolescents and people with old age creating a bridge that will explain why this connection is important. Adolescents and people with old age are focused upon
Social connections affect an individual’s health through stress. Loved ones reduce or increase the burden of stress in a person’s lives, that is why the quality of personal connections alongside the four measures of physical health (body mass index, biomarkers for inflammation, abdominal weight, and blood pressure). The results of the study are that the fewer connections a person has, the poorer their health becomes. Each social connection an individual has in their life is beneficial.
2) Quitting Social Media for a Month
A Tech Insider experimental video documented the withdrawal of their respondent from any form of social media. On day 1, she noticed that she had been greatly dependent on her phone in general as it has been part of her everyday routine. She found herself having free time on her hands, to do other tasks. Later on through the week, she easily got used to having the free time to do much more productive things and got social media out of her system entirely.
I watched a TED Talk by Doctor Cal Newport and he said going on social media is like going to the casino. You're anticipating getting likes and you come out of it. You go back in thinking, “I’ll get the reward next time. I’ll get the reward next time. I’ll get the reward next time.” And you just sit around waiting for a notification to come around so you can go back. (Tech Insider, 2018)
Although she says that it is a part of her life that she may be missing for work and communication, having goals to be more productive, focused and with an organized brain. The verdict reassures her doubt that straying away from social media can be seen as a good thing.
The first change to be noticed is the rest the person receives with the lack of social media. Heachaches from looking into screens for long periods of time had become non-existent. There were extra hours in the day, usually spent mindlessly scrolling through different news feeds. At the end of the day, consuming online content is not necessary. The main reason for people staying on social media is “FOMO” or the fear of missing out. The respondent realized that you wouldn’t have this fear if you don’t know what you’re missing out on, ending her statement with the encouragement for people to try to go through the process that she has gone through. It was healthy for her own sake, as she focused on processing her thoughts and taking care of herself. (Tech Insider, 2018)
Relationships
The ongoing research in this academic journal revolves around creating relationships and developing the relationships individuals have. Focused upon the closeness in a college students’ inner circle of friends through Facebook, the research aims to know the difference when it comes to the amount of expression based on gender, and if this expression is appropriate online. Aside from these big factors, another factor that greatly affects this is how people express their affection for one another and is interesting to know how this affection takes place on a social media platform that is Facebook.
This study states that undergraduate students which were respondents of the study held were able to come up with the conclusion that women are more affectionate when it comes to face-to-face interaction and at the same time more likely to be aware of these emotions in themselves and in other people and are expressed appropriately rather than men.
Children adapt to the international requirement of being a pupil rather than being a child. There are different norms and ways of doing things that pupils are accustomed to both at home and in school, and a great example of this is is that the classroom has many more occupants, so there are many more potential people to talk to or people to participate within conversation. This affects the structure of communication depending on who the student communicates with.
In adult-child communication, specifically with a student and teacher, it is a known fact for both parties that children have restricted rights when it comes to conversing, which respect is emphasized. The adults are in charge of topics to be disclosed, when to end a conversation, give tasks to students and evaluate their work, without the approval or agreement of the child. This is where the idea that children are still pre or incompetent adults, being applied throughout their journey of education.
A multi-party talk is a form of classroom relationship that can tend to be problematic as there are things like competition for turns to talk, small conversations within the conversation that take place at the same time. Even if it can be seen as problematic, it is more often than not informal as friends in a classroom talk in a conversation when they want to, without being told to do so. With a teacher, it is required to elicit students opinion and answers to know if they absorb what is being discussed. (Rogers, C. 1990)
(How Facebook is Bad for Relationships)
People cannot deny that Facebook has made the world closer and connected, but it is something that potentially ruins a person’s relationship. Since the equivalent of three days of waiting for someone to pick up a person’s missed call is three hours thanks to messaging on Facebook, the accessibility is impressive without a doubt. But this accessibility comes with the consequence of fast-paced forming of relationships. Although this easy connection is more often than not seen in a positive light, easily can form a false intimacy problem, wherein people think they know everything about a person.
Online stalking is now seen as the norm, as information on Facebook is often posted publicly, only a handful aware of privacy options. Knowing what people we look up to and tend to want to impress leads to another problem which is self-alteration and self-modeling their own identities, as these can be easily manipulated. Often using exaggeration and fabrication that will make themselves look better than they really are. A study from 2008 researched how the formation of the “Facebook identity” impacted relationships in the real world. There is a great divide that forms within how individuals really are and how they represent themselves which later on can be seen in newfound online friends. (McHugh, Molly 2013)
255 respondents were asked questions about their significant others questions and how Facebook usage is correlated to surveillance and jealousy, in a study conducted by Rianne C. Farrugia entitled Facebook and Relationships: A Study of How Social Media Use is Affecting Long-Term Relationships.
It is found in this study that the different social networking sites change how people develop their relationships. As everything is accessible, partner surveillance has increased, because the chance or paranoia of jealousy within a relationship is present in social media. As the respondents use Facebook, their relationships progress in a non-traditional way as developing a relationship in an environment wherein there is no face to face interaction is something new. As the disclosure of information online is being normalized, many people are doing it as well, enhancing relationships online as people are comfortable using the online social platforms.
Therefore, Facebook has modernized how people communicate with one another and how they form their relationships.
A big amount of time and effort has been allotted to studying social interactions within the classroom vicinity. This is because there are different factors to be considered such as disciplines in terms of sociology, psychology and linguistics that aid or develop the field of education which is taught and makes up the events that take place in a classroom.
Looking into the past, it was realized that pupils who were in the low socio-economic groupings were underachievers. It was found that the academic modes of schoolwork create dissatisfaction, so the emphasis of the old school system which was the input rather than the result or output it had on the students, began to change. Symbolic Interactionism had become a thing proposed by Herbert Blumer, meaning social behavior that gives light to the role of language in the growth of a child. That is why the emphasis on language and interaction follows shortly after in the schools, giving the importance it has today. Through an individual’s interaction with the family, friends, the people around this person form the understanding of the shared meanings of culture and later on honing the human mind. It is mentioned in this book that if the language of the classroom is to be studied it is more complex and another topic to be delved upon, so it is important to look beyond language and look into meanings themselves.
The results of tedious observation had resulted in knowing the complexities that is classroom life and the different factors that influence the relationship of children with one another, their teachers, and everyone involved. (Rogers, C. 1990)
The popularity of social networking websites over the years have greatly affected the influence that Facebook has on communication. Social habits are affected, and the research by Jason Tyson entitled The Influence of Facebook on Communication will look upon how the platform alters the way that people interact with one another, and how they choose to communicate on the platform whether the decisions involved is out of accessibility or preference to the format etc.
Fractured online identities are a big part of the influence of Facebook on communication, especially when people confuse these online identities to be true. Not being able to distinguish what is true or not on media will have an influence on how people perceive a certain person in real life, thus affecting how people communicate with one another. It is vital for everyone to know how to use Facebook properly, and to be aware that what is posted can always have some sort of alteration. (Tyson, J. 2009)
For the researchers to better understand and also to be able to present the information and knowledge they have gained through the whole research process, the organization of different resources in the Review of Related Literature and Studies served as a straightforward guide. It was vital for the researchers to have a more efficient way to address the main focus of the study, without branching out and straying away from the main objective and aim of the study. The researchers retrieved numerous international studies that may possibly be correlated in one’s social life, and how Facebook the social media giant has implications on it. Local studies have been included by the researchers, but only a handful have been retrieved, and most of these local studies are included in the introduction of this study. At first, the researchers had a hard time looking for academic journals and books, as news articles are more rampant online.
The first portion of the RRLS which discusses everything about a social life, for the researchers to clearly see what the inclusions of the term social life have. Being knowledgeable about what a social life really is, the researchers can see what factors can make one’s social life healthy, and the factors that make it unhealthy. Seeing how people socially interact with the various resources, the researchers will hopefully be able to find out how Facebook plays an important role that in turn affects and influences the social lives of individuals.
The researchers then zeroed in on the effects Facebook has on various parts of a human’s social life. Thus, looking into these effects whether positive or negative will later on help the researchers identify the impact or implications these effects that Facebook has on their social lives, that in turn is strongly manifested in their real-life social interactions, and eventually can be correlated to the Glendale high school students through the use of the survey questionnaires and stratified sampling the researchers have conducted. The resources we have collected show detailed information on how for instance Facebook increases envy and lowers one’s self-esteem when people compare themselves with fragmented online figures but how it also shows how it is beneficial and gives opportunities.
As relationships are formed usually through communication and social interaction in real life, it is significant for the researchers to investigate how these different types of relationships are formed through Facebook and other social networking sites, and also how communication is altered and evolving online.
Therefore, by the researchers familiarizing themselves with the significance and effect of Facebook on individuals’ relationships and social lives, it is more possible for them to be able to evaluate the current state of the social lives of Glendale high school students.
CHAPTER III – METHODOLOGY
This chapter of the study entitled An Evaluation of Glendale High School Students’ Social Life Through the use of Facebook aims to explain how the research was formed and created, in order to know what impact Facebook has on the social lives of the school’s high school students. This chapter will be explaining the research methods and approaches that were applied, which serves as a guide for the researchers all throughout their study. The instruments used, the number of respondents covered, and tools used to be able to gather the data will also be seen in this chapter of the research.
Research Design and Method
The study at hand is a form of mixed research methods. A mixed research method is the integration of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. It is qualitative as the researchers further explained and found answers to what the effects or impact Facebook has to the respondents. However, it is quantitative as the measurement of the frequencies and percentage of each answer for each grade level are analyzed. Since the researcher aims to evaluate how Facebook affects the social interaction of the high school students, the gained information from the survey should include knowing how they utilize Facebook.
There are 21 students comprising Grade 7 (28%), 14 students comprising Grade 8 (18%), 20 students comprising Grade 9 (26%) and 21 students comprising Grade 10 (28%).
The respondents were also categorized according to gender. This specific categorization can show the different views and perspectives of male and female respondents when it comes to answering the survey questions. There are 39 female respondents, while there are 37 male respondents.
The students’ age can also greatly affect their point of view in regards of answering the survey questions.
To further provide insight and give essential information about the study, the researchers interviewed 1 Glendale School Administrator and 1 Media Literacy Expert.
Ms. Sherrlene Uy, is currently teaching the subjects of Personal Development in the senior high school department of Glendale School Inc. She has worked as a Life Skills Facilitator at Headway School for Giftedness in 2015-2017. She has also worked as a Freelance Functional Skills Mentor for Children with Special Needs in 2014 up to this day. She graduated with Bachelor of Arts Degree in Behavioral Science (2009) and a Masteral Degree in Education, Major in SPED (2009).
The interview with Jose Reuben Alagaran, the media literacy expert was conducted through email, due to its’ convenience and the interviewee’s hectic schedule. He is considered as a media literacy expert as he has been working in the field of communication technology as a Media Development Specialist for UNESCO office in Yangon, Myanmar. He has also conducted research and written papers on media and information literacy, 21st century teaching and learning, distance education, children’s media, public information, and development communication in both national and international journals. He has given lectures on outcomes-based education, blended learning, communication planning, communication research and evaluation, distance education, and media and information literacy.
The instrumentation used to be able to collect data and to be able to know how Facebook impacts the respondents’ social lives is mainly through a survey questionnaire. Our survey questionnaire is divided and categorized into three general parts to have the provision of an organization regarding the data to be collected. Specifically Part I: Awareness, Part II: Frequency, and lastly with the most number of questions Part III: which is the purpose.
To be able to successfully conduct the survey, the researchers asked the respondents for their free time to be able to answer the questionnaire at their convenience. For the Glendale School High School teacher that was interviewed, the recording of the interview was done for the researchers to be able to further transcribe and better understand the perspective and opinion of the interviewee. While the interview was taking place the researchers took into account the importance of highlighting and emphasizing the main points of the interviewee through note taking. Follow up questions were asked to be able to clarify and to remove any kind of confusion.
Pie Graphs are used for data analysis as the majority of our questions have multiple answers. It is more convenient as the frequencies of these questions differ from the actual number of respondents. It is easier for the readers of this research paper to understand the statistics clearly through using pie graphs because it is visual.
To be able to categorize the data for analysis, the researchers used IBM SPSS Editor. IBM SPSS is a data gathering software or statistical tool for tallying data collected which makes it easier for the researchers to be able to explain and provide their insight and possible recommendations instead of manually inputting data. The statistics the researchers gained from IBM SPSS was collectively tallied in Microsoft Excel.
Chapter IV-Presentation of Data and Analysis
Out of 76 Glendale high school students, 72 respondents or 95% of Glendale high school students have Facebook accounts. The remaining 4 respondents which comprise of 5% of the total sample do not have Facebook accounts. This shows that majority of Glendale high school students have Facebook accounts. Since the least number of respondents answered no (5%), it may mean that these respondents are not aware of this social media website. It may also imply that these students are not allowed to use Facebook or the internet in general.
29% of the respondents found out about Facebook through their parents. The least percentage which is 1% of the respondents answered that they found out about Facebook through others specifically acquaintances. This may show that through small talk with their acquaintances, they become familiar with what Facebook is. On the other hand, since the biggest percentage comprised of parents (29%), this means that they play a big role and influence in making their kids knowledgeable about Facebook.
A majority (26%) of the respondents add their friends in real life on Facebook. The least option that was chosen was that they add strangers on Facebook which has the percentage of 6%. Since Facebook is a place where people get to know each other more, it may imply that this is where students get to know their friends better and where they can build a connection or personal bond. Data also shows that respondents rarely add strangers on their Facebook accounts, implying that they are careful and choose to stay safe online as they do offline.
A majority (68%) of the respondents answered yes, they do check if people react to their pictures and posts. The least number of respondents answered sometimes, with 1%. This may mean that the respondents do check if people react to their pictures and posts, but rarely as these may not matter to them or that they do not have the time to check in general. The results may suggest that since 68% of the respondents check if other people react to their posts, this means that how people view their self-image online is very important to the respondents. Therefore, Facebook plays an important role in building their confidence and self-image.
Part II: Frequency
A majority (51%) of the respondents use Facebook every day, while the least number of respondents which is 13% use Facebook only twice a week. This may be able to give us insight on how significant Facebook is and why it is used by most of the respondents every day. If the respondents use Facebook only twice a week (13%) the researchers could assume that these respondents do not have the luxury of time to use their Facebook accounts. It is also probable that they have other priorities in their life that matter most.
49% of the respondents have had their Facebook accounts for 3-5 years, while 4%, the least number of respondents, have had their Facebook accounts for only 1-2 years. Since the least number of the respondents only knew about Facebook recently, these respondents have only been aware of Facebook lately. Since 49% of the respondents answered that they have had their Facebook account for 3-5 years, this may show that they have only known about the platform in 2013-2015, and what use it can be to them.
Part III: Purpose
42% of the respondents mainly use Facebook for communication. The least percentage is 1% of the respondents who answered others
A large part of the respondents chose the option friends (25%) as well as classmates (25%), which make up 50% of the respondents’ answers. The least percentage is 1% of the respondents who answered others and specified that their answers are: organization co-members, teachers, fangirls and online stores. Since classmates and friends are the top 2 answers in terms of percentage (25%), it is probable that they prioritize getting to know these two peer groups the most online, and probably prefer using them as sources of information more than anybody else.
A large portion of the respondents chose both the options memes (23%) as well as personal pictures or statuses (23%) which makes up 46% of the respondents. It can be seen that they share or post memes the most online so it may imply that they use Facebook to keep themselves entertained. Using Facebook the most to post pictures or statuses may imply that the respondents use this social medium as a tool of self-expression and a way to update their friends on what is happening to them. The least percentage (5%) which is others specified their answers as: None (4 respondents), anime (2 respondents), music (1 respondent) and K-Pop, (1 respondent)
36% of the respondents chose entertainment as the content they are most interested in seeing. The least percentage is for sports (17%) and news (17%) which make up 34% of the respondents. Although news related information online is very important, this is not the priority of the respondents. It is not their priority when it comes to using Facebook as the news on Facebook may not be reliable. Since the respondents view sports on Facebook rarely, it is probable that they view this through other technological mediums. Since the majority which is 36% supports their answer in the previous question which they are most interested in seeing memes, they use Facebook as a form of entertainment.
The statement “Because their post is interesting” is the option chosen by the majority with 45%. Meanwhile, the least chosen option is others, with the answer specified being “It is sometimes needed”. This may imply that when it comes to academic purposes, Facebook is required. It may be required in the sense that it can show awareness with certain topics discussed in the school or in their curriculum. This shows that majority of the respondents just genuinely click like and react on other people’s post because of mere interest.
75% of the respondents said that yes, they do check other people’s profiles. Meanwhile, 1% of respondents answered sometimes. This may imply that checking other people’s profiles may benefit them, but again is not their priority. This suggests that the respondents use Facebook to update themselves with what is going on with their friends or with people they know through Facebook.
A huge (63%) portion of the respondents said that they check other people’s profile because of curiosity. The least chosen percentage option is (10%) which is the statement saying “I am interested in their opinion about issues”. This may mean that if they are interested in other people’s opinion it is probable that they are considerate and socially sensitive when it comes to other people’s point of view. It could also imply that Facebook is the least used medium to check other people’s point of view.With the biggest percentage as curiosity, the respondents’ answers may suggest that they genuinely just want to know general or basic information about their peers.
Half (50%) of the respondents stated that Facebook has made them closer to their friends. 4% of the respondents say that Facebook has made them closer to strangers, the least chosen option. This could imply that Facebook could actually help the respondents to gain more relationships online. This may show that majority utilize Facebook to maintain relationships and become closer to their friends.
The majority (62%) of the respondents said that they are more comfortable in using Facebook as a means of communication rather than face to face communication. The latter (38%) prefer and are more comfortable with face to face communication. Since the majority of the respondents are more comfortable in using Facebook for communication instead of face to face communication, it is probable that Facebook is a way to break down the social barriers present in real life interaction and therefore this may imply that Facebook can be beneficial in the respondents’ social lives.
Majority (94%) of the respondents use emojis. The remaining 6% do not use emojis.
44% of the respondents use emojis to show more emotion online. The remaining 25% use emojis because “they are cute and entertaining”. This may mean that they like how emojis look. They may find them aesthetically pleasing. Since the majority uses emojis to show more emotion, it is probable that the respondents are aware that there is a possible lack of expression when it comes to communicating online. It is probable that without emojis, emotions are more difficult to express through chat. This may mean that they use emojis to reinforce their feelings and tone when communicating through Facebook chat. Thus, this may also show that they see Facebook as an important tool to show emotions to other people.
The majority (87%) react, view, comment or click like on other people’s posts. The least percentage (6%) of the population states that they always react, view, comment, or click like on other people’s posts. This may mean that the 6% are the respondents that take priority on reacting, viewing, commenting, or clicking like on other people’s posts. Since the majority chose sometimes, it is likely that reacting to one’s post whether through emojis, commenting and viewing their post is not a priority of the respondents, but this does not mean that they do not do it at all. This may show that this aspect is not the main role that Facebook plays for them.
The majority (67%) states that yes, Facebook deepens their relationships. The remaining 33% states that Facebook does not deepen their relationship. Since the 67% states that Facebook does deepen their relationships, it is probable that Facebook is a significant tool for maintaining and improving the state of the respondents’ relationships. And therefore, is beneficial to their social lives.
A large portion of the respondents (51%) states that no, their Facebook friends are not friends with them in real life. This could imply Facebook is not a medium to gain real friends. It could also mean that even if they have Facebook friends, they are not friends with all of these people in real life. The remaining 49% says that yes, their Facebook friends are friends with them in real life. It is probable that they classify some online friends as strangers if they do not have a direct relationship with them.
The majority (57%) states that no, they do not make new friends through Facebook. This could imply that does not make the respondents gain more friends in real life. This also implies that Facebook does not benefit the respondents in terms of making new friends. The remaining 43% states that yes, they do make new friends through Facebook. The majority may use Facebook to maintain their friendships and relationships, but this does not mean they make friends online. This may show that Facebook is not used as a tool to make friends and therefore, the respondents know how to use the medium properly in this aspect.
The majority (72%) states that yes, they use Facebook to get to know people. The remaining 28% states that no, they don’t use Facebook to get to know people. Since 72% of the respondents use Facebook to get to know people, it may be evident that Facebook is used by the respondents to cultivate their friendships further and therefore is an aid to build closer relationships. Facebook can also be utilized for expanding the students’ inner circle and creating real friends.
The majority (65%) states that yes, there are things they only disclose through Facebook and not in person. The remaining 35% state that no, there aren’t things they only disclose through Facebook, but they disclose in person. Since 35% answered no, this may imply that they do not see Facebook as an effective tool when it comes to sharing about their lives especially that disclosing about a person’s life is very personal. This may mean that real life communication is important for the respondents who answered. Since the majority (65%) disclose things through Facebook and not in person, Facebook may be something that the respondents use with more ease in expressing themselves compared to face to face communication. This may mean that Facebook is beneficial in their social lives since it helps them express online what they cannot express in person.
A large part of the respondents (26%) shares stories through Facebook. The least percentage 6% talk about other people on Facebook. The remaining 6% who talk about other people on Facebook shows that Facebook is not only a medium wherein people talk about their own interests and lives but also a medium wherein they talk about the people around them such as their friends, family, acquaintances and even strangers. The data suggest that the respondents disclose information which is primarily stories that may be about themselves family, friends, school or academics.
The majority (72%) states that yes, they become friendlier in person to people they have a relationship with because of Facebook. The remaining 28% states that no, they did not become more friendly in person to people they have a relationship with because of Facebook. This may imply that getting to know people through Facebook may break the social barriers that are present in real life and face to face communication, thus making the friendship closer and more personal.
A big part of the respondents (54%) says that no, they do not gain more real friends through Facebook which may mean that Facebook cultivates relationships that are already formed but is not of use in terms of creating relationships. The remaining of 46% say that no, they don’t gain real friends through Facebook. This may reveal another role of Facebook for the respondents, which is just a mere tool to maintain friendships.
CHAPTER V – SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- To examine if Glendale high school students’ Facebook use is beneficial in their social life.- 50% of the respondents said that Facebook has made them closer to their friends. This shows that half of the respondents who utilize Facebook use it to maintain relationships and become closer to their friends. This clearly shows that Facebook is beneficial to the social lives of Glendale high school students.The majority (62%) of the respondents are more comfortable in using Facebook as a means of communication rather than face to face communication which means that Facebook for them is a way to break down the social barriers present in real life interaction. Therefore Facebook is useful to Glendale high school students’ social lives since it makes their communication with each other a lot easier. This is supported by the Social Presence Theory. This theory states that the quality of a relationship is improved depending on the telecommunication media used, in this case, the different Facebook features used. This theory is manifested as the respondents prefer Facebook as a means of communication instead of face to face communication. This shows that Facebook has a high degree of social presence as it is an efficient social media platform for improving the quality of relationships through communication online.The majority (65%) disclose some things only through Facebook and not in person. Thus, Facebook may be something that the respondents use with more ease in expressing themselves compared to face to face communication. Again, this may mean that Facebook is beneficial in their social lives since it helps them express online what they cannot express in person.The majority (72%) become more friendly in person to people they have a relationship with because of Facebook. Therefore it is evident that getting to know people through Facebook may break the social barriers that are present in real life and face to face communication, thus making the friendship closer and more personal. This is another benefit of Facebook to Glendale high school students’ social lives since Facebook becomes an initial way to make it easier for the students’ to communicate in person.44% of the respondents use emojis to show more emotion online. Without emojis, emotions are more difficult to express through chat. This may mean that they use emojis to reinforce their feelings and tone when communicating through Facebook chat. Thus, this may also show that they see Facebook as a beneficial tool which helps them express emotions to other people.A large part of the respondents chose the option friends (25%) as well as classmates (25%), which make up 50% of the respondents’ answers. It is probable that they prioritize getting to know these two peer groups the most online, and probably prefer using them as sources of information more than anybody else.
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To identify the significance of Facebook in the social lives of Glendale junior high school students.-The theory of Technological Determinism is manifested in the results of the study as the respondents see Facebook as influential. If the platform is influential, it is indeed significant. Facebook does influence the thoughts and actions of the respondents through what they see on Facebook, specifically entertainment. As they are entertained, what they view in the media has an impact on their thoughts and actions. Facebook influences the respondents to prefer socializing online instead of real-life interaction. This may be a reason for their self-confidence as online, they have a stage to share. The majority (51%) of the respondents use Facebook every day. This gives us insight on how significant Facebook is since it is used by most of the respondents every day and has become a part of their daily routine.
- To raise awareness of the roles that Facebook might play in a Glendale high school students’ social life- A big part of the respondents (54%) says that no, they do not gain more real friends through Facebook which may mean that Facebook cultivates relationships that are already formed but is not of use in terms of creating relationships.Majority (72%) of the respondents use Facebook to get to know people. This shows that if Facebook is used by the respondents to cultivate their friendships further, therefore it is an aid to build closer relationships. Facebook can also be utilized for expanding the students’ inner circle and creating real friends.Majority of the respondents, which is (68%) of the total, check if people react to their own pictures and posts. Therefore, Facebook plays an important role in building their confidence and self-image.A large portion of the respondents share memes (23%) as well as personal pictures or statuses (23%) which makes up 46% of the respondents. Using Facebook the most to post pictures or statuses may imply that the respondents use this social medium as a tool of self-expression and a way to update their friends on what is happening to them. 36% of the respondents are most interested in entertainment as content they see online. Since the majority which is 36% supports their answer in the previous question which they are most interested in seeing memes, they use Facebook as a form of entertainment.75% of the respondents check other people’s profiles. This gives us insight on how the respondents utilize Facebook, which is mainly to update themselves with what is going on with their friends or with people they know through the platform.42% of the respondents mainly use Facebook for communication. Since 42% of the respondents use Facebook for communication, this indicates that the main role of Facebook in their social lives is for communication purposes.
- To come up with alternative ways of using Facebook if used improperly in Glendale high school students’ social life.- The majority (57%) do not use Facebook to make new friends. This reveals that Facebook is not used as a tool to make friends and therefore, the respondents know how to use the medium properly in this aspect.A majority (26%) of the respondents add their friends in real life on Facebook. Facebook is where students get to know their friends better and where they can build a connection or personal bond. Data also shows that respondents rarely add strangers on their Facebook accounts, implying that they are careful and choose to stay safe online as they do offline.
The researchers, therefore, conclude that Facebook has a strong impact on the social lives of Glendale high school students.
Facebook is beneficial in the social lives of Glendale high school students. The respondents of the study revealed the following reasons why:
a) Facebook helps in building their confidence and a positive self-image.
b) Facebook has made them closer to their friends.
c) They are more comfortable in using Facebook as a means to communicate rather than face to face communication.
d) Facebook helps in deepening their relationships.
e) Facebook helps them get to know people better.
f) There are things that they are able to disclose only through Facebook.
g) They became more friendly in person to their friends on Facebook.
In addition, the researchers also conclude that Facebook is significant in the social lives of Glendale High School students because they use it as a tool for communication almost every day. Furthermore, they also use Facebook to update themselves with what is going on with their friends. And most importantly, results yielded from this study allows the researchers to conclude that Facebook is important in the social lives of Glendale High School students because it has allowed them to be closer to their friends and has deepened their relationships with them, it does not mean that Facebook creates friendships but cultivates them. Facebook also plays many different but equally important roles in the social lives of Glendale High School students.
The first role that it plays in their social lives is as a tool of communication and a tool of entertainment. Second, Facebook does not create friendships entirely, but it cultivates the relationships that have been already formed. Thus, It is an aid in building closer relationships and expanding one’s inner circle. Third, the social media platform is also mainly used to update themselves with what is happening with their friends and family. Facebook, therefore, can be said to be an important supplement to face to face communication. Fourth, Facebook plays an important role in the students’ self- expression thus it builds their confidence and self-image as well and satisfies their curiosity as they are also interested in updating themselves with what is going on with their friends or with people they know through the platform.
Furthermore, the researchers found out that most Glendale High School students are careful in adding random people on Facebook and this shows that they are aware of keeping their privacy safe on Facebook. And therefore, the researchers can conclude that Glendale High School students know how to use Facebook properly. However, it has also been revealed in the study that Glendale High School students are more comfortable in using Facebook to communicate rather than face to face communication and it also helps to make them closer to their friends and to deepen their relationships. Given these findings, the researchers recommend the following alternative ways of using Facebook:
a) Use Facebook only an alternative way to communicate rather than as a preferred tool over face to face communication. Face to face communication still offers more sincerity and transparency than virtual communication. The researchers, therefore, recommend that Glendale High School students still cultivate and practice their face to face communication skills to have better social lives.
b) Spend more time with their friends in person rather than through Facebook to build and sustain close relationships. Facebook should only be used a supplement or aid in deepening relationships, but it should not be the main tool.
c) Their self-image and confidence should not be based on the number of likes they get from their posts. Self-confidence and a positive self-image are important aspects of one’s personality that takes time to gain and to build. Facebook is not equivalent to reality. And not all likes may necessarily be sincere. Moreover, negative comments received on Facebook should also never destroy one’s self-image as each person should know themselves better than other people’s judgments.
d) It was also revealed in the study that Glendale High School students also mostly prefer the entertainment content of Facebook like memes and posts of statuses and pictures by their friends.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
For Glendale High School students and other Users of Facebook
It has been established in this study that Facebook plays an important and significant role in the social lives of Glendale High School students. And although they are using it to build, maintain and sustain closer friendships, they should have the discipline to balance their time between Facebook and cultivating personal relationships with people. As the cliché goes, “Too much of everything is bad”. They should always pay attention to their limitations in using Facebook (as well as other social media platforms) and make sure that they are always aware of how much time they have already spent using the medium. A good way to watch their limit is to mark the time before they log in to Facebook and give themselves a time limit. An hour or two should be enough time for Facebook so as to have balanced time for other activities like reading, watching TV, and spending time with family and friends. Relationships are built not only through chatting, but also by spending quality time and learning the language of face to face non-verbal communication and verbal communication.
Furthermore, Glendale High Students should bear in mind that Facebook is only one form of communication to connect with friends or keep in touch with family and relatives. Face to face interaction is still the best way to communicate with people. They should be aware of that with its strong impact on their social lives, it may be both beneficial and dangerous at the same time without proper etiquette in using it.
For Parents and other Guardians of Glendale High School Students
Ms. Sherrlene Uy, on the other hand, considers a social life healthy if it is cultivating and brings positive benefits to one’s life. A social life is relationships that inspire you and enables you to be motivated to achieve, and explore new things about yourself and the world. Therefore, the school’s high school students should be encouraged to explore other areas of their lives apart from Facebook, if the medium does not give them the benefits they need to have healthy and balanced social lives, surrounded by real and more sincere friends that they encounter face to face and not only virtually.
For Glendale School Administrators and Teachers
Glendale school should prioritize educating High School students with the proper use of Facebook, and perhaps include Media Literacy as a subject in the curriculum of all high school students, and not only for senior high school.
According to the online interview with Mr. Jose Reuben Alagaran, we are what we post. It is important to know the effects so that students would be more responsible and ethical whenever they post anything online. Glendale High School students should be given guidelines on how to use Facebook properly and effectively, so as to remind them the limitation of its role in their social lives. Moreover, they should be made aware of its advantages and disadvantages. Teachers should encourage their children and students that face to face communication is far better than communicating through Facebook.
For Future Researchers
Further studies on this topic can be done given a longer time frame. Future researchers who may be inclined to do Impact studies on Facebook can do more in-depth interviews of High School students, and perhaps cover more than one school to get more respondents in the study. This would make the study more qualitative and would yield more extensive results.
In addition, the topic can be expanded to use other social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. It would perhaps be interesting to find out not only its impact on the social lives of its users but rather focus on its advantages and disadvantages as social media platforms. Another type of study which can be recommended by the researchers would be to make a comparison among the top three social media platforms used by High School Students. Aside from doing the survey, Focus Group Study as a methodology might best work for this kind of study.
For the Study
The research would have been more comprehensive if the researchers were given more time to evaluate the study. The study would have more validity and would be more dependable if the survey was conducted through an inferential analysis. The survey could have been distributed to other schools to provide more concrete proof of the results of the study. The results could have been acquired through the use of a comparative analysis, wherein correlations is used. Therefore, the survey should have been distributed to other institutions as well for the researchers to compare and to contrast the results that have been obtained.
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