Thesis Paper Revised 123.01 2

“Social Media Addiction and its effect on the Academic Performance of the students”
A Research Proposal
Presented to the
Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences
Wesleyan University-Philippines
Cabanatuan City
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Social Work
JUNINA MARIZE TAGACAY
MARY JOY TAGLE
ZYNAH TAGUD
ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

Table of contents:
 Acknowledgement
 Abstract
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
 Rationale
 Review Related Literature
 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
 Statement of the Problem
 Hypothesis
 Definition of Keywords
CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY
 Research design
 Research Locale and Sampling procedures
 Scope and Delimitation
 Research instrument
 Data gathering procedures
 Data analysis
 Appendices
*Appendix I. Request Letter
*Appendix II. Approved Request Letter to Conduct
*Appendix III. Participant Consent Form

*Appendix IV. Certificate of Validation
*Appendix V. The Survey Questionnaire
 Reference List
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Immeasurable appreciation and deepest gratitude for the help and support are extended to
the following persons who in one way or another have contributed in making this study possible.
To Dr. Erlinda C. Mones, our research adviser, we would like to express our sincere
gratitude for continuous support to our study, and for her patience, motivation, enthusiasm, and
immense knowledge. Her guidance helps us all the time especially in writing our thesis. We
could not have imagined having a better advisor and mentor for our research study.
To Mr. Gener S. Subia, our research statistician for sharing his expertise by giving us his
insight, ideas and comments regarding our study. Also for his very kind assistance and skills in
order for us to gather a relevant and concrete data.
To Mrs. Pauline Gaea M. Viola for allowing us to gather data in 2nd Year Social Work
student. We sincerely appreciate your response and effort. The collected data are useful for our
study.
To all 2nd Year Social Work student, for cooperation and for giving time and effort in
terms of providing the researchers all the needed data and information.
Above all, big thanks to our Almighty God who gave us wisdom to come up with this
remarkable study. To His guidance in helping us to surpass all the trials that we encountered and
forgiving determination to pursue our study, and to make this study possible. All for His Glory!
ABSTRACT
This research examined the significant effects of social media addiction to the academic
performance of students. In the study, the researchers used survey questionnaire method with a
total sample of 30 college respondents and found that social media addiction was negatively
associated with students’ academic performance, aside from that researcher also examined its
effect on different variables which includes. Mental health, time management, financial, social,
physical, and spiritual well-being of students. The current studies yielded original findings that

contribute to the empirical database on social media addiction and that have important theoretical
and practical implications. As such, it was recommended that intervention program must be
implemented and a proper education or counseling to students for them to be able to know the
proper use of social media and how to mitigate the excessive usage of it.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
RATIONALE

In recent years, social networks have become an important asset in the lives of
students. Teenagers are satisfied using social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and many
others. Their lives now rely on social networks to interact with each other. So, it becomes a basic
need for them. Social media often attracts people's interaction through social networks and blogs.
Social media is defined as a platform that helps users connect with other users through simple
internet access. Formally speaking, according to Cambridge Dictionary, social media are
"websites and computer programs that allow people to communicate and share information on
the internet via a computer or mobile phone," social media can be defined as a venue for
informal mass communication.
Social media makes present, influences the social structure of our society, is
changing the nature of social relationships, especially to student. Social media are websites and
applications that allow you to create and share content that benefits your users and join social
networks. Social media consists of online technologies, practicing activities, or societies that
people use to generate content and share thoughts, visions, experiences, and viewpoints. Social
networking is known as the alliance of individuals into a specific set of potential groups or
subdivisions. Social networking allows individuals to express their thoughts to other users.
Social network used for several purposes like promoting or distributing news contents
worldwide. Social networking sites and Facebook socializing via the internet have become an
increasingly important part of young adult life.
As a result, social networking gets better day by day. Therefore, more and more
teenagers are joining social networks to communicate. Teenagers are among of the biggest users
of social media. Some people argue that the advancement of social media threatens the lives of
teenagers because of their addiction to social media. On the other hand, others believe it
improves students' access to education and culture. The new generation is a generation addicted
to electronics. This addiction, young people face many effects in their life.
Scientists have found an increasing number of alarming connections in recent years

between social networking and mental health issues, from anxiety to serious depression.

Additionally, studies are focusing on how teen social media affects the developing adolescent
brain. Adolescents are most at risk for developing social media addiction, which appears to be a
novel type of behavioral addiction (Newport Academy, 2022).
It is possible that social media addiction contributes to lower self-esteem, which, in

turn, leads to a decrease in mental health and academic performance. In other words, self-esteem
may play a mediating role in the relations of social media addiction to mental health and
academic performance. Studies have found that students who spend more time on social media
sites are likely to demonstrate poor academic performance. This is because they spend time
chatting online and making friends on social media sites instead of reading books.
Kwok- Kei et al. (2014) The Philippines has the highest rate of internet addiction,
according to both the CIAS-R (21%) and IAT (5%). Addiction to the internet is widespread
among Asian youths. countries. Risky cyber behaviors are common in Internet use that is
problematic. Social media use will continue to be a prominent topic of debate due to the rapid
improvement of internet technology, the rise in the prevalence of smartphone ownership among
young people, the uncertainty surrounding the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the
impact of social media addiction on student academic performance.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Social media addiction and its effect on students’ Mental health
Social media addiction is a behavioral addiction that is defined by being overly

concerned about social media, driven by an uncontrollable urge to log on to or use social media,
and devoting so much time and effort to social media that it impairs other important life areas
(Hilliard 2021). Studies have shown that the constant stream of retweets, likes, and shares from

these sites cause the brain’s reward area to trigger the same kind of chemical reaction seen with
drugs.
The level of social media addiction had a significant relationship between social media
addiction and mental health depression, anxiety, and loss of concentration (Kreya, Math & Wok,
Saodah 2021). Students are prone to self-pity when they see unreasonable beauty standards
posted in social media. Social media is also bombarded with negative thoughts and opinions
from their peers that might cause them to degrade their own selves and develop low self-esteem.
Studies have shown that signs of social media dependency can occur in mood, memory, physical
and emotional responses, interpersonal and psychological problems (Balakrishnan & Shamim,
2013; Durak, & Sherstyuk, 2017).
Another study shows that when students spend more time in social media, they spend less
time socializing with others or in person. Students can also sometimes waste their time in social
media. As a result, students cannot communicate and socialize effectively in individuals and
strong communication skills are well known to play an important role in their performance.
Human social interaction has been affected since the introduction of technology and social media
platforms. Personal socialization is better than online communication. Face to face interaction
allows deep personal connection with the real world. Being a student who are more engage in
social media and not in the personal world is prone to fear of socialization and speech problems
(Face-to-Face versus Online Socialization. (2016).
Based on the theory of behavioral explanation, a person enters social networks for
rewards such as escaping reality and entertainment (Sadock BJ, Sadock VA. Kaplan and
Sadock's 2011). People tend to spend an hour scrolling through Facebook or Twitter feeds when
they are bored, lonely, or wanting some temporary relief from a stressful situation, rather than
having the time of their lives on vacation or having an engaging conversation with a friend
(Rachel Cohen, 2014). Social media clearly had a way of people to escape from reality, but the
bad thing is people loss their ability to engage with problems and face the reality that life is hard.

Social media addiction and its effect on the behavior of the students
Due to technological development and internet advancements, people nowadays have

been surfing the net and browsing their social media accounts all day. Social media is a
collective term for websites and applications that focus on communication, community-based
input, interaction, content-sharing, and collaboration. People use social media to stay in touch
and interact with friends, family, and various communities. Businesses use social applications to
market and promote their products and track customer concerns (Lutkevich, Wigmore. 2021).
People use these networks or applications to connect with one another and share information,
thoughts, and ideas. But with all these positive uses of social media there is still challenges and
problem that arises, and that is when people abuse the usage of it. Social media use becomes
problematic when someone views social networking sites as an important coping mechanism to
relieve stress, loneliness, or depression (Hilliard 2021). S Social media addiction is a
behavioral addiction that is characterized as being overly concerned about social media, driven
by an uncontrollable urge to log on to or use social media, and devoting so much time and effort
to social media that it impairs other important life areas. Students are one of the most important
users of the virtual world and social networks. The overuse of social networks has positive and
negative academic, social, and health consequences for the students (Azizi, S.M., Soroush, A. &
Khatony, A. 2019)
This literature review examines the effect of social media addition in relation to the
academic performance of students. Additionally, it illustrates how the roles of teachers and
parents needs to be employed to minimize the use of this sites for students and other young
individuals.
Social media addiction and its effect on Academic Performance
Students are one of the most important users of the virtual world and social networks.
The overuse of social networks has positive and negative academic, social, and health

consequences for the students. Reduced academic performance is one of the most important
consequences of social networking overuse for students (Sah P, Sah AK, et al 2016). Another
study showed that the Grade Point Average (GPA) of students who were addicted to social
networking is relatively lower as compared to other students (Tsai R. 2018). Another Findings of
a study in Iran (2018) also showed a significant correlation between addiction to the internet and
educational burnout (Imani A, Esmaeeli S. et al 2018). Social media addiction may interfere with
students’ work by distracting them and making them unable to stay focused. Research has shown
that multitasking has negative effects on the performance of specific tasks (Ophir, Nass, &
Wagner, 2009). The amount of time one spends using social media is negatively correlated with
their academic performance (Jamal Al-Menayes 2015).
The presented studies provided strong support for the relation of social media addiction
to academic outcomes. These findings suggest that helping college students to gain a better
understanding of the adverse effects of social media addiction help to improve mental health and
academic performance.
When it comes to Internet addiction, the emergence of anytime, anywhere, Wi-Fi

connection in mobile phones and the widespread availability of free social networking programs
made them impossible to distinguish from personal computers. Mobile phones are portable
devices allowing people to have access on a trouble-free Internet access wherever they are.
Because of its portability, it is an ideal medium for Internet users. From a psychological
standpoint, social media offers a wide range of experiences to people, good and bad, each with a
potential to lead to uncontrollable and undesirable behaviors.
“Texting” is a feature of mobile phones that may have a substantial impact on addictive
behavior. Whether directly or through the use of social media platforms such as Facebook
Messenger, WhatsApp, and similar apps. According to recent research, young people are
increasingly abandoning Facebook in favor of Twitter, particularly when their parents have
begun to use the latter and want their children to communicate with them (Madden et al., 2013).
These kinds of apps are becoming more popular, allowing users to access a variety of services

such as Tiktok, which allows users to record short videos to share with their social media
followers. The inclination of these social media platforms and their apps to have users use them
on a frequent basis, is a common feature. “Stickiness” is a feature of their business models,
which rely on a mountain of data on user actions to share with corporate clients in order to sell
goods and services to certain segments.
Social networking addiction is defined as a mental preoccupation with the use of social
networks and the allocation of time to these networks to the point where it interferes with other
social activities such as occupational and professional activities, interpersonal relationships, and
health, causing life disruption. Social networking has a harmful impact on physical and mental
health, leading to behavioral problems such as sadness, anxiety, and mania.
Findings of a study conducted on German students (2017) revealed a link between Facebook
addiction, narcissism, sadness, anxiety, and stress. People with worry, stress, despair, and low
self-esteem are thought to be more prone to social networking addiction. According to Grifith
(2005), addictive behavior is defined as a behavior that has salience, mood modification,
tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse.
Addiction is a mental condition induced by the effects of substances or other

circumstances on the brain's reward system. According to Kelly and Berridge (2002), the brain
has evolved in such a way that it can only respond to natural rewards. Nonetheless, humans have
learned how to artificially stimulate the brain's reward system (using social media, for example),
which can lead to behavioral addiction.
Addictive behavior is defined as a pattern of behavior that increases a person's risk of

disease or social difficulties. Addictive behaviors, such as excessive use of the internet or social
media, have become a part of students' daily lives during the last decade. Ignoring real-life
difficulties, neglecting oneself, mood swings, disguising addictive habits, and having mental
concerns are all symptoms of social networking addiction.

Studies in the sociological community reveal that there is a negative relationship between
the social media use and academic achievement. For example, (Rosen et al., 2013) looked into
the behavior and study environments of 263 students from various educational levels, such as
middle school, high school, and university. Students were observed for 15 minutes, and their on-
task and off-task conduct was recorded every minute. Students become distracted in less than 6
minutes on average before turning to technology distractions like social media and texting.
(Junco, 2012) investigated the relationship between Facebook use and academic achievement by
polling 1839 college students about their Facebook usage and compared it to their grades.
According to the findings, there is a negative relationship between time spent on Facebook and
grades. In comparison to other activities such as studying or attending classes, it appears that
social media provides students with immediate enjoyment. (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011).
A number of studies have found that technological addictions, such as Internet and social
networking site addictions, have positive associations with stress, anxiety, and depression, as
well as negative associations with academic performance, all of which have negative
consequences for life satisfaction (Hawi & Samaha, 2016; Kabasakal, 2015; Kuss, Griffiths,
Karila, & Billieux, 2014; Lepp, Barkley, & Karpinski, 2014; Samaha & Hawi, 2016). Facebook
addicts exhibited worse self-esteem and life happiness than non-addicts, according to a recent
study of 381 Polish Facebook users (Bachnio et al., 2016). This was reinforced by research of
311 Turkish undergraduate students, which found that life satisfaction was negatively related to
problematic Facebook use (Satici & Uysal, 2015).
The role of social media
Social networking sites, also known as SNS, are predominantly used for social purposes
(Kuss & Griffiths, 2011). Almost all Internet users say that one of their primary purposes for
going online is for communication. Today, people use it to socialize with people they know and
to expand their circle of friends. Social media provides a platform for users to connect and
interact with one another and mutual friends (Correa, Hinsley and Zuniga, 2010). In a survey

conducted by the Pew Research Center, 67% of all Internet users’ network on social media sites
(Duggan & Brenner, 2013). Facebook is the most popular site on the Internet. Over 800 million
people use Facebook and 225 million use Twitter. People spend 700 billion minutes each month
using Facebook and, to date, have uploaded more than 100 billion photos to the site (Dill, 2013).
How millennials use social media The predominant social networking users are young adults,
also referred to as millennials (Correa, Hinsley and Zuniga, 2010). According to an article in the
Diplomatic Courier, 75% of millennials (people aged 18-29) use social networking platforms.
The percentage is likely due to Generation Y’s expressive nature and members’ willingness to
expressive themselves publicly, through social media (Kraus, 2012). The Pew Research Center
reports that 67% of the population use social networking sites. Of that percentage, adults aged
18-29 compose the majority of users on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Users on
Pinterest are mostly under the age of 50 (Duggan & Brenner, 2013). In a 2012 report, Mintel
reported that half of all adults aged 18-34 enjoy posting photos and multimedia content to social
networks, not just those who are active users. Millennials were 5 twice as likely as seniors to use
Facebook daily. In 2012, about one in five millennials used Twitter on a daily basis. The
youngest millennials, age 18-24, were even more likely to use social media. About three in four
18–24-year-olds checked in to social networks daily. Nine in ten of them used Facebook, while
one in three used blogs and photo or video sharing sites. Millennials were also more likely to
have more friends on their social media sites than older users. In a survey of 2,000 users aged
18+, respondents 18-24 reported a mean of 306 friends on their main network and respondents
aged 25-24 reported a mean of 211 (Hulkower, 2012). In February 2013, The Pew Research
Center also published a report on the demographics of social media usage. Pew reports that 83%
of Internet users aged 18-29 use social media. Of Internet users age 18-29, 86% use Facebook,
28% use Instagram, 27% use Twitter, 19% use Pinterest and 13% use Tumblr (Duggan &
Brenner, 2013). Thompson and Lougheed (2012) report that college students spend
approximately two hours a day on their social network sites. Social media use and gender
Research suggests that women are more likely than men to use social networks. According to the
Pew Research Center, 71% of female Internet users use social media, while 62% of men use

social media. Women are more likely to use Facebook (72% female Internet users; 6% male
Internet users), Pinterest (25% female Internet users; 5% male Internet users), and Instagram
(16% female Internet users; 10% male Internet users). Men and women are equally likely to use
Tumblr, with 6% of both male and female Internet users present on the network. Twitter, on the
other hand, attracts slightly more male than female users (17% male Internet users; 15% female
Internet users) (Duggan & Brenner, 2013). 6 Women are also more engaged than men. The
majority of women use Facebook daily— 32% more than men. Women enjoy posting
multimedia content to networks more than men and are more likely to be invited to make new
connections or to send friend requests (Hulkower, 2012). Women tend to use social networking
sites more for keeping in touch with current friends, communicating with peer group members,
entertainment, and passing time; while men tend to use it for meeting new friends, social
compensation, learning, and social identity gratification. Males are generally more likely to
become addicted to SNS games, which make them more prone to SNS addiction (Kuss &
Griffiths, 2011). Social media use and personality differences In a study to determine the
relationship between personality and social media usage, scholars focused on three dimensions
of the Big Five model: extraversion, emotional stability and openness to experience. The study
concluded that people who are more extraverted use social media more frequently. Secondly, it
concluded that people who are more anxious and worrisome are more likely to be heavy users.
Thirdly, it concluded that people who are more open to new experiences are more likely to use
social media; thus, people who use social media are more likely to be innovative and creative.
These results also differed by gender. For men, extraversion and emotional instability were
stronger predictors of social media use. For women, extraversion and openness to experience
were stronger predictors. For millennials, extraversion was the only personality trait related to
social media use. Overall, among the three personality dimensions, extraversion was the
strongest predictor of social media use. The study suggests that extraverted people may tend to
engage in social 7 networking because it allows them to openly communicate with people online
(Correa, Hinsley and Zuniga, 2010). According to a Psychology Today article, social media
reflects users’ real personality. The article suggests that Facebook reflects more about

personality than a person’s ideal personality. In a study of emotional experience on Facebook,
German researchers discovered that people who “lurk” on Facebook or more likely to envy other
users. “Lurkers” who passively observe other users’ lives on Facebook without liking their
photos and statuses are more likely to be envious than users who actively participate on the site.
Typically, lurkers tend to envy others for their travel and leisure experiences, social interactions
and overall happiness. Their passive following correlates to lower life satisfaction, while active
participation correlates to higher life satisfaction (Dill, 2013). Gender differences and addiction
Women have evolved over the years with better communication skills. They can more quickly
pick up on emotional social cues, and use language for the basis of all of their relationships.
However face-to-face communication and emotional indicators are not available through the
Internet, and this causes stress, which could lead women to spend more time online and become
addicted. In a written survey experiment using a convenience sample of 268 college students,
76% were freshman, 53.3% were women, approximately 19.23 years old, and men were
approximately 18.94 years old, and 76.5% were white. The results stated that men reported more
minutes on the Internet weekly, but there was not a significant difference by gender. Of the
participants, 94% had Facebook, and there was no significant difference by gender. Females
however spent more of their Internet time on Facebook than men (61.7% > 44.0%.) Averagely,
the participants had about 587 Facebook friends, with no significant difference amongst genders.
8 However, there was a significant difference in the amount of time looking at others’ profiles
amongst men and women, with men looking only about 10 min of their Facebook time, and
women looking for 24 minutes. Women were also classified as heavier Facebook users than men
(light being less than 60 min a day), as 61.6% of men were classified as light, while only 38.4%
of them heavy, while women were 47.55% light users, and 52.45% heavy users. Women have
been found to be on social media more (62% of the internet time, while men are only 44%). On
the survey questions, women had a much higher “strongly agree” response to the following
questions: sometimes feel addicted, helps express emotions, Facebook is part of everyday
activity, feel out of touch without Facebook, are frequently on Facebook longer than they
intended, Facebook helps them feel closer to friends, pictures and posts can create negative

feelings on self-body image, often lose sleep due to Facebook usage, Facebook usage creates
stress, feeling anxious without Facebook, wish for no need to “need” Facebook, and that
Facebook energizes them (Thompson & Lougheed, 2012). Personality differences and social
media addiction People with high self-esteem and extraverted personalities tend to have larger
social networks, and use them for social enhancement, while introverts tend to have smaller
groups of online friends and use social networking sites (SNS) to compensate for their lack of
real-world social activity. Extraverts tend to use SNS more frequently in terms and are usually
involved in more groups, while introverts tend to use Facebook to disclose personal information,
which can benefit those who are shy and cannot disclose such details to those around them
without the use of media. One cannot simply be abstinent from all social media, as it is a key part
of our employment and culture. Instead, they must learn to use SNS accounts with more control.
Narcissists are much more prone to addiction, as their varying levels of esteem make 9 them
much more vulnerable to the need for acceptance through media. It is possible to have two
behavioral addictions, such as being a workaholic and being SNS addicted, but it is unlikely. It is
however likely and possible to become addicted to SNS as well as drugs or alcohol, as they
display many of the same addiction tendencies and behaviors. These include mood modification,
salience, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse. In 2007, an online survey found
that 40% of the sample was an average user of the Internet, 52% over users, and 8% Internet
addicts. Those found to be Internet addicts were seen to have low extraversion, high amounts of
hours spent in online activities, support from Internet social networks, neuroticism, social
anxiety, and emotional loneliness. Having a neurotic personality is a high indicator of possible
Internet addiction, specifically on social media. High levels of perceived support from online
social networks predict the degree of excessive Internet use. Over-users tended to be younger
and less experienced in computer use than the average and addicted users. However, more
research is necessary for the role of personality in social media addiction. (Hardie & Tee, 2007)
The controversy about social media addiction the term “social media addiction” is relatively
new. There is a scarce amount of research on social media as an addiction. Thus, scholars differ
in opinion as to whether or not people can become addicted to social media. Addiction is a

compulsion, which causes severe trauma to a person’s life. Some scholars say that overuse of
social media does not define an addiction. People may be nonchalantly using the term because it
is a popular topic. Today, social media has become the predominant form of communication
among younger generations; it may simply be replacing other forms of communication. In a
2011 article from South University, psychologist 10 Mark Fabbri says that interaction on social
networking sites is not a negative thing (Donley, 2011). On the other hand, a 2012 study at the
University of Chicago concluded that social media may be more addictive that cigarettes and
alcohol. The study suggests that desires to use social media may be harder to resist because
social media is highly available and engagement does not seem harmful (Flacy, 2012). The study
found that receiving a notification, such as when someone retweets his or her messages on
Twitter, induces a burst of dopamine. Conversely, a lack of interaction or endorsement causes
anxiety and jealousy (Bennett, 2013). Social media addiction is now a recognized term in the
United Kingdom. According to Reuters, psychiatrists say that looking at Facebook or Twitter
more than 10 times a day may be a sign of addiction. If usage exceeds five hours a day, signs are
especially alarming. Psychiatrists in London treat 100 social media addicts a year who have
neglected even basic self-care because of their social media habits (Bennett, 2013). A Mashable
infographic states that, in 2013, the United States will recognize Internet Addiction Disorder as a
real disorder in the DSM-V (Franceschi-Bicchierai, 2012). According to an article in the
Washington Post, anxiety drives some social media users to want to give up the habit, but they
delay deleting their accounts because they are afraid of missing out on something. The article
states that some users try to leave their social media accounts, bu anxiety leads many quitters to
return to social media within 24 hours. Larry Rosen, author of iDisorder, believes that excessive
social media usage is not an addiction, but rather an obsession because people use social media
to reduce anxiety, not to gain pleasure (Boyle, 2012).
Foreign Literature
The concept of social media

Social media continuously keeps changing and as such it is difficult to assign a
fixed definition to it as Jacka and Scott (2011), argued that ‘’there is no single
recognized definition for social media’’. However, some scholars have defined it
in different perspectives over the past years. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010),
defined social media as a group of internets- based applications that build on
the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and allow the creation
and exchange of user-generated content. The Oxford dictionary (2011), also
defined social media as “websites and applications used for social networking”.
Another definition of social media is that it is a ‘’communication channel which
is very popular, extremely fast and broad, has proven to be highly effective, as
well as trusted by billions of people, to share and discover content concerning
individuals, brands, information, entertainment and knowhow’’ (Dearborn,
2014). One theme that all these definitions underpin is that social media
involves some form of communication between individuals over the internet.
Social media began in the late 1990s with the first recognized social media
network called “Six Degrees “in 1997 and this technology enabled people to
upload a profile and make friends. From 1997 to 2001 a number of community
tools; Asian Avenue, blackplanet and MiGente began supporting various
combination of profile and publicly articulated friend (Boyd, Danah, Ellison
and Nicole, 2007). There has been tremendous improvement since this era and
today there exist uncountable social networking sites either developed for local

use, specific purpose or international use. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010),
classified social media into six (6) different categories as follows;
1. Collaborative project (Wikipedia)
2. Blogs and microblogs (twitter)
3. Content communities (YouTube)
4. Social networking sites (FB, 2go, BB chat)
5. Virtual game World (world of warcraft)
6. Virtual second world (second life)
This classification of social media into classes has been useful to scholars and
individuals for easy identification and study of a particular social media type
but today a difficulty may arise due the high proliferation of social media and
one may wonder which group a new developed social media type fit into. Social
media is considered to be the fastest growing web application in the 21 century
and this rapid development is being backed by technological advancement
(Heyam, 2014). Mankind has enormously benefited and continues to benefit
from it and as such cannot underestimate its importance as far as
communication is concerned. Today, social media has taken a new dimension
and has encouraged more participation through the introduction of mobile
phones that support social networks applications.
Positive effects of social media on students’ academic life

Students’ academic life has moved to a different dimension since the
introduction of these social media networks and several studies have affirmed
that social media plays an important role on students in higher education
including the study conducted by Wheeler, Yeomans and Wheeler, (2008);
Rifkin, Longnecker, Leach and Ortia, (2009). In their study, they recognized
four (4) major advantages of social media usage by students in higher
education which included; enhancing relationship, improving learning
motivation, offering personalized course material, and developing collaborative
abilities. Indeed, social media has contributed greatly to facilitating learning in
the 21st century. It is shown that a greater percentage of students including
those at the PhD level commonly use social media to ameliorate their studies
(Khan, 2010). The answers to the causes of flexible studies today across the
globe might not be far-fetched from the great contribution that social media
platforms are providing when used judiciously. Even though, there have been
other school of thought that states that social media is a nuisance to students’
academic life such as Kuppuswamy and Shankar (2010), who argued in their
study that social networks distract the attention and concentration of the
students toward learning and converts it towards non educational activities
such as useless and unnecessary chatting, there have been several studies
conducted afterwards whose findings are contrary to this claim. For instance,
the study conducted by Jain, Verma, Verma and Tiwari (2012), titled “the

impact of social networking in promoting education’’ revealed that students
benefit from chatting with other students, teachers and external sources to
acquire knowledge. Also, Yunus and Salehi (2012), argued in the same
direction that students gained more vocabulary, improved their writing skills
and reduced their spelling mistakes through social media usage. In fact, as an
educational tool, social media enriches learning by giving both students and
teachers the opportunity to connect in new and very exciting ways thereby
encouraging flexible mode of learning. It is stated that flexible learning expands
the choice on what, when and how people learn. It supports different styles of
learning including E-learning which is highly patronized across the globe
(Pappas, 2013). Other scholars; O’keeffe and Clake-pearson (2011), in their
study also revealed that social media benefits students by connecting them to
one another on assignments and class projects. It is further buttressed in the
study of Arquero and Esteban (2013) and Selwyn (2007) whose conclusions
were that social media undoubtedly generate new opportunities to engage
students in higher education as they are remarkably effective at connecting
people and facilitating the exchange of information. It is clear and indisputable
from these studies that social media usage in the educational sector cannot be
underestimated since its introduction.
Negative effects of social media on students’ academic life

Davies and Cranston (2008), enumerated some of the risks associated with
social media which included criminal activities such as identity theft and fake
contacts which is prevalent today, sexual abuse or harassment and unsuitable
advertising. On the same subject O’keeffe and Clake-pearson (2011), also
mentioned cyberbullying, online harassment, sexting, Facebook depression,
and privacy concerns as some of the challenges associated with social
networking.
Cyberbullying: cyberbullying is a category of bullying that occurs in the digital
realm or medium of electronic text. ‘‘It is any behavior performed through
electronic or digital media by individuals or groups that repeatedly
communicates hostile or aggressive messages intended to inflict harm or
discomfort on others’’ (Tokunaga, 2010). Cyberbullying is one the serious
threat in the social media environment and has called for a number of studies
to determine its causes. The causes of cyberbullying according to Calvete,
Orue, Estevez, Villardon and Padilla (2010), was significantly related with the
use of proactive aggression, justification of violence, exposure to violence and
less perceived social support of friends.
Privacy concerns: this is another concern that everyone involved in social
networking is faced with. The rate at which people post or share fake
information calls for alarm and it is difficult to ascertain that, what people say

and post are truly who they are. Individuals’ private information are publicly
displayed on some of these social networks and malicious people
take advantage and perpetrate all kinds of harassment. It is also argued that
the privacy options offered by most social networking sites (SNSs) do not
provide users with the flexibility needed to handle conflicts with individuals
who have different conceptions of privacy (Preibusch, Hoser, Gurses and
Berendt, 2007). Aside these effects, other studies conducted by scholars have
also proved that social media can be detrimental to students’ academic life if
caution is not taken in its usage. For instance, the study conducted by Obi,
Bulus, Adamu and Sala’at (2012), titled “The need for safety consciousness
among Youths on social Networking Sites” concluded that social media affects
students use of English. They use short-handwriting when chatting with
friends and unconsciously get used to it thereby replicating same errors during
examinations. Even though one may argue that these are minor challenges, it
is important to acknowledge the increasing rate at which these errors are
replicated in the education sector and if care is not taken future generation
may see it as a norm. Indeed, a number of studies including but not limited to
the study of Kuppuswamy and Shankar (2010), Osharive (2015), Maya (2015),
among others have revealed unequivocally that social media can be
problematic to students’ academic life if caution is not taken in its usage.

Basically, this study is about how social Media networks affects the
performance of students that how their grade points affected through using
such networks. Some most commonly used social Medias are Facebook, Skype,
twitter, YouTube, Google. In different countries a large number of researchers
have been work on this issue to evaluate this increasing trend among students.
Most of the studies presented the results in against social media and argued
that it has negative results for student and younger generation. According to
this study social media has emerging positive effect on the students and causes
for their high results grade. These studies also argued that students spent
most of their time on such activates and easily completed their home
assignments and Projects.
Junco, Heibergert, and Loken et al (2011) a study is conducted on 132
students in order to examine the relationship of social media and engagement
of students with it& social media and grades of students. To examine this
relationship the students were divided into two groups, one group use twitter
and the other group did not use twitter account. It was used to make
discussions about study material, organize the study groups in a manner, also
post the announcements of class, and remain in touch with class fellows.
Junco and his coworkers (2011) surprised that the students of Twitter group
achieve greater GPAs and higher scores than the other group.

According to the outcome, students’ academic performance is affected
the more they use Facebook. Social platforms are mainly used by students for
socializing activities rather than academic purpose Oye (2012). In addition, Oye
(2012) said that majority of students feel that social platforms have positive
impact on academic growth. Rather (2013, p. 69) avers that: the social
platforms which are being used today with great desire and enthusiasm have
altered the way of using internets in this modern age by defining online tools
and utilities which allow users for communication, participation and
collaboration of information online. Today’s young generation, especially teens
and youth are using technology through innovative ways due to which they are
referred to as millennial and have changed the way they think, work and
communicate even though they are in formative years of their life. Today’s
youth because of social platforms have become technology addicts and are
quite Withdrawn.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Revised Rational Addiction Theory
On a Decision-Making Perspective, an increase in an intrinsically rewarding behavior

changes an individual’s utility assessment by reducing one’s attention to future negative
outcomes and increasing one’s outcomes and increasing one’s expectations for future rewards, to
an extent that addiction develops (Wang, Lee, & Hua, 2015). In relevance, the variables being

measured in this theory are: The past increases in social media use or use intensity and the habit
of people. Most students tend to follow their own self-interests which leads to future
consequences. If the students prioritize their academic responsibilities as a self-interest, a
positive consequence will occur. If the students prioritize spending time on social media,
addiction acts as a negative consequence, affecting the students’ academic performance.
Dual System Model Involving Impulse and Self-Control, on a Neurobiological

Perspective, human decisions to engage in or avoid a behavior are guided by a “tug-of-war”
between two structurally and conceptually different types of brain systems: an Impulsive
precursor, mostly automatic reflexive system, and an Reflective precursor, controlled reflective
system (Evans, 2008; Kahneman, 2011). In related with this, students are exposed to social
media due to innovation in technology. Social media has its pros and cons which may affect the
students’ academic performance, as too much exposure may lead to addiction.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The conceptual framework illustrates two categories including independent and

dependent variable. The conceptual framework presents the expected relationship between the
variables. It outlines the pertinent research goals for the present study and shows how they
connect to provide logical findings. Figure 1 illustrates the visual representation, specifically, the
cause and effect relationship.
Figure 1. Research paradigm.
INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
Profile of the respondents according to: Impact of Social Media Addiction

on the Academic Performance of
A. Gender the Respondents in terms of:
B. Age
C. Civil Status  Time Management
D. Year Level  General Average Grade
 Social media Platforms
E. Course
F. Average grade
Figure 1.
It shows the 2 boxes which is the independent and dependent model. The independent
frame includes the profile of the respondents according to gender, age, civil status, year level,
course and average grade. It also includes the problem encountered by using social media like
mental problems, physical problems, financial problems, social and spiritual problems. The
dependent frame shows the impact of social media addiction on the academic performance of the
respondents in terms of time management, general average grade and social media platforms.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This study aims to determine how the social media addiction can affect the academic
performance students.
Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following:
1. How may the profile of the respondents can be described in terms of:
1.1 Gender
1.2 Age
1.3 Civil status

1.4 Year level
1.5 Course
1.6 Average grade
1.7 Gadget used
1.8 Preferred social media platforms
1.9 Internet connection used
1.10 Parents occupation
 Mother
 Father
1.11 Monthly Income
2. How may the social media addiction can affect the academic performance of the
students in terms of:
2.1 Time management
2.2 Academic distraction
3. What are the problems met by the students using social media in terms of:
3.1 Mental problems
3.2 Physical problems
3.3 Social problems
3.4 Spiritual problems
3.5 Financial problems
4. What are the solutions can be recommended based on findings of the study?
HYPOTHESIS
This study postulates the following hypotheses.

 There is no significant relationship between the profile and academic performance of the
respondents
 There is no significant relationship between the problem and the academic performance
of the respondents
 There is no significant relationship between the profile and the problem of the
respondents
DEFINITION OF KEYWORDS
Academic Distraction - Refers to student's ability to perform academic tasks such as reading,
writing, and attention for completing academic tasks with accuracy and precision is affected by
some factors.
Average Grades - Course grades by taking the sum of all numerical grades awarded in a course
and then dividing that sum by the total number of grades awarded.
Academic Performance - The measurement of student achievement across various academic

subjects.

Financial Problem - Students often struggle to make ends meet and afford their education, and
many of them suffer from low income, low financial literacy, compulsive spending tendencies,
and high debt levels.
Gadget used - Device that commonly used by the respondents. It should be mobile, laptop,
tablet and etc.
Mental Problems - Sometimes student spend so many hours on social media that they begin to
lose valuable sleep. Consequently, this sleep loss can lead to moodiness, a drop in grades, and
overeating, as well as exacerbate existing problems like depression and anxiety.
Physical Problem - social media and mobile devices may lead to psychological and physical
issues, such as eyestrain and difficulty focusing on important tasks.
Social Media Platforms - Different kinds of social media that can be used by the respondents.
Social Media- Refers to the means of interaction among people in which they create, share and/
or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks.
Social Problem – A condition or behavior that has negative consequences for large numbers of
people and that is generally recognized as a condition or behavior that needs to be addressed.
Spiritual Problems - Refer to conflicts over spiritual matters with God/Higher Power, within
oneself, and with other people. These conflicts generate distressing emotions and questions about
one's spiritual journey in life.
Time management- It’s the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent
on specific activities.

CHAPTER II
METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH DESIGN
The researcher will use the Quantitative research design, it is a formal, objective and
systematic process in which numerical data will be used to obtain information about the variable.
It is used to described and examine relationship between and among variables. This design will
be used since the main purpose of the study is to determine the effect of social media addiction in
the academic performance of the students and to see their situation to how they control
themselves in social media usage.

RESEARCH LOCALE
This study will be conducted at Wesleyan University-Philippines this place was selected
for knowing the efficiency of the said study among students, it has been implemented on the
students at Wesleyan University-Philippines, this study will test the effect of social media
addiction in the academic performance of the students and to see their situation to how they
control social media usage.
SAMPLING PROCEDURE
The researchers were utilizing the simple random sampling. The simple random sampling
procedure is a part of the sampling technique in which each sample has an equal probability of
being chosen. By which the researchers will randomly select Social Work students from second
year that are using the social media in doing their schoolworks. The simple random sampling
method is one of the most convenient and simple sample selection techniques.
SCOPE AND DELIMITATION
This research entitled social media addiction and its effect on the academic performance
of the students. This research focuses on how the social media addiction can affect the students.
Factors that can affect the academic performance of the students while they are addicted on the
social media.
This research will be conducted at Wesleyan University-Philippines located in Mabini

Street Extension, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. The researcher will make a questionnaire as the
fundamental tool that will be conducted to the 2nd year Bachelor of Science in Social Work
students.
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
The researcher used questionnaire to gather data to support the study. The research
instrument is consisted of two parts. The first part will gather respondent’s profile such as their
age, gender, year level, course, civil status, as well as their average grades, gadget used,

preferred social media platforms, internet connection used, parent’s occupation and their
monthly income. The second part of the research instrument consist of scale questions in which
the respondents must rate their answer by marking (X). This part consisted of three sections, the
first section is about time management of the students, second section is the academic distraction
that students might experience while using social media. The last sections are about the problems
encountered by the respondents using social media. These are the mental problems, physical
problems, social problems, spiritual problems and financial problems. The total number of
questions is 34 items. The test will require 30 minutes of answering.
DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE
The researchers made a letter permission to conduct a study and will distributes
questionnaire to the respondents. The researchers then, will send survey questionnaire as their
means of collecting data and conduct the study at Wesleyan University Philippines through
messenger and emails. The researchers assured that the instrument is reliable, consistent, and
accurate to collect proper data that is suitable with the research goal. The questionnaire is
administered and distributed to two different groups of students of BSSW 2nd year. The
researcher will group students according to their academic excellence achieved in school. The
students’ grades and achievement are verified through school records. The gathered data from
the achiever group will be compared with those students who are not, in terms of their social
media exposure. In addition, the researchers collected the data according to its relevance to
determine the cause of student’s engagement or addiction in social media and the effect of
excessive use of social media on Academic performance.
The gathered data is grouped together into two perspectives, one for the cause of
student’s addiction to social media and the other one is the effect of social media addiction itself.
The result will help students of BSSW 2nd year Student in Wesleyan University Philippines to
know the significant effect of social media addiction in their studies.

Data analysis
The gathered data and information by the researcher will be compiled, sorted out and
organized. These various of data will be subjected to statistical treatment to seek solutions to the
specific problems.
Descriptive statistics, such as frequency, percentage and mean will be used to describe
the profile of the respondents such as age, gender, year level, course, civil status and average
grade. We used Four-point Likert –scale to measure the impact of Social Media Addiction on the
Academic Performance of the Students, and to recommend solutions based on the findings.
POINT RANGE INTERVAL INTERPRETATION

(SCALE)
4 3.25 – 4.00 Never
3 2.50 – 3.24 Sometimes
2 1.75 – 2.49 Often
1 1.00 – 1.74 Very Often
Survey questionnaire:
I.
II.
III. Profile of the respondent:
Directions: Answer the following as honest as possible

Name: (optional)
Age:
Gender:
Year level:
Course:
Civil status:
Average grades:
Gadget used:
Preferred social media platforms:
Internet connection:
Parents Occupation:
Mother:
Father:
Monthly Income:
IV. Mark your answer using (X) based on the questions below:
These will be the guide to your answer:
1- Very Often
2- Often
3- Sometimes
4- Never
TIME MANAGEMENT 1 2 3 4

I submit my requirements on time?
I have ever missed a deadline of our activities?
I spend a lot of time in social media than doing school works
I sleep late because of social media usage
I am late at waking up
ACADEMIC DISTRACTION 1 2 3 4
I watch vlogs/movies on YouTube
I play mobile/PC games
I use Facebook and Instagram
I do and watch videos on Tiktok
I create post on social media everyday
Problems encountered while using social media:
MENTAL PROBLEM 1 2 3 4
I have an academic breakdown
I have an anxiety attack
I have a depression
I have feeling of sadness
I have feeling of helplessness
PHYSICAL PROBLEMS
I experience eyestrain
I experience back pain
I experience headache
I experience muscle and joint pain
I experience wrist pain

SOCIAL PROBLEMS
I experience cyber bullying
I experience discrimination
I have insecurities
I get false information
I have trust issues
SPIRITUAL PROBLEMS
I forgot to pray
I have time going on church
I am joining in bible study
I have time to God
I use social media than reading bible
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
I over spend money
I have lack of savings
I buy useless things online
I have a problem about my tuition fee
I experience lack of family income
CHAPTER III
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter contains detailed presentation and discussion of data analysis and the
results of this study. The findings are presented based on the Social Media Addiction and its
effect on the Academic Performance of the students.
3.1 The profile of the respondents
This section presents the data gathered from the total of 30 respondents where ages are
from 19-24 years old. 29 (96.7%) of them are within the age range of 19-21 and only the 1
(3.3%) has the age within 22-24. Also, the majority of the respondents are female which has
73.3% (22) while male respondents are 8 (26.7%). The civil status of the respondents shows that
29 (96.7%) of them are single and only 1 (3.3%) is in a relationship. All of the respondents are
currently studying Bachelor of science in social work who are in the second-year level. Parents
occupations are mostly farmers which encompasses the 33.3% of the respondents, although some
of them declared that their parents are OFW (4), some are teacher (4), Brgy. Health worker (4),
driver (4), and many other.
The average grade that these respondents have is 90-94 which has a number of 15
responses (50%), there are 11 (36.7%) who has an average of 85 to 89, and 2 responses to each
of the average grade 95 above and 75 to 84 (6.7%).
Figure 3.1.1

Gadget
100.00%
90.00%
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
Mobile Phones Ipad or Tablet Laptop
Table shows that the most gadget used for browsing social media is mobile phone who has a
response of 23 (93.3%), while laptop and tablet have both 1 response which took the 3.3% each
of them.
Figure 3.1.2

Preferred Social Media Platforms
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
Instagram Facebook Twitter Tiktiok
The table shows that Facebook is the main social media platform or applications that is being
used that has 19 responses (63.3%), Instagram chose by 7 respondents (23.3%), TikTok has 3
responses (10%) and twitter that has only 1 (3.3%).
Figure 3.1.3

Internet Connection
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
Mobile Data Wifi
The table shows that out of the 30 respondents, 21 (70%) of them are using Wi-Fi for their
internet connection while the rest 9 (30%) are using the mobile data.
Figure 3.1.4 Parent Occupation

Parent Occupation
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
Teacher Farmer Carpenter Brgy. Domestic Driver Electrician
Worker Helper
The table shows that the mean of the parents’ occupation is Farming with 10 (3%) respondents,
while the least includes carpenter and electrician who has only 1 (0.33%) response each.
Figure 3.1.5

Monthly Income
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
5000-10,000 pesos 11,000- 15,000 16,000-20,000 pesos 21,000 pesos above
pesos
The result shows that the average mean of the monthly income of respondents is 11,000 to
15,000 which have 10 (33.3%) responses, while there are only 3 (10%). On the other hand, there
are 9 (30%) respondents for the 21,000 and above, also there are 8 (26.7%) respondents for 5,000
to 10,000.
3.1 The effects of social media addiction to students
On this part of the results and discussion, researchers present the effects of social media
addiction to students or adolescents in terms of time management, academic distraction, mental,
physical, social, and spiritual problem. Tables presents the data based on the 4-point Linkert
scale (1-Very often, 2-Often, 3-Sometimes, 4-Never).
The items included on each section are statements particular to the effects of social media
addiction in terms of different aspects in both personal and academic lives of students. The data

collected would be able to help researchers to gain insight regarding student’s attitudes and
behaviors towards using social media.
Legend:
1.00 – 1.74 Very often

1.75 – 2.49 Often
2.50 – 3.24 Sometimes
3.25 – 4.00 Never
Figure 3.2.1 Effects of social media addiction in terms of student’s time management.
Statements on effects of social media addiction. Frequency/Mean Description

I did not submit my requirements on time 3.03 Sometimes
I have constantly missed a deadline of my 3.43 Never

activities
I spend a lot of time in social media than doing 2.90 Sometimes
schoolwork
I sleep late because of social media usage 2.17 Often
I am late at waking up during my morning 3.13 Sometimes

class
From the above findings, researchers proved that students sometimes submit their requirements
late already because they sometimes spend more time in social media rather than doing their
school activities. Based on the findings of the study, students often sleep late because of social
media, and as a result they wake up late as well for classes.

Figure 3.2.2 Effects of social media addiction as an academic distraction.

I watch vlogs/movies on YouTube instead of 2.67 Often
studying
I play mobile/PC games rather than doing 3.03 Sometimes
advance reading of future lessons
I use Facebook and Instagram while doing my 2.87 Sometimes
activities
I do and watch videos on TikTok instead of 3.23 Sometimes
reviewing for my exams
I create post on social media everyday rather 3.40 Never
than reading a book
Watching vlogs, movies on YouTube is oftentimes the things that students do in social
media instead of browsing academic related information. They sometimes play mobile games
rather than doing their activities. Even watching TikTok videos sometimes and scrolling through
social media platforms especially Facebook, although some never actually post. given that
students with social media addiction may be easily distracted and making them unable to stay
focused. (Oulasvirta & Saariluoma, 2006).
Figure 3.2.3 Effects of social media addiction to students mentally.

I have an academic breakdown 2.07 Often

I have an anxiety attack 2.20 Often
I have a depression 2.93 Sometimes
I have feeling of Sadness 2.33 Often
I have feeling of Helplessness 2.17 Often
The study found the effect of social media addiction to students in terms of mental state,
it is that they often have academic breakdowns, they often have anxiety attacks, and sometimes
depression. They oftentimes feel sad and helpless because of relying so much in social media. As
per previous research, social media addiction would be negatively associated with students’
mental health and that these relations would be mediated by the students’ self-esteem
(Valkenburg et al., 2006).
Figure 3.2.4 Effects of social media addiction to students physically.
Statements on effects of social media Frequency/Mean Description

addiction.
I experience eyestrain 2.33 Often
I experience headache 2.07 Often
I experience back pain 2.07 Often
I experience muscle and joint pain 2.50 Sometimes
I experience wrist pain 2.80 Sometimes

Physical effects of social media addiction also evident as per the findings of the study.
Students experiencing eyestrain often also with headaches and backpains, and that sometimes
they also experience muscle, joint and wrist pain.
Figure 3.2.5 Effects of social media addiction to students socially.

addiction.
I experience cyber bullying 3.57 Never
I experience discrimination 3.10 Sometimes
I have insecurities 2.13 Often
I get false information 2.67 Sometimes
I have trust issues 2.10 Often
Table confirms that cyber bullying at least never happened to the students, however they
sometimes being discriminated within social media. They often feel insecurities and even trust
issues and sometimes they get misinformation. In relation to this finding, study found that
adolescents’ self-esteem was lowered after receiving negative feedback on social media
(Valkenburg, Peter, & Schouten, 2006). Moreover, recent studies have revealed a negative
relation between addictive use of social media and self-esteem (e.g., Andreassen, Pallesen, &
Griffiths, 2017; Błachnio, et al., 2016).

Figure 3.2.6 Effects of social media addiction to students spiritually.

I forgot to pray at night because of watching 3.27 Sometimes
movies and playing online games
I have no time going to church because I wake up 3.43 Never
late every Sunday
I am having trouble attending bible study because 3.30 Sometimes
over usage of gadgets
I spend more time on social media than investing 2.97 Sometimes
time to God
I prefer social media than reading bible 3.10 Sometimes
In this table presentation, students affirms that they sometimes forgot to pray at night
because of watching movies and playing online games but at least they have never skipped
church on Sundays. Because of being addicted to social media, students sometimes having
trouble attending bible studies, spend to devoting God, and even reading the bible. Although it
has already been proven from other studies have shown that the symptoms of social media
addiction can be manifested in mood, cognition, physical and emotional reactions, and
interpersonal and psychological problems (Balakrishnan & Shamim, 2013)
Figure 3.2.7 Effects of social media addiction to students in terms of financially.

addiction.
I overspend money 2.77 Sometimes
I have lack of savings 2.37 Often
I buy useless things online 3.03 Sometimes

I have a problem about my tuition fee 2.40 Often
I experience lack of family income 2.43 Often
In this table, students confirms that they overspend money sometimes because of social
media addiction, turns out they often lack savings that will surely cause them problems such as
tuition fees and overall family income. Sometimes they spend money for unnecessary things they
saw online. Internet usage has influenced the respondents to involve in online shopping
(Logeswari, S. and Mrunalini, A. 2017)
Chapter IV
Conclusions and Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, the following statements have been
concluded to answer the following questions:
1. How may the social media addiction can affect the academic performance of the
students in terms of:

1.1 Time management
1.2 Academic distraction
2. What are the problems met by the students using social media in terms of:
2.1 Mental problems
2.2 Physical problems
2.3 Social problems
2.4 Spiritual problems
2.5 Financial problems
It can therefore conclude that social media addiction has negatively affect the
academic performance of students that it distracts their attentions and prevent them from
attending lectures and passing their activities on time. Social media overuse has negative impact
on student’s lives which includes their academic, social, emotional, financial, spiritual, and
physical problems.
In connection to this, researchers further recommend proposing intervention program for
social media addiction, the function of social media should be explained to students and parents,
and its more accurate utilization should be encouraged, and counselling to students who are
social media addicted must be done. Since social media sites are now the most influential on
students in terms of different aspects, the researchers recommend that the students should have
the proper time management to maintain the proper balance on school and social life in social
media sites. The researchers recommend that students should only use social media sites when

they have free time due to the fact that spending too much time on these sites such as Facebook
may cause lack of concentration when studying.
APPENDICES
REQUEST LETTER
April 18, 2022
PAULINE LUMINA GAEA M. VIOLA
Program Head of Social Work Program
Wesleyan University Philippines
Dear Ma’am:
Greetings!

We, the Group 13 Researcher and a third-year students of Bachelor of Science in Social
Work, are conducting a study entitled “Social media Addiction and its effect on the Academic
Performance of the Students” In this such, we would like to formally request for the official
lists of the students from Second year who enrolled this academic year 2021-2022. This list
would help our ongoing study. Rest assured that the gathered information will be used only for
the purposes of this research.
We would greatly appreciate your response at our request.
Thank you and God bless!
Sincerely yours,
JUNINA MARIZE TAGACAY ZYNA D. TAGUD MARYJOY P. TAGLE

Researcher Researcher Researcher

STATISTICIAN’S CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that the thesis entitled “Social media Addiction and its effect on Academic
Performance of the Students” had been statistically reviewed and evaluated by the undersigned.
This certification is issued to Junina Marize Tagacay, Zyna D. Tagud and MaryJoy P. Tagle in
compliance to the completion of their study for the degree Bachelor of Science in Social Work.
Given this 10th day of April 2022.

GENER S. SUBIA
Statistician

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“Social Media Addiction and its effect on the Academic Performance of the students”

Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Social Work

JUNINA MARIZE TAGACAY

MARY JOY TAGLE

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

*Appendix I. Request Letter

*Appendix II. Approved Request Letter to Conduct

*Appendix III. Participant Consent Form

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

*Appendix V. The Survey Questionnaire

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

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Scientists have found an increasing number of alarming connections in recent years

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

It is possible that social media addiction contributes to lower self-esteem, which, in

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Social media addiction and its effect on students’ Mental health

Social media addiction is a behavioral addiction that is defined by being overly

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

Due to technological development and internet advancements, people nowadays have

Social media addiction and its effect on Academic Performance

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

When it comes to Internet addiction, the emergence of anytime, anywhere, Wi-Fi

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

Addiction is a mental condition induced by the effects of substances or other

Addictive behavior is defined as a pattern of behavior that increases a person's risk of

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

The role of social media

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

The concept of social media

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

defined social media as a group of internets- based applications that build on

and exchange of user-generated content. The Oxford dictionary (2011), also

Another definition of social media is that it is a ‘’communication channel which

well as trusted by billions of people, to share and discover content concerning

individuals, brands, information, entertainment and knowhow’’ (Dearborn,

involves some form of communication between individuals over the internet.

tools; Asian Avenue, blackplanet and MiGente began supporting various

combination of profile and publicly articulated friend (Boyd, Danah, Ellison

ACAD-TED-FM-059 Rev 0 Effective 15 Nov 2021

classified social media into six (6) different categories as follows;

1. Collaborative project (Wikipedia)

2. Blogs and microblogs (twitter)

3. Content communities (YouTube)

4. Social networking sites (FB, 2go, BB chat)

5. Virtual game World (world of warcraft)

6. Virtual second world (second life)

media is considered to be the fastest growing web application in the 21 century

and this rapid development is being backed by technological advancement

(Heyam, 2014). Mankind has enormously benefited and continues to benefit