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SURVEY ON STUDENTS’ DIGITAL HABITS:

BASIS FOR SCHOOL-BASED DIGITAL WELL-BEING PROGRAM

A Research Paper
presented to the
Regional Research Committee-
Department of Education
Region IV-A CALABARZON

Funded Through
Basic Education Research Fund
(BERF)

MAEDELYN B. ROBLES
HEDITA M. VELCHEZ
MARIA CHARLMIE P. DE TORRES

March 2022
ABSTRACT
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With the sudden shift to distance learning due to pandemic, students spend most of their time
using technology. To help students become responsible users of technology, the students’ digital
habits and how regular those habits are manifested were surveyed in this quantitative research using a
validated teacher-made technology assessment tool. The aim is to create a school-based digital well-
being program for the students to have a healthy relationship with technology in this time of
pandemic. The data gathered from randomly selected 74 participating students from Grade 7 to Grade
10 were analysed using frequency and mean. The results reveal digital habit that disregard students’
priority on self-care like I check my digital devices first thing in the morning and last thing in the
evening as always manifested by the students with a mean of 3.41 while thirteen digital habits show
that students rarely disconnect and use social media irresponsibly like I bring my gadgets wherever I
go and I spend more time on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Messenger, Etc.)
than any other things as they are sometimes manifested by the students. These digital habits got an
average mean of 2.76. On the other hand, seven digital habits with an average mean of 2.25 are rarely
manifested by the students like I use more than one digital gadget. These digital habits must be
properly addressed to help students manage their time in self-care, interpersonal relationship, and
social media netiquette. Based on the results, Program Log Out was created. This is a digital well-
being program that aims to help learners have a healthy and responsible relationship with technology
through focusing on self-care, strengthening offline interpersonal relationship and responsible use of
social media.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The researchers would like to express their deepest gratitude and appreciation to the following
who have extended their hand for the completion of this study.

A profound appreciation to the Department of Education, DepEd CALABARZON, and Division

of General Trias for its support thru the Basic Education Research Fund (BERF) Grant.
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Deepest gratitude to Ms. Maureen Parot- SEPS, Planning and Research, to Mr. Lamberto C.
Claveria- SURI Coordinator and to the research panellists for their valuable and expert recommendation,
advice, and for sharing their expertise for the success of this educational endeavour.

The researchers would also like to express their greatest appreciation to the Ms. Aina D. Manalo,
and Mr. Mark Joshua B. Animas for extending their hand in the validation of the research instrument.
Moreover, to Ms. Naneth P. Salvador for her unwavering support as a School Head and research
instrument validator.

Finally, they are raising their forever gratitude to Lord God for guidance, knowledge, and strength
to make everything possible.

INTRODUCTION OF THE RESEARCH

The COVID-19 pandemic sets limitations to almost all kinds of face-to-face interactions including
education. Schooling of 1.6 billion learners around the world was disrupted and closure of learning
institutions impacted about 94% of student population (Policy brief: Education During COVID-19 And
Beyond). In the country, the Department of Education, believing that education must continue, shifted the
lens of schooling to remote emergency education where, instead of face-to-face classes, alternative
learning modalities were offered.
One of those modalities is the modular distance learning which most of the learners preferred
based on the result of the survey (https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/03/deped-most-students-prefer-modular-
learning-over-online/). Learning in this modality is individualized through the utilization of self-learning
modules (print or digital). In the absence of face-to-face learning, students rely heavily on technology,
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especially those in modular digital learning modality for lessons, teacher instructions, supplementary
materials and for other school announcements and activities. While technology once again proves its vital
use in time of pandemic in carrying out essential tasks in the field of education, it also poses challenges to
student’s digital wellbeing.
According to UNESCO, digital well-being is the “enhancement and improvement of human well-
being, in the intermediate and long term, through the use of digital media”
(https://digitalwellbeing.org/what-is-digital-wellbeing-a-list-of-definitions/). Google defines digital well-
being as “crafting and maintaining a healthy relationship with technology. It’s about how technology
serves us and moves us towards our goals, rather than distracting us, interrupting us or getting in the way.
Being in control of technology enables us to use its full potential and gain all the benefits of it.” For Abeele
(2020), digital well-being is a balance personal experience with mobile connectivity. On the other hand,
Dodge et.al (in Schmidmaier 2019) said that digital well-being could be seen as ‘feeling comfortable when
using specific technology. Since almost all educational transactions are done through different digital
platforms, irresponsible digital habits may lead to distractions and overloading which may directly affect
the students’ health, productivity and connectedness to the outside world. This is one reason why Wired
Magazine (2018) defines digital wellbeing as the “rallying call of our time”.

In the Philippines, the Department of Education released an order number 12 series of 2020 titled
“Adoption of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan for School Year 2020-2021in the Light of the
COVID-19 Public Health Emergency”. It as a package of educational interventions designed to protect and
ensure the health, safety and well-being of all learners, teachers and DepEd personnel. In connection with
this, the department issued a Memorandum DM-CI-2020-00162 titled “Suggested Strategies in
Implementing Distance Learning Delivery Modalities (Dldm) For School Year 2020-2021”. It suggests
that schools may adopt a combination of synchronous and asynchronous online teaching in consideration
of the Screen Time Guidelines by Age as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
and World Health Organization (WHO). It advises that kindergarten must only have a maximum of one
hour screen time, Grade 1-5 to have a maximum of one and a half hour, Grade 6-8 to have a maximum of 2
hours, and Grade 9-12 to have a maximum of 4 hours daily (2 hours in the morning and another 2 hours in
the afternoon is recommended). These guidelines were given to address the need to regulate the use of
digital technology in these trying times as a way of protecting and ensuring health, safety, and well-being
of all learners.
As a support to the following order and memorandum of the Department of Education and to help
students properly manage the demands on the use of technology and become digitally healthy in time of
pandemic, the researchers conducted this study on digital well-being or digital wellness. The result of this
inquiry was used as the baseline data in crafting the school-based digital wellness program for the learners.

LITERATURE REVIEW
The new normal is characterized by the emergence of new ideas, terminologies, and new ways of
carrying out daily activities, In the field of health and wellness, another area emerge- the digital wellbeing.
This new area is taking centre stage in the new normal because of the people’s reliance on technology
since face to face interactions are limited due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Research reveals that people perceived digital wellbeing as more than just controlling screen time
(https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/feature/digital-wellbeing-statistics/ retrieved February 18, 2021). This
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means that there are other factors to consider to achieve digital wellbeing. Other studies show that people
rarely disconnect. Gadgets are ticked and scrolled over 2,600 on a daily basis (Dscout in Abeele 2020).
This only proves that the use of gadgets is part of individual’s daily routine making it hard for a person to
disconnect.
As technology easily connects people from miles away, it can also easily trigger the separation of
people who are just 1 meter away from each other. According to the study of TIME (2012), over 20% of
Americans believe that one of the causes of marital conflict is their mobile usage (https://html.com/blog/6-
bad-digital-habits/ retrieved February 18, 2021). This clearly shows that people are really affected by
irresponsible digital habits.
Since these studies reveal the need to address the digital wellbeing, this study surveyed the digital
habits of the students to create a school-based digital wellness program. The program will help students
redirect their lives in the new normal by promoting healthy digital habits.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following specific questions were formulated to direct this study:

1. What are the students’ digital habits and how regular do students manifest them?
2. What digital well-being program must be established for the students’ digital well-
being?

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This study was conducted in Luis Y. Ferrer Jr. West National High School, a secondary
public high school in the City of General Trias, Cavite. Seventy-four (74) randomly selected students
from Grade 7 to grade 10 for school year 2021-2022 with secured informed consent form were
surveyed using a validated teacher-made technology assessment tool.
This educational endeavour focused only on determining the digital habits of students based
on the self-assessment tool by Google. Moreover, the results of this inquiry did not generalize the
overall digital habits of the Filipino learners since this study only utilized 74 students of Luis Y.
Ferrer Jr. West National High School.
Lastly, the digital habits of the students and how often those habits are done may be affected
by factors which the researchers have no control over.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
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Sampling

This study utilized simple random sampling technique in choosing the number of participants
which is 74. This sample size was determine using the Slovins’s Formula based on 60% confidence level.

Data Collection

The participants secured an accomplished informed consent form proving that they were allowed
to partake in this study. Participants received and returned the accomplished validated teacher-made
technology assessment tool during retrieval and distribution.
The research tool was designed to identify the digital habits of students and how do they manifest
these habits using a Likert type questionnaire. It offered four (4) options which are graded between 1to 4:
(1) never, (2) rarely, (3) sometimes and (4) always.
The self-made technology assessment tool was validated by three experts including the School
Head, Public Schools District Supervisor and Division Office ICT Coordinator using the Survey/Interview
Validation Rubric for Expert Panel – VREP.

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATION

After administering a validated teacher-made survey questionnaire to seventy-four (74)

students, the table shows the results- the students’ digital habits and how often do they manifest these
habits:

Digital Habits Verbal

Mean Interpretation
1. I check my digital devices first thing in the morning and last thing in
3.41 Always
the evening
2. I use more than one digital gadget 2.39 Rarely
3. I can put my phone down 3.31 Always
4. I spend most of my time playing online games 2.51 Sometimes
5. I turn off notifications to avoid distractions while playing online games 2.07 Rarely
6. I react and share post of my friends and my favorite social media 2.74 Sometimes
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influencers
7. I make sure that my gadget is always in my bedroom 2.95 Sometimes
8. I set screen time limit 2.74 Sometimes
9. I subscribe in different online games and social media influencers 2.51 Sometimes
10. I put my phone on the table to check during mealtimes 2.57 Sometimes
11. I tend to lose track of time when I’m on my phone 2.45 Rarely
12. I check my phone right away if it vibrates or makes a sound 3.00 Sometimes
13. I get distracted by my phone when I’m with friends or family 2.62 Sometimes
14. I spend more time on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
2.96 Sometimes
YouTube, Messenger, Etc.) than any other things
15. I stay on my phone instead of going to sleep 2.24 Rarely
16. I depend heavily on my phone to search for an immediate answer if I
3.01 Sometimes
have a question
17. I update my social media status from time to time 2.31 Rarely
18. I spend money for online games and other online related activities
1.46 Never
(virtual concert, etc.)
19. I miss mealtimes while on my gadgets 2.01 Rarely
20. I forget to do household chores while using my gadgets 2.34 Rarely
21. I watch new online series/vlogs 2.84 Sometimes
22. I bring my gadgets wherever I go 2.89 Sometimes
23. I use my gadgets even while charging 2.58 Sometimes
Others 1.11 Never

Digital habit number 1- I check my digital devices first thing in the morning and last thing in
the evening and number 3- I can put my phone down are “Always” being manifested by students with
a mean of 3.41 and 3.31 respectively. These digital habits got an average mean of 3.36. On the other
hand, digital habits such as number 4- I spend most of my time playing online games, number 6- I
react and share post of my friends and my favorite social media influencers, number 7- I make sure
that my gadget is always in my bedroom, number 8- I set screen time limit, number 9- I subscribe in
different online games and social media influencers, number 10- I put my phone on the table to check
during mealtimes, number 12- I check my phone right away if it vibrates or makes a sound, number
13- I get distracted by my phone when I’m with friends or family, number 14- I spend more time on
social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Messenger, Etc.) than any other things,
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number 16- I depend heavily on my phone to search for an immediate answer if I have a question,
number 21- I watch new online series/vlogs, number 22- I bring my gadgets wherever I go and
number 23- I use my gadgets even while charging are “Sometimes” manifested by the students as they
got a mean of 2.51, 2.74, 2.95, 2.74, 2.51, 2.57, 3.00, 2.62, 2.96, 3.01, 2.84, 2.89, 2.58 respectively.
These digital habits got an average mean of 2.76.

Digital habits such as number 2- I use more than one digital gadget, number 5- I turn off
notifications to avoid distractions while playing online games, number 11- I tend to lose track of time
when I’m on my phone, number 15- I stay on my phone instead of going to sleep, number 17- I update
my social media status from time to time, number 19- I miss mealtimes while on my gadgets and
number 20- I forget to do household chores while using my gadgets are “Rarely” manifested by the
students as they got a mean of 2.39, 2.07, 2.45, 2.24, 2.31, 2.01 and 2.34 respectively. These digital
habits got an average mean of 2.25.

Based on the gathered data, digital habits such as I check my digital devices first thing in the
morning and last thing in the evening and I make sure that my gadget is always in my bedroom which
and being manifested “Always” and “Sometimes” by the students must be given intervention to help
students realize more important things to do first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening
before they go to bed. In addition, digital habits such as I spend most of my time playing online
games, I get distracted by my phone when I’m with friends or family, I spend more time on social
media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Messenger, Etc.) than any other things, I bring my
gadgets wherever I go and I use my gadgets even while charging are “Sometimes” manifested by the
students but still need to be addressed because these only show that students rarely disconnect as
supported by the finding of the study by Dscout in Abeele (2020) which shows that people ticked and
scrolled their gadgets over 2,600 on a daily basis. If not properly addressed, these digital habits may affect
the students’ health and interpersonal relationship. Lastly, digital habit such as I react and share post
of my friends and my favorite social media influencers which is “Sometimes” manifested by the
students also needs attention to guide them in reacting and sharing any post in social media.
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To help students establish a responsible relationship with digital technology especially in this
time of pandemic, Program Log Out was created. This is a school-based digital well-being program
that aims to help learners have a healthy and responsible relationship with technology through
focusing on self-care, strengthening offline interpersonal relationship and responsible use of social
media.

This program has three activities:

1. Self-care hour- This involves activities that prioritizes oneself other than any other things.
This will help students focus on valuing and taking care of themselves every day before doing
anything.
2. Disconnect to connect- This involves activities that will connect students with the real world
through offline activities that will strengthen interpersonal relationship such as board games,
family time, etc.
3. Think twice before you click- This will inform students of the dos and don’ts when reacting
and sharing any post in social media. This will also help them become responsible users of
social media.

After the conduct of this research, the following are the recommendations:

1. Conduct learning action cell on the students’ digital habits to inform modular distance
learning instruction.
2. Other researchers may explore specific online platforms that students use to get more
details on their digital habits (gamer, influencer, creator, etc.).
3. Future researchers may also explore the reasons behind different digital habits of the
students.
4. Researchers may tie-up with stakeholders for partnership and support of the created
school-based digital well-being program.
5. Implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the proposed digital well-being program

DISSEMINATION AND ADVOCACY PLAN

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DISSEMINATION Month Month Month Month Month Month Month 7

ACTIVITIES 1 2 3 4 5 6
add rows if necessary
1. Informing the
administrators,
staff, teachers,
students, and
parents about the
findings of the
study
2. Submission of the
final research paper
to the Division
Office
3. Presentation of the
research paper to
conferences
4. Submission of
program proposal
to the school head
5. Implementation,
monitoring and
evaluation of
Program Log Out
6. Publication of the
research

REFERENCES

Abelle, Mariel Vanden (2020). Digital wellbeing as a dynamic construct. p.13. doi: 10.31219/osf.io/ymtaf

DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2020- “Adoption of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan for School
Year 2020-2021in the Light of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
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DM-CI-2020-00162- “Suggested Strategies in Implementing Distance Learning Delivery Modalities

(Dldm) For School Year 2020-2021

Education during COVID-19 and beyond - the United Nations, Retrieved from
www.un.org › wp-content › uploads › sites › 2020/08

Schmidmaier, Matthias (2019). A perspective on digital wellbeing.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/03/deped-most-students-prefer-modular-learning-over-online/
https://digitalwellbeing.org/what-is-digital-wellbeing-a-list-of-definitions/

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/feature/digital-wellbeing-statistics/

https://html.com/blog/6-bad-digital-habits/

FINANCIAL REPORT

ELIGIBLE
ACTIVITY QUANTITY COST
EXPENDITURES

Cellphone
1. Planning Communication expenses load for three ₱ 3,000.00
persons

Cellphone
Other expenses - during the
2. Data gathering load for three
conduct of research
persons ₱ 3,000.00

Cellphone
3. Data Analysis Communication expenses load for three
persons ₱ 2,000.00

Pocket wifi
Expenses related to research
4. Research dissemination load for three
dissemination
persons ₱ 2,000.00

TOTAL ₱ 10,000.00
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