Chapter 2

VALLEY HIGH ACADEMY, INC.
JP RIZAL STREET BRGY. MANGGAHAN RODRIGUEZ, RIZAL

GMAIL: [email protected]
Chapter 2
RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This chapter includes a variety of literature and research from
local and international sources. These were analyzed and presented in
such a way that they provided systematic support for the study. In the
final part of this chapter, researchers synthesized all the literature and
research.
Literature
To fully understand their research, the researchers outlined the
literature in various discussions. The research title is, "Influence of
Social Media to the Level of Loneliness of HUMSS 12 Students in
Valley High Academy".
A. Definition of Social Media, Different Kinds of Social Media
Platforms, Influence of Social Media;
B. Definition of Loneliness, Causes of Loneliness, Kinds of
Loneliness; and
C. Influence of Social Media to the Student's Level of Loneliness.

Foreign Literature.
Loneliness; and
Platforms, Influence of Social Media
Smith et al. (2021) explained that social media is a type of
computer-based technology that enables people to share ideas,
information, and personal content in virtual communities. According to
Baltac (2019), social media are online environments accessible via the
internet that people use to share their immediately available thoughts
and feelings and their behaviors with others through photos and videos.
This research study examines social media and communication
technology; examples include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Social
media is focused on communicating and building relationships with
individuals, and maintaining social media use across platforms requires
a sense of belonging.
13
Moreover, according to Palgi et al. (2020; Wiederhold, 2020),
recited by Bonsaksen et al. (2023), social media is increasingly used to
connect people in work, education, and social interactions. However,
according to Cauberghe et al. (2021), it is debatable whether social
media plays a role in people's mental health and well-being. While some
studies have found that social media allows people to maintain their
social relationships, thereby representing one way of coping with
loneliness and distress, others have found that social media does not.
Literature indicates that individuals motivated to use social media to
maintain relationships with others feel lonelier than those who use social
media for other purposes. It has also been demonstrated that increased
social media usage correlates with increased loneliness. The consistency
of results across studies using multiple outcomes related to mental
health supports the idea that high levels of social media users are
associated with loneliness and general mental distress.
Loneliness
Loneliness is not simply being alone. Loneliness is the feeling we
experience when our need for fulfilling social contact and relationships
is unmet. (About Loneliness, 2019). Bakry et al. (2022) stated that
14
loneliness is defined as a person's sense of isolation from others, which
results in feelings of being excluded and rejected by others.
As explored in his research study, loneliness has been linked to
social media use in two ways. To begin with, excessive use of social
networking sites leads to social isolation. Second, lonely people are
more prone to excessive use of social networking sites. There are two
ways that social media use and loneliness have been connected, claim,
according to, Bakry et al. (2022). First, frequent use of social networking
sites results in social isolation. Second, it has been discovered that
lonely people are more likely to overuse social networking services.
C. Influence of Social Media to the Student's Level of Loneliness
There were 4.76 billion social media users at the start of this year.
Even before the pandemic increased daily use, there were concerns
about social media's impact on loneliness. Young adults with still-
developing minds are especially vulnerable to social media's adverse
effects, including loneliness, anxiety, and depression. (Thadani, 2023).
Based on that literature, it is not just students who experience adverse
effects from using social media. Including young individuals whose
brains are still developing are also more affected by this. Especially
15
during the pandemic, The number of children or students who
experienced loneliness from social media increased even more.
Bonsaksen et al. (2023) stated that higher levels of social media
use were linked to higher levels of loneliness. In addition, Bonsaksen et
al. (2023) also explained that people's perception of social media
content, often in the form of texts and photos, conveys a positive
message of joy, fulfillment, adventure, or success. More time spent on
social media digesting other people's happiness could worsen one's
feelings of loneliness and distress, possibly fueled by envy.
Observing social media posts displaying the difficulties of others
without being able to provide direct support, on the other hand, may
contribute to increased feelings of loneliness. It is still being determined
that social media significantly impacted how we connect and
communicate now that it has become a leading part of our life. This
study indicates that social media usage has been linked to higher levels
of loneliness among the student population.
In sharp contrast, according to Boursier et al. (2020), other
research has found that social media can help people feel less lonely
while increasing their perceived social support, self-esteem, happiness,
and satisfaction. For example, Internet use for entertainment, online
16
communication, and social interactions may meet the needs of lonely
adolescents and young adults. Loneliness, in particular, is a risk factor
associated with problematic Internet-related activities and one of the
most important predictors of problematic Internet and social networking
site use. Using the internet makes it more helpful for people to feel less
lonely; social media will help them by having online communication and
social interaction.
Local Literature.
Loneliness; and
According to Caparas (2023), social media is one of the world's
most important communication channels, if not the most important. Its
popularity has influenced not only how people communicate but also
how they live. Social media connects the physical and virtual worlds,
17
making connections easier in everything from food and medicine to
education and work. Since the turn of the century, having access to the
internet has developed into an essential component of modern society.
It allowed us to communicate with family and friends, show ourselves,
and share our experiences. However, it has also been involved with a
number of mental health concerns, including social anxiety, loneliness,
and happiness, among Filipino students.
Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter are among
the Philippines' most popular social media platforms. (Caparas, 2023).
Social media has been an integral part of Filipino culture for many years.
It has become a powerful tool that allows Filipinos to stay connected
with each other, keep up with the latest news, and share their thoughts
and opinions. In this article, we will explore the history of social media
in the Philippines, its current usage statistics, and the trends that are
shaping its future. By understanding these trends and statistics, we can
gain insights into how social media is impacting Filipino culture and
society.
Let us look at the numbers to see how social media works. In a
more local context, the Philippines ranked first with the highest social
media usage rate in 2021. The average daily use in the country was
18
more than four hours, 60% more than normal. (Number of Worldwide
Social Network Users 2027 | Statista, 2023)
As explored in the research of Howe (2023), Filipinos primarily use
social media to communicate with friends and family. Studies on social
media in the Philippines show that 69.2% of users use these networks
as communication bridges, whether to communicate with relatives and
loved ones abroad, invite a friend to play a video game, or catch up.
47.3% of users are online reading about the latest news stories from
around the country, while 44.9% are just looking for new content,
spending countless hours scrolling through the never-ending black hole
of short-form videos. According to this literature, Filipinos mainly use
social media to communicate with their relatives and friends. The
Philippines ranked first with the highest social media usage rate. This
shows that almost everything can be done with our phones on social
media in our country. One main reason for using social media in the
Philippines is that Filipino culture emphasizes family and uses social
media to communicate even when they are not together. The
percentage of 69.2% of users who use those networks as various
communication bridges proves that social media in the Philippines is
valuable and helps us not feel lonely.
19
Loneliness
Being alone is called loneliness, regardless of whether you have
access to social contact. (The Filipino Doctor - Doctor Information,
Health Articles, Drug Knowledge, n.d.) Being alone denotes the absence
of other people in the area around you. It also refers to loneliness
brought on by changes in your health and social connections that can
occur as you age, such as hearing, vision, memory loss, and disability.
Your physical and emotional health may be in danger if you feel lonely.
Loneliness is defined as a mental state. Lonely people feel empty,
alone, and unwelcome. These people crave human contact, but their
mental state makes it difficult to connect with others. Loneliness is also
commonly defined as the sensation we experience when our need for
fulfilling social contact and connections is unmet. However, loneliness
does not always imply being alone. (DFS Consulting PH, 2022). The
article defines loneliness as a mental state. They are associating
loneliness with feelings of emptiness, as though inappropriate. It also
highlights man's social nature. This piece on loneliness emphasizes that
loneliness is not a situation of being alone but rather an inability to reach
out and make contact with other social beings.
20
C. Influence of Social Media on the Student's Level of
Loneliness
While many of us enjoy using social media to stay connected,
excessive use can exacerbate feelings of anxiety, depression, and
loneliness. Surprisingly, for a tool designed to bring people together,
spending too much time on social media may make you feel lonelier and
more isolated and exacerbate mental health issues like anxiety and
depression. Social media can be a popular platform to spread rumors,
fabrications, and harassment that can leave emotional marks on a
person that last a long time. The more we value social media over face-
to-face interactions, the more likely we are to develop or suffer mental
illnesses. This indicates that social media can be entertaining, but using
it too often can harm one's mental state. (PressReader.com - Digital
Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions, 2022)
As observed in a study by the University of the Philippines
Population Institute (UPPI), young Filipinos' mental well-being has
declined dramatically. (YAFS5 Key Findings Generate Discussions on the
State of Today's Youth, 2022). This study shows that the number of
young Filipinos who frequently felt lonely, sad, and disliked by others
nearly doubled between 2013 and 2021. This study found that the
21
proportion of young Filipinos who frequently experienced loneliness,
sadness, and disapproval from others nearly doubled. These troubling
findings suggest that the mental health of today's adolescents is worse
than it has been in recent years.
According to Halabisaz (2020), there are numerous other
confounding effects on the well-being of youth, such as loneliness,
isolation, loss of motivation, and, unfortunately, violence and abuse at
home for some. Most youths have expressed their feelings and grief on
social media, making it difficult to quantify how much this situation has
impacted their well-being. Youth face multiple challenges to their well-
being, including loneliness, isolation, a lack of motivation, and violence
and abuse at home. Social media posts have made it hard to gauge the
extent of the impact on their mental health. In those days, there were
more negative effects of posting our feelings on social media because a
few people did not know the actual situation but would leave negative
comments on the posts of the young people so that they would feel
sadder when they read negative comments.
22
Foreign Studies.
Loneliness; and
According to the study of Shorter et al. (2022), entitled
“Attachment Style's impact on loneliness and the motivations to use
social media”, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
and Snapchat have become ingrained in people's daily lives and serve
as an ongoing source of socialization. These social networking sites, in
particular, provide new ways to connect with others, whether through
instant messages or commenting on a posted picture. While social media
is a primary means of connecting for those experiencing emotional
loneliness, some aspects of social media networking sites exacerbate
those feelings. This study analyzes the facts that social media platforms
such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat are firmly
23
integrated into people's daily lives and serve as an ongoing source of
social interaction. Social media is the leading communication channel
for those who suffer from emotional loneliness. Individuals who seek to
communicate outside of traditional social settings to feel like they belong
minimize loneliness. Simply put, students with an anxious attachment
style are more likely to utilize social media to fight loneliness and
decrease those feelings.
Loneliness
In the study of Yavich et al. (2019), entitled “Social Media and
Loneliness: Forever Connected?" it was observed that loneliness is a
subjective experience that stems from an individual's interpretation of
reality. This indicates that a person can feel lonely even if people
surround him, or he can feel socially gratified even if he has few social
ties. This study analyzed the benefits of social media for teenagers
compared to other forms of communication. Since young people spend
much time on social media, the online environment provides a good
sense of social belonging and lessens the unexpected loneliness that
young adults feel.
24
According to the study of Fernandez & Matt (2019), entitled
“Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid”, as recited by Baricevic (2021),
loneliness is perceived and processed differently by different people,
with individuals viewing it as increasingly negative and avoidable rather
than inevitable and a part of the human experience. Loneliness is a
complex emotion; how it is perceived and processed depends on the
individual. According to this study, loneliness has been extensively
studied, and its effects on physical health, mental health, social
behavior, and well-being have been documented. This study performs a
thorough analysis of the literature on loneliness to provide a thorough
knowledge of the implications of loneliness and its underlying
mechanisms.
For instance, from the study of Twenge et al. (2019), entitled
“Less in-person social interaction with peers among U.S. adolescents in
the 21st century and links to loneliness”, this study stated that today's
teenagers spend about an hour less per day socializing with their peers
than teenagers from the 1980s and 1990s. Furthermore, adolescents
who reported fewer in-person social interactions and more online
interactions felt the most lonely and isolated. In other words, online
connections make teens engage less in social activities and feel less
alone.
25
C. Influence of Social Media on the Student's Level of Loneliness
Based on related studies (Alheneidi et al., 2021; Costa et al.,
2019), entitled “Loneliness and Problematic Internet Use during COVID-
19 Lock-Down”, as recited by Touloupis et al. (2023), people's feelings
of loneliness appear to predict their excessive use of the internet and
social networking sites. In other words, the greater an individual's sense
of loneliness, the more likely they are to use social media in a
problematic (intense) and potentially dangerous manner (disclosure of
personal information to unknown online friends). Based on related
studies by Touloupis in 2023, entitled “Pattern of Facebook use by
university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: relations with
loneliness and resilience”, people's feelings of loneliness appear to
predict their excessive use of social networking sites. Unlike other
research, this study focuses on one social media application, Facebook.
The study shows that the more individuals feel a sense of loneliness, the
more likely they are to use social media in an intense and potentially
dangerous manner, to the point that they disclose personal information
to unknown online friends. To summarize the study, students' emotional
mechanisms affect the expansion of their pattern of Facebook use.
According to the study of Yilmaz and Serin (2021), entitled “The
Analysis of Adolescents Attitude to Social Media and Their Loneliness
26
Level”, as a result of the pervasive availability of fast internet access
due to the development of information and communication technologies,
social media has become an important part of modern society. The fact
that adolescents, particularly those of school age, spend a significant
amount of time on these networks raises the question of their attitudes
toward social media and their relationship with loneliness. Teenagers'
attitudes about social media and their relationships are questioned
because they spend much time on these networks, especially those of
school age. Social media has been assimilated into our contemporary
civilization in a world of technology, including quick internet access. The
length of time people spend on social media begs the question of how
they feel about it and how they deal with loneliness.
Local Studies.
Loneliness; and
27
From the study of Santos et al., (2023), entitled “The double-
edged impact of Internet use on mental health outcomes among Filipino
university students: the mediating role of online social support”,
Department of Sociology and Behavioral Sciences, De La Salle
University, Manila, Philippines, since the beginning of the century, the
internet has become part of everyday life. Internet-based technologies
are becoming more prevalent in many aspects of social life, including
education, work, commerce, health, family, community, and
governance.
The internet has established itself in our daily lives. However, from
the study of Quaglio (2020), entitled “Potentially negative effects of
internet use”, from EPRS: European Parliamentary Research Service.
Belgium. Despite its utility, the internet has had negative consequences
for individuals and society, including data privacy and security concerns,
cybercrime, the widening of socioeconomic divides, physical and mental
health, the destabilization of social structures and institutions, and other
threats to individual and collective well-being.
28
From the study of Tus et al. (2021), entitled “The Correlation
between Social Media Addiction, Social Anxiety, Loneliness, and
Happiness Among Filipino Tertiary Students”, this study defined that
social media as online environments accessed through the internet that
individuals use to communicate their immediate thoughts, feelings, and
actions with others through images and videos. Social media, especially
among the young, provides easy and quick access to real-time activities
such as various events, image sharing, and conversing. Social media
now plays an increasingly significant role in everyday life in the
Philippines. This article will explore the facts, statistics, history, and
trends associated with social media use in the Philippines. It will also
look at how these platforms are being used to influence behavior and
shape public opinion.
Furthermore, according to the study of Guevarra (2021), entitled
Utilization of Social Media and its Effects on Students’ Psychosocial
Behavior and Academic Performance, from City of Malolos Integrated
School-Sto. Rosario, City of Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines, this study
specified that social media had become a way of life for every Filipino
because it helps us in many ways, including communicating and
interacting with peers and receiving recommendations and answers to
problems. Numerous social networking sites have recently emerged, but
29
Facebook is the most popular; however, their study discovered that the
site is rarely used for academic purposes. Students decide what to do
with social media, so they generally use it how they want. It influences
their use, mainly when they use it after stressful school-related
activities. So instead of using social media for academic purposes, they
use it to please themselves.
Nevertheless, social media is one of the best ways to improve
students' engagement and communication skills because it enables
them to feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts and insights
about something. (Guevarra 2021). Social media is helpful since it is
among the most effective ways to raise students' engagement and
communication skills and gives them the freedom to express
themselves.
As elaborated in the study of Muhammad Hasyim and Emerson B.
Cuzzamu (2022), entitled “Why Do Social Media Make People Feel
Lonelier Instead of Connecting with Them?”, from Hasanuddin
University, Indonesia, and Tarlac Agricultural University, Philippines, the
number of social media platforms, or SMPs, with exciting features is
growing to attract more users. It has been established that social media
capitalizes on isolation and keeps people glued to their phones and other
30
devices. As a result of fewer conversations with friends and a smaller
number of friends, people begin to feel lonely. It has been established
that social media capitalizes on isolation and keeps people glued to their
phones and other devices. The number of social media platforms with
fascinating features is increasing, but it has been discovered that it leads
to isolation and loneliness due to fewer conversations with friends and
a smaller number of friends.
Loneliness
According to the study of Jefferson et al. (2023), entitled
“Loneliness During the School Years: How It Affects Learning and How
Schools Can Help”, loneliness is a personal experience accompanied by
painful or negative emotions. In interviews, children and adolescents
describe loneliness as a painful and sad experience frequently
accompanied by a sense of not belonging or being connected to their
peers. As a result, in the study of Labrague et al., (2021), entitled
“Social and emotional loneliness among college students during the
COVID-19 pandemic: the predictive role of coping behaviors, social
support, and personal resilience, “their descriptions of loneliness
correspond to those of adults. The negative feelings associated with
31
loneliness are thought to encourage social reconnection to satisfy our
need to belong. Loneliness is a prominent public health concern with
several adverse impacts connected to mental and psychological
outcomes.
C. Influence of Social Media on the Student's Level of Loneliness
From the study of Fabella and Lagarde (2022), entitled “Social
Media as a Danger to Mental Health: The Relationship Between Social
Media Use and Anxiety Among Selected College Students”, social media
is now the main focus of increasing mental health issues among
teenagers. A growing number of studies are establishing a clear link
between young adults' social media use and anxiety and depression
symptoms. This is influenced by the high smartphone use among young
adult populations, indicating that social media and smartphones play an
important role in young adults' routines and cultures. Social media use
was divided into four categories: time spent, activity, investment, and
addiction. It was discovered that each category was associated with
mental illness. Social media has become the focus of an increasing
number of mental health issues among teenagers due to the very high
smartphone use among young adult populations, which indicates that
social media and smartphones play a significant role in the routines and
32
cultures of young adults. Social media is in everyone's routine,
especially young adults, and we do not realize that it affects our mental
health in many ways. All in all, even though the results showed only a
modestly positive relationship between social media use and anxiety
across all respondents, this is consistent with the findings of the various
studies cited in the study, which also found a positive relationship
between social media use and mental health.
Based on the study of Hunt (2018), recited by Guevarra (2021),
a study was conducted to determine how social media affects adolescent
depression and loneliness. The experimental study included 143
participants. Some participants were assigned to the control group,
which consisted of social media users going through the same routines
and using social media in the same ways; on the other hand, some were
assigned to the experimental group, which consisted of them spending
a limited amount of time on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The
time allotted to them to log in to their social media accounts is only 10
minutes. The researchers found that if one reduces their use of social
media, they will feel less lonely. (Hunt 2018). This study discovered that
when a person uses any social media program, they will always update
their status regarding their ideas or current activities, in addition to the
locations and people they are with. Furthermore, their research
33
emphasizes that a person may spend more time on social media
comparing their accomplishments to those of others, which may cause
them to feel down or moody. Social media can therefore be a gateway
to depression by exposing one too many people who hold divergent
opinions, which causes feelings of sadness and loneliness.
Synthesis.
The review of related literature led us to conclude that spending
more time on social media can influence students' levels of loneliness
and make them feel more alone. Most lonely and isolated are young
individuals who have more online interactions than in-person
interactions. Young individuals' attitudes about social media and their
relationship with loneliness in this context are questioned because they
spend much time on these networks, especially those of school age.
Because students spend much time on these connections, particularly
those of school age, teenagers' ideas regarding social media and their
relationships are questioned.
34
The aforementioned studies also highlight that in the present time,
especially with speedy internet access, social media has been
incorporated into our modern culture. Social media has influenced the
lives of every individual in terms of our sense of everyday information,
educational purposes for students, and a way to communicate with
relatives and friends. However, for every positive impact, there is a
negative influence. Many studies have looked at different aspects of the
influence of social media on loneliness, confirming that the use of social
media corresponds not only to loneliness but also to general mental
disorders. This claim was supported by numerous social media research
studies and strengthened by research on loneliness.
35

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VALLEY HIGH ACADEMY, INC.

JP RIZAL STREET BRGY. MANGGAHAN RODRIGUEZ, RIZAL

RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter includes a variety of literature and research from

local and international sources. These were analyzed and presented in

To fully understand their research, the researchers outlined the

literature in various discussions. The research title is, "Influence of

Social Media to the Level of Loneliness of HUMSS 12 Students in

Valley High Academy".

A. Definition of Social Media, Different Kinds of Social Media

Platforms, Influence of Social Media;

B. Definition of Loneliness, Causes of Loneliness, Kinds of

C. Influence of Social Media to the Student's Level of Loneliness.

A. Definition of Social Media, Different Kinds of Social Media

Platforms, Influence of Social Media;

B. Definition of Loneliness, Causes of Loneliness, Kinds of

C. Influence of Social Media to the Student's Level of Loneliness.

A. Definition of Social Media, Different Kinds of Social Media

Platforms, Influence of Social Media

Smith et al. (2021) explained that social media is a type of

computer-based technology that enables people to share ideas,

information, and personal content in virtual communities. According to

internet that people use to share their immediately available thoughts

This research study examines social media and communication

technology; examples include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Social

media is focused on communicating and building relationships with

individuals, and maintaining social media use across platforms requires

Moreover, according to Palgi et al. (2020; Wiederhold, 2020),

recited by Bonsaksen et al. (2023), social media is increasingly used to

connect people in work, education, and social interactions. However,

according to Cauberghe et al. (2021), it is debatable whether social

social relationships, thereby representing one way of coping with

Literature indicates that individuals motivated to use social media to

social media usage correlates with increased loneliness. The consistency

of results across studies using multiple outcomes related to mental

associated with loneliness and general mental distress.

B. Definition of Loneliness, Causes of Loneliness, Kinds of

Loneliness is not simply being alone. Loneliness is the feeling we

is unmet. (About Loneliness, 2019). Bakry et al. (2022) stated that

loneliness is defined as a person's sense of isolation from others, which

results in feelings of being excluded and rejected by others.

As explored in his research study, loneliness has been linked to

networking sites leads to social isolation. Second, lonely people are

sites results in social isolation. Second, it has been discovered that

lonely people are more likely to overuse social networking services.

C. Influence of Social Media to the Student's Level of Loneliness

about social media's impact on loneliness. Young adults with still-

developing minds are especially vulnerable to social media's adverse

effects, including loneliness, anxiety, and depression. (Thadani, 2023).

Based on that literature, it is not just students who experience adverse

effects from using social media. Including young individuals whose

during the pandemic, The number of children or students who

experienced loneliness from social media increased even more.

Bonsaksen et al. (2023) stated that higher levels of social media

use were linked to higher levels of loneliness. In addition, Bonsaksen et

al. (2023) also explained that people's perception of social media

content, often in the form of texts and photos, conveys a positive

message of joy, fulfillment, adventure, or success. More time spent on

social media digesting other people's happiness could worsen one's

feelings of loneliness and distress, possibly fueled by envy.