Feasibility report Final pt.

The Use of social media Among Adolescents as A Coping Mechanism During This Pandemic

A Feasibility Report Presented to the Faculty of the English Department Xavier University Senior High School Corrales, Cagayan de Oro City

In Final Fulfillment of the Requirements for English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Prepared by: Infante, Katherine Oblimar, Eliza Pearl Suarez, Juneil Yap, Reiner Aaron

12 Thomas A

September 30, 2021 Ms. Jessa Joyce Tamiok

INTRODUCTION The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the corresponding lockdown measures implemented by several governments are predicted to induce mental health issues. Young adults also utilize social media more than other age groups, a kind of socializing correlated to negative mental health outcomes such as loneliness and depression. As people are unable to leave their homes for non-essential purposes and are restricted from associating in person, social media is projected to become an even more dominant source of communication during the COVID-19 crisis. Prior to COVID-19, social media use was nearly universal among young adults, with 90% using social media (Perrin, 2015) social media became a great way to stay connected with friends, get news updates, and be entertained. This is one way that adolescence can feel better and will not suffer mental and emotional anxiety. To determine how social media made an impact among adolescents on coping up during pandemic and to examine the possibility that more social media use during COVID-19 would come up with this crisis the researchers believe that there is a need to know more about this topic as social media today has been used frequently during the pandemic. In line with this, the sources were tested for its validity and reliability as well as the methodology, efficacy of the execution, and the benefit of results to identify the study’s weaknesses and strengths and was found out to be weak and broad as it takes small amount of time to finish. However, the study should be focusing on one type of social media to correspond with the given timeline, a revision for the paper served as one of the recommendations. OVERVIEW The strike of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the entire world to go under lockdown. With this, many were restricted to go out and continue socializing with others specifically the adolescents. As mentioned, results have shown that the use of social media to the adolescents as their source of communication is a coping mechanism for them during this pandemic. Robinson (2017) have said that given the social isolation and anxiety during the COVID-19 lockdown, adolescents especially may self-regulate their emotions using social media. The mechanics of mood management theory served as one of the researchers bases to conduct the study as it determines that people use specific media to control their emotional state and achieve a more positive mood. As the researchers work their way to how adolescents cope during the pandemic with the use of social media, the given timeline of the study is not enough in identifying how adolescents cope up during the pandemic using social media as it is broad and does not state the scope or limitations of the study. Furthermore, it needs to identify the positive effects of using social media as well as the negative effects it brings to the adolescents.

CRITERIA VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF SOURCES With such arguments, the given sources that supports the researcher’s main point is not strong enough to build a strong foundation of reliability. The given related study only focuses with the positive effects brought using social media as coping mechanism among adolescence. The researchers fall short in covering the possible effects of both negative and positive outcomes of the study.

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE METHODOLOGY The reliability of identifying the use of social media among adolescents as a coping mechanism during this pandemic. To begin with, the researchers send questionnaires among senior high school students who use social media who were enrolled in Grade 12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as a method in gathering data. In addition, the researchers took complete consideration of the research ethics as consents will be asked and taking the results confidential after the survey was answered. In this way, respondents will be more confident in answering the said questionnaires. Finally, based on the considerations addressed above, the activities carried out in this proposed study are most likely to meet the study's stated goal and data collected will most likely be legitimate and confident. EFFICIENCY OF EXECUTION The study evaluates the use of social media as a coping mechanism of adolescence during the pandemic. The study talks about how the use of social media can help limit the adolescents' feeling of loneliness and anxiety. Its goal is to investigate how social media made an impact among adolescents in coping up with the pandemic. Though the study is relevant and may be useful for future studies, the study is too broad as it does not state the scope and limitations of the study. Which implies the study must be on a global scale which means a long-term study must be conducted for the research. In connection to this, the efficiency of the execution is not reliable as a few months will not be enough time to collect enough data. Furthermore, it falls short in clarifying its goal or result. It fails to explain the use of the study and what can be done with the information procured. BENEFIT OF THE RESULT As this study continues, the result states to be very beneficial to all the Grade-12 STEM students. To begin with, the effects of pandemic has isolated most of the students especially on areas with high cases of infection, this turns out cutting their social communication in half. Furthermore, with the intent of the researchers to identify how most of the adolescents cope up with this pandemic using social media the result of the study if

conducted would be very important as it determines the importance with the use of social media. To conclude, the results turn out to be beneficial only in identifying the importance that the social media brings, but it could be more beneficial if both importance and limitations of use are included. EVALUATION The study proposed a great vision on identifying the use of social media among adolescents as a coping mechanism during this pandemic. However, with the given criteria the study turned out to be broad based on the given timeline and weak in terms of sources. In line with this, the study’s foundation was not strong enough to hold evidence as the only source was all about social media’s help to the adolescents’ knowing that the study was all about identifying how adolescents cope up with the pandemic thus suggests seeking both negative and positive effects and limitations in using the social media but turns out to be one-sided. In addition, the methodology used by the researchers was in respect with the research ethics, but in terms of execution, the study would fail to end-up results that could answer the researcher’s expectation considering that the study suggests many outcomes. Furthermore, the results of the study could be more accurate if the researchers focused to only one social media amid pandemics. Based on the previously mentioned reasons, the study is rejected. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS To conclude, the researchers stood out firm to conduct the study however the study lacked in reliability and was broad given that the timeline to finish the study is not feasible. To deal with this, here are some recommendations to help the researchers pursue the expected outcome:    

State the negative outcomes of social media as a coping mechanism. Clarify the scope of the study. What will be the qualifications of the participants? How many participants are included? Reconsider the study's timeline based on the study's scope and limitations. Clearly state the desired outcome of the data procured.

As mentioned from above, the researchers could also come up to revising its title and come up with one scope of social media as these fits with the timeline given by the researchers.

REFERENCES Cauberghe, V., Wesenbeeck, I. V., de Jans, S., Hudders, L., & Ponnet, K. (2021, April 9). How Adolescents Use social media to Cope with Feelings of Loneliness and Anxiety During COVID19 Lockdown. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Publishers.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/cyber.2020.0478 Octavius et al. (2020, December 22). Impact of COVID-19 on adolescents’ mental health: a systematic review. https://mecp.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43045-020- 00075-4