IS SMART SHAMING ON GRADE 11 STUDENTS IN CITI GLOBAL COLLEGE SANTA

ROSA AFFECTS THEIR BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE?

I. INTRODUCION

A new social issue in the Philippines is slowly spreading. Some may say that it is nothing to
worry about but the long term effect of this problem will be heavy especially to those who will be
affected. The new rising social problem is called smart shaming. It is the act of shaming others for
being smarter than someone else. Having said that it is slowly spreading in the country, which means
not everyone is aware that this is actuallya big problem now, people should be informed about this as
soon as possible so that it can be prevented.

We’re all familiar with many Filipinos having the infamous Crab Mentality. Or in Tagalog,
Utak Talangka. “If I can’t have it, nobody can,” goes the usual saying. Many believe that the crab
mentality only applies to material things like cars, condos, country club memberships, or other status
symbols. But when there’s nothing material to shame a person for, they prefer to insult the person’s
virtue instead. Wherein a person’s knowledge is the first thing they’ll attack. While they can’t call them
out for their lack of knowledge, they’ll instead manipulate the situation to make them appear to be the
“smart aleck.” Gohu, K. (2022)

Smart shaming or anti- intellectualism is the act of criticizing or rejecting the growth of ideas in
an intellectual conversation and showing hate and mistrust toward intellectual endeavors. Smart
shaming doesn't just happen at school, sometimes we receive it from our parents, relatives or, people
around us. Because of the smart shaming that students is receiving, it affects their behavior and
academic performances. They cannot express themselves because they are afraid of receiving another
smart shaming. Students like us might stop exploring new concepts, conducting additional research,
and reaching your full potential if smart-shaming persists. Those who are harassed for their knowledge
may underestimate their own intelligence and become self-doubting.

Most of the students nowadays have experience smart shaming. Many students are tired to go
through day by day hoping for improvement. The academic pressure they put to their selves is so tiring
because they are not smart enough to rely on stock knowledge. They badly need to study hard more
than the other, but it's still not enough. Most of the time they pretend that it doesn't bother, but it does, it
always does. A person whose craving for academic validation isn't that easy, you need to be good at all
the activities in school because they're expecting something from you. The pressure and stress will
blow away you up, you'll be staying up all night just to study and prove something, worse part is if you
didn't get the satisfaction they want, you'll end up questioning yourself if you really did your best.

Students seek academic validation for various reasons. It could be a personal goal — to be the
best graduating student, for example, or they plan to continue to college and have a blossoming career.
It could also be constant pressure from their parents to meet a certain standard. It may be challenging to
break out of the toxic mindset that academic validation induces. We must understand that we don’t
need to pressure ourselves with unnecessarily high standards. We must focus on other essentials, such
as mental, physical, and spiritual growth. Academic concerns may result from mental health issues,
such as anxiety or attention-deficit hyperactivity, but at the same time, a child might also develop
mental health concerns, such as stress, as a result of his or her academic difficulties. A child with a
learning disability that is not recognized or correctly treated, for example, might become stressed due
to parental pressure to earn better grades and frustrated with teachers who do not offer adequate
assistance. The child might then become anxious about school, and the stress might also manifest as
aggression toward the child’s teacher or peers.

Students is trying different or various ways to prevent and stop smart shaming. Some of them
tried to surpass smart shaming using their confidence, developing their self-esteem, but most of them
chose to ignore the situation even though they are still affected by it, because of that students are more
likely to be afraid or ashamed to be intelligent , they start seeing the word "intellectual" as an insult
rather than a good quality of a student, they see high intelligence as a negative trait

Smart shaming can also affect a student's drive and ability to learn, which can be related to his
or her personal skills. However, scientists have tried to establish why students are accustomed to anti-
intellectualism. One frequent cause is that students believe that they are superior to their intelligent
peers. Their ideas are seen as a challenge, instead of hurling insults, rather than engaging an individual
with anything interesting. The offended party has the feeling that the person is dumb with a specific
idea. Students only assess academic accomplishments by giving a connotation of intellectualism.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Smart shaming is the act of contradicting the growth of ideas and in turn, the growth of
intelligent conversations (Arcilla et. al, 2017). It is a form of misbehavior that is why it produces
negative results to someone affected by it. Furthermore, it can be related to anti-intellectualism. It is
defined as the hostility and mistrust of intellectual pursuits. Those who present a typical way of
thinking are bothered, perceived as different, deemed a danger to normality, and are considered
outsiders with little empathy for the rest of the population. This is the origin of the idea that those who
have alternative opinions or are part of counterculture are elitist, arrogant, and aloof.

Moreover, according to Santos, T. (2016), it is a manifestation of how someon values the pursuit
of knowledge. Also, it is disappointing that there are people who mock those who jealously try to learn
and share new learning and ideas. Somehow having vast information is the reason of smart shaming.
With quick access to vast information, especially with the Internet, everyone has no excuse not to
explore and learn things that are foreign to one.

According to Varsitarian news portal, here in a country where education is of great value among
its people, there seems to be a growing trend of making negative comments and expressions to those
who have the high intellectual capacity or critical thinkers and it is an act of “smart-shaming.” With the
continuous increase in the number of Filipinos on social media, it has always been easier to share and
disseminate information that is new to the public. Often times, people are also quick to react and even
criticize those who have new ideas to share, and people will say "nagmamagaling" without knowing
the facts.

Everyone can be a victim of smart-shaming. Even adults can also experience this. However, the
most common individual affected are students, especially Senior High School. It is a form of bullying
wherein people end to disrespect others personal capabilities. Nowadays, bullying is really
dominant. High school students are the most common victim in this case. In bullying, you can
encounter multitudes of people who do different kinds of shaming. Bullies are the people who want
superiority. Definitely, smartshaming is one way of committing bullying.

Furthermore, smart shaming can result mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and others.
It has similarities with bullying with regards to its effects. Mental issues can really affect the character
of a certain person depending on how they will surpass it. With that there’s a possibility that it will
destroy one’s ability on how they will handle their choices in life.

As a matter of fact, knowledge is powerful but people do not appreciate it much. Some people
think smart people are proud people. Philippines have this culture that having high intellectuality is a
negative trait, and it is because of some reasons. Filipinos believe that smart people use their intellect to
outsmart others and benefit only theirselves. In particular, there is a growing trend of shaming to those
who take time to learn more and share their knowledge with others (Sison, 2018). Stating facts and
giving opinions and suggestions to other people make them feel that someone is angrily looking at
them. On the contrary, if someone shows a lack of knowledge over something, mocking is very
evident. In short, there is really no excuse between being ignorant and knowledgeable.

Former Senator Mirriam Defensor-Santiago is an example of a person who experienced smart

shaming and anti-intellectualism. Even though the former senator achieved a lot of recognition, people
still call her crazy because of her quirky attitude. There are plenty of reasons attributed by bloggers to
have caused the phenomena of anti-intellectualism. In the Philippines, using stupidity as entertainment,
poor education, the sensationalism of the news and others are really big issues. Baygan, J.A (2016)

Stated by Pieraz, A. (2018), one of the causes why Filipinos tend to smart- shame is because of
Filipino toxic culture that if somebody tries to correct someone, they will get the worst label for
humans. Therefore, smart shaming is also an example of toxic Filipino culture because of its
detrimental effects. It is like when Filipinos see smart people greedy and boastful with what they have,
they will intentionally make fun of it without considering their feelings. Most people have this mindset
that can be passed generation by generation. In reality, people who tend to smart-shame are those
people who lacks an idea on how broad this could be. It can really bring negative emotions to everyone.

1.2 THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK

1.3 COCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

1.4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research aims to determine the effects of smart shaming on Grade 11 students in CITI
Global College Sta. Rosa. Researchers seeks to ask these questions that could be answer in this
research activity;
1. Does smart shaming has effets on Grade 11 students in terms of:

1.1 Behavior

1.2 Academic Performance

1.3 Mental Health

Specifically, this sought to answer the following questions;

2. What are the causes and effects of smart shaming? Is there really an effect being smart shamed?

3. Is smart shaming really a hindrance to people to express themselves freely in trms of;

3.1 Being active

3.2 Social Media

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will create a result that can be used for future references of meaningful learning.
Much of the research data may be useful in the solution of problems related to the effects of smart
shaming on the students and the factors to prevent it.

The findings of this study could contribute to the studies about the effects of smart shaming to
anyone and appreciation of foreign media content. Also, it is an update on the studies of phenomenon
and the information of students. Consequently, this research probed on the effects of the smart shaming
on its students' behavior and academic performance. The following will be the beneficiaries from this
study:

STUDENTS

This research is to inform the students regarding smart-shaming to avoid offending other
student’s feelings whenever they volunteer to do things. Sometimes, some students hide their
intelligence and shut their mouth, so that people won’t mock them. Since smart-shaming is ften
experienced by students, they should know first what smart-shaming really means. Also, to tell
students that they do not know that sometimes, they are actually smart-shaming their classmates. That
may be for them, it is just an expression, but in reality, it is already offending other people. It is also to
free themselves from hiding their ideas they want to say in front of everyone.

SCHOOL

This research is to inform the school that education has a great value among its people. School
has the power to enlighten the students regarding social problem, so, they also have a big impact to
students. It can help them to be more open-minded about this topic. They could use their power to be
the voice of the students who experience this. That the pupils they handle must be protected from
smart-shaming because the school is the whose responsible in evading situations wherein, students are
being smart shamed. They are prone to smart-shaming and they are not paying attention to this social
problem. They can lead the students to do the right thing instead of giving negative comments against
those intelligent people who just shared knowledge. They can also apply some rules regarding smart-
shaming since they are the one handling the students.

COMMUNITY

This research is to tell people that this does not only happen to students but it is also affecting
the community. In daily life, there are many situations where smart-shaming happens. For example, in
social media, many people would react to a post then eventually, they will comment on their opinions.
Those who have high intelligences and also people who docritical thinking that shared their ideas will
receive inappropriate response from othersthat can affect a community. By informing the community
regarding smart-shaming, they can possibly lessen smart-shaming situations. It is a big societal conflict
whereas, this research, proves that the problem mention is a serious case involving psychological
attacks on a person. The goal of this is to look for possible solutions that involve the society and by that
smart-shaming can be avoided by the people living in the community.

GENERAL

This research is to inform everyone that this happens worldwide. These circumstances are
experienced by everyone not only the intelligent ones. For example,when someone delivers a speech,
there are possibilities where the audience would react “Nakaka nosebleed naman yan!” or “Wow ha”.
These are the common smart-shaming conditions a person experience.

1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Academic Validation - represents actions that foster academic development.

Accustomed - mean familiar through frequent or regular repetition

Adequate - as much or as good as necessary for some requirement or purpose

Aloof - not friendly or forthcoming

Attention Deficit - or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of
children and often continues into adulthood

Boastful - showing excessive pride and self-satisfaction in one's achievements,

Crab Mentality - Like the crabs in a bucket, they like to pull others down to their level.

Connotation - refers to a meaning suggested or implied by the use of a particular word.

Contrary - being so far apart as to be or seem irreconcilable

Detrimental - is an adjective that means harmful or damaging

Disseminate - to spread or give out something

Dominant - controlling or being more powerful or important than all others

Elitist - considered superior by others or by themselves

Endeavors - to exert oneself to do or effect something

Hurling - to throw or fling with great force or vigor

Induces - also sometimes means "produce"

Mock - tease or laugh at in a scornful

Multitudes - The masses; the populace

Perceived - come to realize or understand

Quirky - A peculiarity of behavior;

Self-esteem - belief and confidence in your own ability and value

Sensationalism - use of exciting or shocking stories or language at the expense of accuracy

Smart shame - a person opposed to or hostile toward intellectuals and the modern academic, artistic,
social, religious, and other theories associated with them \
Stock knowledge - is related to the concept of the creative economy in the current economic era which
intensifies information and creativity by relying on human
Superiority - the state or fact of being superior