UNDERSTANDING THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF TIKTOK ON ANHS 11-STEM

STUDENTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

A Research study
Presented to
The Faculty of Argao National High School
Canbanua, Argao, Cebu

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Subject
Practical Research I

Dela Cruz, Athena Cybele

Flores, Danielle Anne

Lopecillo, Lorraine Mae

Manlangit, Jessell

Sardido, Michael Dax

Sombilon, Carlito

Villacorte, Nicka

May 2023
 Chapter 1

The Problem and Its Scope

Background of the Study

TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create and share short-

form videos. It has become increasingly popular among young people, with over 1

Billion active users worldwide. However, the platform has been criticized for various

downsides and disadvantages, including addiction, self-esteem issues, inappropriate

content and harmful challenges, privacy concerns, misinformation, and cyberbullying.

This study will explore the downsides of TikTok and their implications.

TikTok addiction has become a growing concern among young people. Many

users spend hours on the app, scrolling through videos and creating their own content.

This addiction can lead to neglecting other important aspects of life, such as work,

family, and education. In extreme cases, users may experience anxiety and depression

when they are unable to use the app.

Studies have found that TikTok addiction is linked to lower levels of self-esteem

and life satisfaction (Huang & Zhang, 2021). This addiction can also lead to a lack of

sleep and poor mental health outcomes (Das, 2020). Therefore, TikTok addiction is a

significant downside of the platform that can negatively impact users' lives.
 TikTok has also been criticized for allowing inappropriate content to circulate on

the platform. This includes sexual and violent content that is unsuitable for young

users. Despite efforts to filter out such content, it continues to appear on the app,

putting young users at risk of exposure.

Research has found that inappropriate content on TikTok can lead to negative

outcomes, including a decrease in academic performance, increased risk-taking

behavior, and a higher likelihood of engaging in substance abuse (Luo, 2020). This

downside of TikTok highlights the need for better content moderation and parental

controls to protect young users from harmful content.

TikTok has also been accused of promoting and spreading misinformation,

particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This misinformation can be harmful,

leading to confusion and potentially putting people's health at risk.

Moreover, research has found that TikTok was a significant source of COVID-19

misinformation, including conspiracy theories and false cures (Patel, 2021). This

downside of TikTok highlights the need for better content moderation and fact-checking

to prevent the spread of misinformation.

TikTok has been criticized for being a platform for cyberbullying, with users

attacking and bullying each other through comments and messages. This can lead to

long-term psychological damage to the victims and also affects the overall safety of the

platform.
 Research has found that cyberbullying on TikTok is prevalent, with one study

finding that 20% of users have experienced cyberbullying on the platform (Huang &

Zhang, 2021). This downside of TikTok highlights the need for better moderation and

reporting mechanisms to prevent cyberbullying.

In the context of Philippines, TikTok had cemented its name as one of the

leading applications in the market, it is a popular social media platform and has become

increasingly popular in the Philippines, especially among young people. While the

platform offers a variety of benefits, such as entertainment, social connection, and

creative expression, there are also some potential downsides to consider. As of March

2023, the amount of Tiktok users in the Philippines has reached 43.4 Million (Baclig,

2023).

In the case of Argao National High School, most students have TikTok installed

on their smartphones and use it almost constantly. The application's portability and

ease of access allows the students to use the application every time they want. While

this might explain the application's appeal to these young audiences, it might also

indicate the potential harm it might cause to a sizable audience all at once. This

inspired the researchers to perform this study in an effort to lessen any unfavorable

effects that it might have.

This study will explore the downsides of TikTok and its adverse effects to the

Grade-11 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students of

Argao National High School. TikTok undeniably is a popular social media platform that
has become increasingly popular among young people. However, it has several

downsides and disadvantages, including addiction, inappropriate content, privacy

concerns, misinformation, and cyberbullying. These downsides can negatively impact

users' lives, including their mental health and academic performance. To combat these

issues, there is a need for better content moderation, fact-checking, and parental

controls to protect young users

Theoretical Background

This study is anchored in 1 theory, the Technological Determinism Theory by

Thorstein Veblen.

TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINISM THEORY

Technological Determinism is the belief that technological advances are the

primary driver of social change. According to Veblen, (1899), as cited by Murthy (2018),

technological determinism suggests that technological developments occur

independently of social, cultural, and economic factors, and that they inevitably lead to

certain outcomes, whether positive or negative. In the context of his study, Murthy

applies the concept of technological determinism to examine how the development of

algorithms and surveillance technologies contribute to the normalization of surveillance

and control in online spaces. He argues that the growing use of algorithms in social

media and other online platforms is evidence of technological determinism, as it

reinforces the belief that technological solutions are the best and most efficient way to

address complex social problems.

 Certainly, technological advancements inevitably lead to certain social outcomes,

whether positive or negative. In the case of TikTok, technological determinism can be

applied to understand the negative effects of the platform.

The design of TikTok is addictive in nature. The app is designed to keep users

engaged by continuously suggesting new content based on their preferences and past

behavior. This can lead to users spending excessive amounts of time on the app,

contributing to social isolation, addiction, and loss of productivity.

TikTok's algorithmic recommendation system may push users towards

increasingly extreme and polarizing content, leading to the radicalization of some

individuals. This can lead to a rise in hate speech, misinformation, and conspiracy

theories, which can have harmful consequences for both individuals and society as a

whole.

The fast-paced and constantly changing nature of TikTok can also have negative

effects on mental health. The pressure to create and consume content can lead to

anxiety, stress, and feelings of inadequacy among users, particularly younger

generations who are more susceptible to the negative effects of social media.

Technological determinism helps us understand how the design and features of

TikTok can contribute to negative effects such as addiction, cyber bullying, self-esteem

issues, exposure to inappropriate content and harmful challenges, misinformation, and

negative impacts on mental health. However, it's important to note that technology

alone cannot be held responsible for these negative effects. Individual behavior, social
norms, and cultural values also play a significant role in shaping the outcomes of

technology.
 Technological Determinism
Theory

by Thorstein Veblen as cited by

Murthy, 2018

Understanding the Adverse

Effects of TikTok on ANHS 11
– STEM Students: A
Qualitative Study

 Psychological effects of spending too much time on TikTok.

 TikTok contribute to the spread of misinformation and harmful
content.
 The potential risks of young people being exposed to
inappropriate content on TikTok.

Figure 1. Theoretical Framework

Statement of the Problem

This study seeks to answer the following questions:

1.) What are the psychological effects of spending too much time on TikTok?

2.) How does TikTok contribute to the spread of misinformation and harmful

content?

3.) What are the potential risks of young people being exposed to inappropriate

content on TikTok?

Scope and Delimitations

This study will focus on the downsides of TikTok among Grade-11 STEM students

of Argao National High School. The research will examine the negative effects of TikTok

on the academic performance and mental health of Grade-11 STEM students. It will

also investigate the amount of time spent on TikTok and how it affects their daily

routines. The study will only focus on Grade-11 STEM students of Argao National High

School, thus the findings may not be generalizable to other student populations. The

study will only look at the downsides of TikTok and will not explore its positive effects

on Grade-11 STEM students. The study will not investigate the use of other social

media platforms or applications and their effects on Grade-11 STEM students. It will not

include non-Grade-11 STEM students in the analysis. This study will rely on self-

reported data from the students, which may be subject to biases or inaccuracies.
Significance of the Study

Schools, this study would help school staffs in formulating interventions that

can be developed to improve student performance. For example, if students are

spending too much time on TikTok instead of studying, schools with the help of the

teachers can develop strategies to limit access to the app during school hours or assign

projects that require students to engage in more constructive activities.

Teachers, by studying the negative effects of TikTok, teachers can educate

people primarily the students about the risks associated with using the app. This

education can help prevent students from engaging in harmful behaviors on the app,

such as cyberbullying, sharing inappropriate content, or getting involved in dangerous

challenges.

Parents, by understanding the negative effects of TikTok, parents can develop

strategies to mitigate the risks. For example, parents can develop house rules regarding

the use of TikTok and monitor their children's use of the app more closely. As a result,

parents can provide guidance to their children on how to use the app safely.

Students, TikTok has been linked to negative mental health outcomes, such as

depression and anxiety. By studying these effects, even the students can develop

interventions to protect their mental health as they use the app. This is especially

important given the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among young people.

Future researchers, this work will give future researchers a head start and

urge them to conduct more research in this area. This study merely touches the surface
of a much bigger issue, therefore further research is required to, hopefully, get to the

bottom of it all and offer solutions for minimizing the harm that it might bring to young

people and society as a whole.

By studying the downsides of TikTok, it can help raise awareness about

potential harm, educate people on the risks associated with using the app, and develop

strategies to mitigate risks, protect mental health, and enhance student performance
Definition of Terms

Adverse – pertaining to the negative effects of a habit or something that is perceived

to be harmless and safe.

Content – any films or videos produced by creators.

Cyberbullying – internet bullying or harassment.

Downside – something's disadvantage or bad aspect.

Misinformation – inaccurate or deceptive information.

Social Media – refers to all websites and mobile applications.

Social Media Platform – enabling users to communicate, exchange knowledge, and

publish content online.

TikTok – is a social networking platform where users may upload and watch short

vidoes.
 Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature and Studies

TikTok is a social media platform that has become increasingly popular among

youths worldwide. The app enables users to create and share short-form videos that

can go viral quickly. While TikTok offers a fun way to express oneself, there is growing

concern over the potential negative impacts of the app on youths. This qualitative

research review examines the downsides of TikTok to youths based on relevant studies

and literature.

TikTok

TikTok has been a way of entertainment for people varying from a young age to

an older age. This is observable on the platform. According to Montag et al. (2021), in

September 2016, Zhang Yiming launched Musical.ly. In November 2017, Beijing

Bytedance Technology bought the app musical.ly, which it rebranded as TikTok. This

app quickly rose to the top of the list of successful Chinese apps in terms of global

distribution. According to TikTok (2023), they are the most popular platform for mobile

short-form videos. And that their goal is to spread happiness and encourage creativity.

This claim could be confirmed when observing the platform. Unfortunately people,

mostly the youth have been too invested in the said medium.

TikTok has faced several difficulties in the past. According to Iqbal (2023), for

"morality issues" in 2019, it was outlawed in Pakistan and India, though both bans were

later lifted. In June 2020, as tensions between China and India grew, India once more
blocked the app in addition to some other Chinese-based apps. In January 2021, India

affirmed the ban, which allowed several other TikTok clones to gain market share there.

Additionally, TikTok had to consider selling its US business to a holding company that

would have been governed by Walmart and Oracle. The Biden Administration, however,

decided to revoke President Trump's executive order.

TikTok Addiction

TikTok Addiction is a type of addiction to the internet that the youth experience

today. It is a state where a person is deeply lured into swiping more and more short

videos without stopping or taking a good rest. According to Qin et al. (2022), The most

significant factor causing TikTok addiction behavior was concentration, so algorithms

and systems should be optimized to create a useful function that can interrupt users

who have been engrossed in TikTok for too long or recommend quick educational

videos to encourage users to form healthy TikTok usage habits.

A study by Kumar et al. (2021) highlights the importance of understanding the

prevalence of TikTok addiction and its impact on mental health among adolescents. The

researchers found a significant association between TikTok addiction and poor mental

health status, including anxiety, depression, and stress. The findings suggest that

interventions such as awareness campaigns and counseling services should be provided

to prevent and manage TikTok addiction among adolescents.

TikTok addiction may be related to perceived social influence and FOMO. Aslam

et al. (2021) found that the perceived social influence of TikTok, fear of missing out
(FOMO), and self-esteem were significant antecedents of TikTok addiction. These

findings suggest that individuals who are susceptible to social influence and FOMO may

be more likely to develop TikTok addiction. The researchers also suggested that

awareness campaigns should be launched to educate young adults about the negative

consequences of TikTok addiction, and interventions such as cognitive-behavioral

therapy (CBT) should be provided to manage addiction-related problems.

TikTok's user interface is designed to keep users engaged, leading to a potential

addiction to the app. A qualitative study by Hossain et al. (2021) found that many

youths spend hours on TikTok, leading to neglect of important responsibilities such as

schoolwork and chores. The findings of the study also revealed that TikTok addiction is

a complex phenomenon that is influenced by various factors such as the availability of

smartphones, easy access to the internet, peer pressure, and boredom. The study also

found that TikTok addiction has both positive and negative effects on users' mental

health and social life. While some users reported that TikTok helped them to alleviate

stress and anxiety, others reported that it negatively affected their academic

performance and relationships with family and friends.

According to Elhai et al. (2019) spending too much time on TikTok can lead

develop an addiction-like behavior among its users. A study published in the

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction found that some users of TikTok

and other social media platforms exhibited addictive behaviors, including feeling

preoccupied with social media, experiencing withdrawal symptoms when unable to

access social media, and using social media to cope with negative emotions.
Cyberbullying

According to a study by Schuster et al. (2021), TikTok users are vulnerable to

cyberbullying, especially among younger age groups. Cyberbullying includes

harassment, rumors, and abusive comments, and it can have detrimental effects on the

mental health of victims. The study states that there are numerous online communities

in which people converse about various topics and issues, one of which is TikTok. The

study suggests that it is usually necessary to monitor online forums to ensure that

conversations and content are appropriate.

According to Oktarini et al. (2022), bullying is the most common negative impact

on TikTok. Cyberbullying on TikTok can be seen in the comments column where most

of the bullying is carried out by teenagers or minors. But sometimes even adults do not

escape from being bullied on the application. Examples of cyberbullying on TikTok are

hate speech and hate comments.

Inappropriate Content and Harmful Challenges

TikTok’s algorithm recommends videos based on the user's previous interactions,

which can lead to exposure to inappropriate content. A study by Zhang et al. (2020)

found that many users were exposed to videos promoting substance abuse, sexual

content, and harmful challenges. The study also found that inappropriate content was

often disguised as harmless content, making it difficult for users to identify it as such.

The study identified several factors contributing to the prevalence of inappropriate

content on TikTok, including the lack of content moderation, the algorithmic

recommendation system that promotes popular content, and the incentivization of users

to create and share content. The study recommended that TikTok implement better

content moderation policies and provide more education and resources for users to

identify and report inappropriate content. The study also suggested that users take a

more active role in monitoring their content consumption and taking steps to avoid

harmful content to ensure the safety of its users.

A 2021 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that exposure to

sexual content on social media was associated with an increased risk of early sexual

activity and risky sexual behavior among adolescents. While the study did not focus

specifically on TikTok, it highlights the potential risks of young people being exposed to

inappropriate content on social media especially since TikTok is among the most visited

app by minors.

TikTok has been associated with the promotion of dangerous challenges such as

the “Tide Pod Challenge,” “Skullbreaker Challenge,” and the “Outlet Challenge.” A study

by Yek et al. (2020) found that youths who participated in these challenges reported

injuries and hospitalization, and TikTok was one of the primary sources of information

about these challenges. Harmful TikTok Challenges. The study also identified other

challenges related to self-harm, eating disorders, sexual content, substance abuse, and

dangerous stunts. Some of the specific challenges included the "Skull Breaker

Challenge," which involved tripping someone in the air, and the "A4 Waist Challenge,"

which promoted an unhealthy body image by encouraging individuals to measure their

waist against a piece of A4 paper. The study found that harmful challenges on TikTok
have the potential to cause physical harm, promote unhealthy behaviors, and contribute

to the spread of misinformation. The researchers suggested that parents, educators,

and social media platforms need to be more proactive in monitoring and addressing

harmful challenges on TikTok and other social media platforms.

Self-esteem Issues

A study by Zhang et al. (2020) found that TikTok use was associated with body

dissatisfaction and low self-esteem among female users. TikTok can lead to unrealistic

beauty standards and trigger negative emotions and body image issues. TikTok

promotes a culture of perfection, where users strive to portray an idealized image of

themselves

Similarly, according to Fardouly et al., (2018), TikTok had been linked with a

decrease in confidence in their bodies among its users. A study published in the

International Journal of Eating Disorders found that spending more time on social

media, particularly in TikTok was associated with greater body dissatisfaction and lower

self-esteem in both men and women. As an app widely used by teenagers all around

the globe, it is no surprise that some of them would compare themselves to these icons

they follow online and pressure themselves to conform to society's standards.

Misinformation

A News guard investigation found that TikTok’s users, who are predominantly

teens and young adults, are consistently fed false and misleading claims when they

search on TikTok for information about prominent news topics (Brewster et al., 2022).
The News Guard investigation found that for a sampling of searches on prominent news

topics, almost 20 percent of the videos presented as search results contained

misinformation. This means that for searches on topics ranging from the Russian

invasion of Ukraine to school shootings and COVID vaccines, TikTok’s users are

consistently fed false and misleading claims.

When questioned about these findings, a representative for TikTok stated that

the platform's Community Guidelines "make clear that we do not allow harmful

misinformation, including medical misinformation, and we will remove it." The

representative also added that they collaborate with reliable sources to promote

authoritative content on public health-related themes, and they work with outside fact-

checkers who assist them in evaluating the accuracy of the content.

TikTok has numerous downsides for youths, including addiction, cyberbullying,

exposure to inappropriate content and harmful challenges, self-esteem issues, and

misinformation. While TikTok can be a fun and engaging platform, parents and

guardians should monitor their children's use of the app to ensure their safety and well-

being. TikTok's developers must also take necessary measures to improve the safety of

its users, including the implementation of stricter content guidelines and the

enhancement of its algorithm to prevent the promotion of harmful challenges and

content.
 Chapter 3

Research Methodology

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate how TikTok affects Grade 11-

STEM Students. This chapter presents the research design, research environment,

respondents, sampling method, research instrument, data analysis, and research

procedure.

Research Design

This study entitled Understanding the Adverse Effects of TikTok on ANHS 11-

STEM Students is qualitative research that is to find existing information and data

gathering factors affecting TikTok in modern times. This study discusses the effects of

TikTok on students including the psychological effects, spreading of misinformation, and

risks of being exposed to inappropriate content on TikTok. The researchers decided to

use Phenomenological Research Design in this study. This design is used to explore the

subjective experiences and meanings of a certain phenomenon. In the case of this

study, a phenomenological research design used to investigate the lived experiences of

teenagers who have experienced negative consequences or downsides of TikTok, such

as cyberbullying or app addiction. Moreover, phenomenological research design would

be able to meet the researchers needed data since it includes investigating subjective

experiences.
Research Environment

The research will be conducted in Argao National High School Day-Class.

It is located in the Southeast Province of Cebu in Barangay Canbanua. The researchers

observed that students who are addicted to TikTok experiences higher rates of anxiety,

stress, depression, and weaker working memory. This targeted area is a school, and a

school has plenty of young people who would believe in what they hear almost

instantly. This young people of this school will be studied in order to help them realize

in how they perceive information. They also are prone to receive false informations

about the events that are happening nowadays. Thus having this school as an

environment of this study can help get better and more accurate results.
Figure 2. Research Environment
Respondents

The students of grade 11 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

(STEM) students will participate in this study. The researchers will pick students from

every section. This way the respondents could represent the population the researchers

want to study. There would be 30 respondents in this research.

The reason in which why the researchers used Grade 11-STEM is that Grade-11

students are new to senior high school due to the pandemic that occur from the year

2019-2022. Being fresh from the pandemic means they are bound to social media.

Because humans as a whole is a social animals, ever since the lockdown they could only

socialize through social media. And the reason why Grade-11 STEM is that STEM

students tend to complicated facts and pieces of information they learn from their

friends more often the others.

 NO. OF
RESPONDENTS RESPONSE OF THE
RESPONDENTS

SECTIONS OF GRADE-11 STEM

GAIA

HELIOS
 HYPERION

Sampling Method
 The sampling method to be used in this study will be non-random sampling,

specifically purposive sampling. Purposive sampling will be used in this study to pick

students who use TikTok more often than other students. This way the researchers

could get data from students who immerse themselves in TikTok. Purposive sampling is

a way of getting a sample by selecting those who are eligible for our study. In this

study, the researchers will only pick those who use TikTok. The researchers will not

include a respondent who does not use TikTok. This way, it would be possible to gather

more accurate data. For this reason, picking those who do not use TikTok will only

mess with the data in understanding the adverse effects of TikTok on Grade 11 STEM

students.

Research Instrument

In conducting the research, the researchers would like to use questionnaires in

collecting data from the respondents. The questions would be regarding how they use

TikTok in perceiving and gathering information and why they believe certain

information. By using questionnaires, the respondents will have more time in analyzing

and answering our questionnaire leading to more accurate data. This would let the

respondents be more confident in their answers and feel more private in answering.

Unlike questionnaires, interviews will have cases in which the respondents would lie

about a question due to it being cringe, too personal, embarrassing, or outside their

comfort zone. It could also be too pressuring to the respondents, especially to those

shy respondents. For this reason, this study will be using questionnaires to gather more
accurate data with a lesser chance of the data being a lie from the respondents. The

response in the instrument the researchers would want to get is qualitative data.

Data Analysis

In analyzing the data the researchers will use narrative analysis to identify how

TikTok’s information and fake news influenced the students. Narrative analysis is a way

the use the data to be gathered, the researchers will analyze each data gathered from

the questionnaire. “Narrative analysis refers to a cluster of analytic methods for

interpreting texts or visual data that have a storied form. A common assumption of

narrative methods is that people tell stories to help organize and make sense of their

lives and their storied accounts are functional, and purposeful (Figgou & Pavlopoulos

2015)”. This way organizing the results and analyzing results would be more accurate.

The way the researchers analyze the data would be by reading the qualitative data from

the respondents would be listing all data, and organizing it in a way that the common

assumption will be clear to the researchers. Finally, the researchers will conclude

according to the research data results.

Research Procedures

The researchers will first get authorization from the authority of the environment

of the study. After which the researchers will then identify students in Grade 11 STEM

who use TikTok. This will be done in a sampling method which is purposive sampling to

get the right respondents for this study. This is to also avoid inaccuracies in the data.

After identifying the respondents the researchers will then ask the respondents and
their parents or guardians for consent. This is to follow research ethics. The researchers

will then give them a questionnaire to answer. This questionnaire would then be the

response of the respondents and the data of this study. After this, the researchers will

collect the data and organize it in a way it will be easier to understand. Next, the

researchers will then proceed into analyzing the organized data. Through the use of

narrative analysis, the researchers will look into the results of the data. After this, the

researchers will conclude the written data. Finally, the researchers will double-check

their conclusion from the data after analyzing it.

In addition, the researchers will identify the gap in the conclusion. By identifying

the gap in the study’s conclusion the researchers could give an idea to future

researchers on what to study next on the same topic of the study. This could lead to

more understanding of this topic.