INSECTA Vol. XX No. XX, 2020, pp.

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INSECTA
Integrative Science Education and Teaching Activity Journal
Journal homepage : https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/insecta
Article

Impact Of Tiktok On 12-Year-Old's Learning In Desa Sibalanga

Yuli Pasu Lubis1, Yusnadi 2, Muhammad Takwin Machmud3

Fakultas Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan, Indonesia

*Corresponding Address: yulipasulubis7@gmail.com

Article Info ABSTRACT

Article history:
Received: Month XX, 20XX
Accepted: Month XX, 20XX
Published: Month XX, 20XX
(Times New Roman 9)
Keywords:
TikTok,
Learning Activities,
12-year-old
The purpose of this study is to determine how TikTok usage affects a
12-year-old child's learning activities in Desa Sibalanga. The research
methodology utilized in this study is a kualitatif approach, utilizing
the technique of data collection through a tertutup kuesioner (Google
Formulir). 22 12-year-old children from Desa Sibalanga, Kecamatan
Garoga, Kabupaten Tapanuli Utara, are the subjects of this study. The
study's findings indicate that 12-year-olds who use TikTok have more
negative than positive effects on their ability to learn. This is caused
by a few factors, namely: TikTok is more often used as a joke than as
a teaching tool; TikTok content that offends can be detrimental to the
learning process; and TikTok usage that is excessively favorable can
result in kecanduan, which can have a negative impact on learning
attitudes, including the activities of 12-year-old students learning.
Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that the 12-
year-old student in Desa Sibalanga who uses Tiktok has more
negative than positive effects on learning.

© 2023 Yuli Pasu Lubis, Yusnadi, Muhammad Takwin Machmud

INTRODUCTION
Current communication technology is facing significant challenges, particularly in the
social media space. Everyday communication tools, like smartphones, have affected every
segment of society in every city and village and are not just used by adults but also by
children. Due to globalization, we may communicate with anyone, whether they are well-
known or not, by using social media. Social media is a type of unorthodox media that enables
users to communicate and exchange information with people around the world.
According to Nursalam & Arifin (2017), social media has a crucial role in enhancing
knowledge and understanding in the field of education. Furthermore, Andriani & Sulistyorini
(2022) explain that popular social media in Indonesia includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
TikTok, WhatsApp, YouTube, and others, where social media can become a source of
inspiration. Based on data from Statista, the number of TikTok users in Indonesia in 2023
will reach 112,2 million. The majority of TikTok users in Indonesia are young people,
especially those under the age of 12. The use of TikTok by 12-year-olds can have both

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positive and negative effects on their learning activities. In a good way, TikTok may be an
interactive teaching and learning tool. Young children can learn new skills through the videos
available on TikTok, such as how to make videos, play music, or do makeup.
Luisandrith & Yanuartuti (2020) state that TikTok is a social media application that
enables users to create and share short videos. The Tik-tok app was developed in September
2016 and has been steadily increasing in popularity throughout the year 2018. Tik-tok
became increasingly popular during the Covid-19 pandemic because the application was used
to express oneself or to periodically record moments of time in response to the karantina laws
that required the populace to engage in activities at home. In the field of education,
schoolchildren use TikTok to create assignments and as an online learning medium, such as
creating lesson videos and viewing lesson content or instructors.
Social media is not just used by adults to communicate, but also by children to express
themselves. One example of this is the TikTok app. These days, it's not just older people
using the Tik-Tok app—young children from kindergarten to high school are now using it.
They use this application as a hiburan sarana, therefore many hesitant children use it to access
the Tik-Tok application.
Several studies indicate that children who are not exposed to or disciplined by their
parents may experience difficulties when using a smartphone. Furthermore, there is an app
called TikTok that children love to use without realizing if the content they are accessing is
appropriate for their age or not, which could negatively impact their development. But, not
every post on the TikTok platform is offensive to children, since they are able to express
themselves and convey their sense of self-discovery. Menyukai aplikasi TikTok, fenomena
anak SD usia 7–12 tahuna, menyukai banyak kita jumpai di sekitar kita. These phenomena
raise questions that lead me, as a researcher, to want to examine the impact of Tik-Tok app
use on 12-year-old children's learning activities.
Ankle-deep TikTok use can hinder a child's learning activities. Youngsters can become
TikTok influencers and shorten their waiting time to upload videos. This may cause them to
lose focus when learning and doing schoolwork. One desa in Kabupaten Tapanuli Uatara,
Provinsi Sumatra Utara, is called Desa Sibalanga. This village is home to about 500–700
people.
Despite the challenges the researchers faced in Desa Sibalanga, in the last few years,
the number of TikTok users there has increased, especially among the 12-year-old
demographic. This can be seen by the large number of 12-year-old children who miss school
to post videos on TikTok. The use of TikTok by a 12-year-old student in Desa Sibalanga has
both positive and negative effects on their learning activities. Children who are addicted to
TikTok are less focused on learning and schoolwork. They also find it easier and less
difficult to be assertive. On the other hand, TikTok's positive effects can be a great way to
express a child's creativity. Youngsters can create their own videos, such as dance videos, lip
sync videos, or tutorial videos.
This is why I, as a researcher, must conduct this study to analyze the impact of TikTok
usage on a 12-year-old's learning activities. The purpose of this study is to identify the
positive and negative effects of TikTok usage on children's learning activities as well as the
factors that influence those effects. By understanding these points, we can help children,
especially those in elementary school, by encouraging them to use the TikTok app and
helping them understand the impact it has on their learning activities.

METHODS

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The type of study that is used in this study is a quantitative study. Sugiyono defines
quantitative research as research grounded in positivism and used to examine a population or
sample, collect data using a research instrument, analyze data with a quantitative or statistical
perspective, and draw conclusions from previously established hypotheses (Budiastuti &
Bandur, 2018). Data can be obtained in the form of angka-angka that can be analyzed. This
data is obtained from a Google Formulir and has data in the form of angka and graphs. This is
used to assess the impact of Tiktok app usage on children's learning activities in Desa
Sibalanga who are 12 years old.
The data collection technique used by researchers is as follows:
1. Wawancara: In this study, a group of eight 12-year-old students from Desa Sibalanga
participated in the wawancara. This wawancara was conducted by the researcher via
telephone and also through the WhatsApp message, where the wawancara consisted
of the most significant questions that would be asked. This study is being conducted
to gather more information and understand the impact of TikTok users' behavior on
12-year-old students' learning activities.
2. Kuesioner: The researchers collect the necessary data using a kuesioner that is either
tupultup or uses a Google Formulir. The questions are related to the analysis of the
use of tiktok applications with respect to 12-year-old children. Via this questionnaire,
researchers will obtain reliable data after doing a thorough analysis and then
compiling detailed data from the data set.
This research project will begin in November and go through December of 2023. The
location of this research was carried out in Sibalanga Village, Garoga District, North
Tapanuli Regency.
The subjects of this research were 22 children aged 12 years or sixth grade elementary
school students in Sibalanga Village. The time in this research is flexible according to the
situation and conditions of the research subjects so that the research can run effectively and
support the accuracy of the data obtained.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This study used a kuesioner to get information from 22 12-year-old Desa Sibalanga
children. Based on survey results that were obtained using a Google Form, an analysis of the
impact of TikTok users' learning activities on 12-year-old students' learning activities
revealed that the use of TikTok had more negative effects than positive ones on the learning
of SMA students.
The research instrument uses Likert scales (SS, S, TS, and STS) to obtain data from
each respondent. Here are the explanations for each of the five indicators, which are as
follows:

Table 1: Duration of Tiktok Usage

Statement Result in Percentage

Strongly Disagree Agree Strong
Disagree, ly Agree

I set aside 13,6 % 9,1 % 63, 6 13,6%

more than two hours %
a day to use the Tik
Tok app
I have used - 27,3% 50% 18,2%

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TikTok until late at

night or until it
disturbed my sleep

Based on the table above, the answers from respondents using a Likert scale (SS, S, TS,
STS) in the "Time for using Tiktok" indicator, show that of the 22 respondents, the majority
of respondents (64%) answered that they agreed to spending more than 2 hours per days to
use Tiktok, while only 9.1% answered that they disagreed. Then 50% of respondents
answered that they agreed to use Tiktok late at night.

Table 2. Types of preferred TikTok content

Statement Result in Percentage

Strongly Disagree Stron Agree
Disagree gly Agree
I prefer 9,1 % 22,7 % 9,1% 13,6%
entertaining TikTok
content to educational
TikTok content

The type of - 40,9% 54,5% -

TikTok content I like
doesn't match the
subjects I study at
school.

Based on the table above, in the "Preferred Type of TikTok Content" indicator, it shows
that of the 22 respondents, the majority of respondents (23%) answered that they did not
agree with the statement that they preferred entertaining TikTok content over educational
TikTok content, the remainder (14%) agreed with this statement. then for the statement that
the type of TikTok content they like is not in accordance with the subjects studied at school,
respondents (55%) answered agreeing with this statement.

Table 3. Influence of TikTok on Learning Motivation

Statement Result in Percentage

Strongly Disagree Stron Agree
Disagree gly Agree
Using TikTok 13,6% 59,1 % 18,2% 9,1%
makes me more
enthusiastic about
learning

Using TikTok - 77,3% 13,6% -

makes me more
motivated to do
school assignments.

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Based on the table above, the "Influence of TikTok on Learning Motivation" indicator
shows that of the 22 respondents, the majority of respondents (59%) answered that they did
not agree with the statement "Using TikTok makes me more enthusiastic about learning" the
remainder (18.2%) agreed with this statement. then for the statement "Using Tiktok makes
me more motivated to do school assignments", respondents (77%) answered that they did not
agree with this statement and 13.6% agreed with this statement.

Table 4. Effect of TikTok on study concentration

Statement Result in Persentage

Strongly Disagree Stron Agree
Disagree gly Agree
Using TikTok - 31.8 % 45,5% 18,2%
makes it difficult for
me to concentrate
while studying.

Using TikTok - 27,3% 50% 18,2%

makes me often
procrastinate on
school work.

Based on the table above, the "Influence of TikTok on Study Concentration" indicator
shows that of the 22 respondents, the majority of respondents (45.5%) answered agreeing
with the statement "Using TikTok makes it difficult for me to concentrate when studying" the
remainder (31.8% ) do not agree with this statement. then for the statement "Using TikTok
makes me often procrastinate on school work.", respondents (50%) answered agreeing with
this statement and 27.3% disagreed with this statement.

Table 5. Effect of TikTok on learning achievement

Statement Result in Persentage

Strongly Disagree Stron Agree
Disagree gly Agree
Using TikTok - 31.8 % 45,5% 18,2%
caused me to
experience a decline
in my grades at
school.

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Using TikTok - 27,3% 50% 18,2%

makes it difficult for
me to understand
lesson material at
school.

Using TikTok - 36,4% 50% 9,1%

makes me more
creative in studying

Using TikTok - 36,5% 54,4% -

makes me more
confident in studying.

Using TikTok - 45,5% 40,9% 13,6%

makes it easier for me
to make friends

Using TikTok - 9,1 68,2% 18,2%

makes me more open
to new information
and knowledge.

Using TikTok - 63,6% 36,4% -

makes me more
critical in thinking

Based on the table above, in the "Influence of TikTok on Learning Achievement"

indicator, it shows that, in the statement that the use of TikTok causes a decrease in grades at
school (45.5%), answered in the affirmative. Difficulty understanding subject matter at
school (50%), agree with this statement. more creative in learning (50%) agree. more
confident in learning (54.5%) disagree, more open to new information and knowledge
(68.2%) respondents agree. more critical in thinking (63.6%) disagree.
Using the previously described research results from the questionnaire responses, it can
be concluded that, based on the indicator, first, the duration of Tiktok usage, The
questionnaire results indicate that the majority of respondents (64%) take longer than two
hours a day to use Tiktok. This indicates that Tiktok is one of the most popular social media
applications among children under the age of twelve. According to data published by We Are
Social in 2023, TikTok is the most popular social media app among Indonesia's 12-year-old
population. Approximately 63.7% of Indonesian children under the age of twelve use
TikTok, with an average usage time of 2.5 hours per day. This is related to research done by
Afrelia and Khairat (2022) on the majority of TikTok users in Indonesia. This research shows
that the majority of teenage TikTok users spend more than 2 hours per day using the
application. However, keep in mind that excessive use of TikTok can have a negative impact
on children aged 12 years. Therefore, parents need to provide guidance to children aged 12
years in using TikTok.
Second, Jenis's popular Tiktok account The survey results indicate that the majority of
respondents (54%) preferred Tiktok content that was humorous over Tiktok content that was

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educational. This suggests that Tiktok is used more frequently as a joke than as a learning
tool. This is related to the findings of a study published in the journal "Penggunaan Aplikasi
Media Sosial Berbasis Audio Visual dalam Membentuk Konsep Diri (Studi Kasus Aplikasi
Tiktok)" by Roswita Oktavianti, a Dian Novita Sari Chandra Kusuma. Roswita stated that
TikTok provides users with a user-friendly interface and social support. In this case study,
participants with younger age groups use TikTok applications to participate in social media
discussions, while older age groups use TikTok applications to record their leisure time.
Third, the influence of Tiktok on learning motivation. The results of the questionnaire
showed that the majority of respondents (55%) did not agree that using Tiktok made them
more enthusiastic about learning. This shows that Tiktok does not have a significant influence
on the learning motivation of 12 year old children. In line with research conducted by Bujuri
(2023) on elementary school students who use TikTok in Indonesia, it also shows that the
majority of elementary school students who use TikTok do not agree that using TikTok
makes them more enthusiastic about learning.
Fourth, the influence of Tiktok on study concentration. The results of the questionnaire
showed that the majority of respondents (45%) agreed that using Tiktok made it difficult for
them to concentrate while studying. This shows that Tiktok can be a disruption to the learning
process of 12 year old children. In line with the results of previous research conducted by
Sahin (2019) in his research at several vocational schools in Bandar Lampung regarding
analysis of learning media needs, it was explained that many students were addicted to using
the social media TikTok, making them unable to concentrate and losing interest and
motivation in learning. In line with the results of interviews with teachers at several
vocational schools in Bandar Lampung, it was revealed that students often use TikTok social
media while learning is in progress. This of course makes students lose interest and
motivation in learning and cannot focus on the learning provided.
Fifth, the influence of Tiktok on learning achievement. The results of the questionnaire
showed that the majority of respondents (54%) agreed that using Tiktok made them more
confident in studying. In line with previous research written by Adawiyah, D. P. R (2020) in
the title "The Effect of Using the TikTok Application on the Self-Confidence of Teenagers in
Sampang Regency" explains how the use of the TikTok social network can have an impact on
a person's self-confidence. The results found that using the TikTok application could increase
the self-confidence of teenagers in Sampang Regency by up to 54.5%. Increased self-
confidence is obtained through positive video content and challenges in the TikTok
application. However, wise attitudes and regular supervision from various parties are still
needed so that teenagers do not fall into negative content in the application.

CONCLUSION
Based on the results of this research, it can be concluded that the use of Tiktok by 12
year old children in Sibalanga Village has a more negative than positive influence on
children's learning. This is caused by several factors, namely: Tiktok is more often used as a
means of entertainment than a means of learning. Entertaining TikTok content can be a
distraction to the learning process, and excessive use of TikTok can cause addiction, which
can have a negative impact on the study concentration and learning activities of 12 year old
children.

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AKNOWLEDGMENT (If any)

To avoid these problems or obstacles, therefore, parents and teachers need to provide
guidance to children aged 12 years in using Tiktok. This guidance can help 12 year old
children to use Tiktok wisely and not interfere with other activities.

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