_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Perceived Effects of Tiktok Application Usage Among Grade 11 Users in Benigno S.
Aquino National High School
YAMAT, ANGEL M.
Abstract - This study examines how Grade 11
students at Benigno S. Aquino National High School
view the effects of using the TikTok app using a
qualitative methodology. Using a narrative study
methodology, data from journals and credible
sources are examined to discover more about the
experiences students have using TikTok. Structured
questionnaires are the primary tool used in the study
for gathering data, and 12 diverse individuals were
selected using purposive sampling. The emphasis of
respondents' answers was on careful thought,
integrity, and confidentiality. To collect data, the
researchers formally request information from the
school, identify respondents through a survey, and
then distribute questionnaires to them. Through a
meticulous examination, computation, and
assessment of the data, the study aims to tackle
pertinent and useful issues about TikTok usage by
students.
INTRODUCTION
Social media has become an integral part of daily
life, providing a platform for discussions, sharing
knowledge, and connecting people. Platforms like
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are widely used by
individuals of all ages, with teenagers, especially
those in Generation Z, being the most active users.
Studies show that a significant percentage of
teenagers use social networking sites, with platforms
like TikTok gaining immense popularity.
Considering the majority of domains depend on
using mathematical reasoning, mathematics is a
crucial component of the STEM strand. As such,
learning mathematics can be difficult and draining
for students. Over the years, there have been several
studies on mathematics education since kids who
possess this information are likely to have successful
occupations in the future. Students who have chosen
to enroll in STEM courses may find it challenging to
adjust from junior high school, where they only take
4
one mathematics course, to senior high school, where
they take two mathematics courses. Still, a lot of
students have difficulty with arithmetic, and as a
result, fewer new seniors in high school are choosing
to major in STEM fields.
TikTok, in particular, has become a
prominent platform for teenagers, offering a
space to create and share short, entertaining
videos. Research indicates that a large number
of teenagers use TikTok regularly, with
Filipino teens ranking it as their preferred
social media site. TikTok's rapid growth
highlights its influence on teenage culture and
daily routines. The main objective of the study
is to understand the challenges that Grade 11
STEM students at Benigno Aquino National
High School have adjusting to dual
mathematics classes. Teachers who have a
deeper knowledge of these difficulties can
create techniques that work to support these
kids in their academic and personal endeavors.
The results of this study are expected to open
the door to a more inclusive and encouraging
learning environment, allowing STEM students
in grade 11 at Benigno Aquino National High
School and beyond to succeed in their
mathematical endeavors.
While TikTok aims to inspire creativity and
entertainment, its usage can have both positive
and negative impacts on teenagers. On one
hand, it allows adolescents to explore various
interests and engage with current events and
issues. On the other hand, excessive use can
lead to addiction, neglect of hygiene and diet,
exposure to inappropriate content, and negative
social comparisons, which can impact self-
esteem and mental health.
This study aims to investigate the effects of
TikTok usage on Grade 11 students at Benigno
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
S. Aquino National High School. By
understanding how teenagers interact with
TikTok and how they manage its effects, this
research seeks to provide insights into the
impact of social media on adolescents' lives
and offer strategies for mitigating any negative
consequences.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
This study investigates how Grade 11 students
at Benigno S. Aquino National High School
perceive the effects of using the TikTok app. It
examines both positive and negative impacts on
their social interactions, creativity, entertainment,
academic performance, mental health, behavior,
attitudes, beliefs, and self-image. The research also
explores the strategies students use to manage any
negative effects. Overall, the study aims to provide
a comprehensive understanding of TikTok's
influence on these students.
Conceptual/Logical Framework
Figure 1: Diagram of the Study
METHODS
This research utilizes a narrative
study design to investigate the effects of
TikTok on Grade 11 students at Benigno
S. Aquino National High School,
employing data from journals and credible
sources. The study employs the descriptive
survey research method to authentically
reflect participants' experiences with the
TikTok app. Purposive sampling is used to
select 12 Grade 11 students based on
specific criteria, ensuring diverse
representation. A structured questionnaire,
validated by professionals, serves as the
primary data collection tool, with data
gathering involving a request letter to the
4
school, a survey to identify respondents,
and administering questionnaires, all
managed by the researchers. The focus is
on confidentiality, honesty, and reflection
in respondents' answers, with the collected
data analyzed to address real-world issues
related to TikTok usage among students.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
This study aimed to explore the perceived effects of
TikTok on users' mental health and social behavior,
as well as strategies to manage these effects. Through
Thematic Analysis, six themes emerged: specific
activities, productivity and efficiency, mental health
instability, self-worth boosting, influence, and
management. TikTok users engage in various
activities on the platform, feeling productive and
efficient, yet this can lead to mental health issues.
Some users experience anxiety and depression, while
others find self-worth through positive feedback. The
platform also influences users' behavior and
attitudes. To manage these effects, users set limits,
take breaks, and seek support. These findings
highlight the nuanced impact of TikTok on users'
lives, emphasizing the need for strategies to promote
responsible use and mitigate negative effects.
Theme 1. Tiktok is a platform in which
several specific activities can be done
Tiktok is a platform that many adolescents
utilize as a source of entertainment in their daily life.
Various activities are available for users to engage in.
The results of the analysis. showed most informants
stated that they mainly utilize Tiktok for watching
various videos, specifically for seeking educational
matter, whereas they use it for searching for
information and looking for cooking recipes, which
enabled them to learn effectively while also being
entertained. "I specifically watch Tiktok for looking
information as it already has these contents where
they can gain knowledge from different. content
creators," one responder noted. Furthermore,
numerous informants stated that they watch
entertaining, inspirational, and motivational videos
on the application, which has helped them recover
from the negative emotions they experienced prior to
watching on the app. Furthermore, several
respondents claimed that they scroll Tiktok seeking
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
for live videos of people who conduct gaming and
selling, which has provided them with sufficient
knowledge in their field of interest.
Some informants, on the other hand, stated that they
use Tiktok to create videos expressly for singing,
imitating dance, and lip-syncing trends that are
currently being done by other content creators.
"Along with dancing the most well-known and in-
demand. dances of the day, I also lip-sync to big
movie scenes like "My Ex and Whys," a participant
explained. These activities are what make Tiktok
useful application that can assist users in completing
a variety of tasks.
Theme 2. Tiktok is a functional program
designed primarily to achieve productivity and
Efficiency
The study found that all participants
considered TikTok to be a highly useful application,
enabling them to watch videos, share and create
content, discover new ideas, and find inspirational
messages and quotes that they could apply to their
lives. Participants viewed TikTok as a means to
achieve productivity and efficiency, allowing them to
enjoy learning and serving as role models for others.
Many participants used TikTok as a form of
entertainment, utilizing it during leisure time to pass
the time and alleviate boredom. Additionally,
participants noted that TikTok was not just about
amusement but also about education and knowledge
acquisition. They used the platform to stay updated
on trends, cope with current events, and explore new
ideas, leading to innovation and creativity.
Furthermore, TikTok was found to have a positive
impact on mental health, uplifting individuals who
felt down or lonely by providing positive and
encouraging content. Overall, TikTok was seen as a
platform that fosters community, connection,
inspiration, motivation, and personal development
among its users.
Theme 3. The Tiktok application helps people in
developing and boosting their sense of self-worth
The majority of informants claimed that
Tiktok increases their self- worth by bringing them
inner peace and raising their self-esteem. They have
indicated that the use of the application can be a way
4
to escape the tough and pressure of reality by
unwinding and relaxing, watching some videos that
they can laugh and enjoy, and this could result in a
simple way of decompressing for a period of time in
the real world.
Users may experience satisfaction as a result of using
this application.
The application can also help individuals to
reduce their anxiety as well as to boost their self-
esteem. They may also gain confidence they claimed
that the app can serve as a source of motivation not
only for themselves but also for others. Gaining and
making little by little progress can motivate them to
perform better and combat the problems that they are
facing with confidence. These users get inspiration
and confidence by engaging with TikTok content,
establishing a positive mindset and empowering
them to pursue their goals and objectives.
These experiences implies that TikTok has a
variety of good benefits. particularly on the mental
health aspect. on its users. It fosters a sense of
community and connection among individuals by
providing a platform for encouragement. TikTok is
also a source of inspiration, motivation, and
amusement, allowing for personal development.
Theme 4. Consistent use of Tiktok has the
potential to cause mental health instability
Aside from the positive consequences of the
Tiktok application, respondents have addressed the
negative implications on their mental health. The
responses were examined, and the conclusion was
that this application could lead to mental health
instability. The majority of respondents stated that
one of the mental health. consequences they face is
referred to as 'addiction,' in which the user is addicted
and overusing the application, which can lead to
certain uncertainties such as being unable to sleep
carly, causing them to be sleep-deprived as they
continue to utilize the Tiktok application on an
ongoing basis.
Other informants revealed that, aside from
being sleep deprived as a result of overusing the
Tiktok application, other mental health negative
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

effects that the researchers have encountered during The researchers would like to suggest
the interview was the loss of concentration, which the following based according to
could be caused by lifestyle issues that should be the above conclusion:
addressed, such as rising insecurities from others,
such as their body goals, which makes them envious 1. For future researchers to investigate
about their own bodies to others. Overthinking means into other parameters of the perceived effects
that instead of solving the problem, they ponder of using the Tiktok program, such as physical
about it and reside on the negative phase without health, learning behavior. and emotional
coming up with a logical. solution, which can lead to behavior.
the user becoming anxious or even paranoid.
Respondents have additionally stated that using the 2. For future researchers to discover
app can trigger their traumas and phobias as they additional approaches on how a user should
continue to see things that are inappropriate for their mitigate the potential negative effects of
mental health condition, which could lead to a loss of utilizing the program.
focus and forgetting what is reality, trapping their
mind in certain fantasies, and as they used Tiktok,
they frequently forgot that there is no such thing as REFERENCES
perfection.

1] Amin, F. M. (2023). Exploring students

CONCLUSION reading interest through Tiktok
the TikTok application has proven to be multimodal literacy. Journal of
an effective platform for enhancing Education And Teaching Learning
productivity, offering users a range of (JETI). 5, 32-39,
activities such as viewing, creating, and https://doi.org/10.51178/jetl.või 2.1326.
sharing video content. The study
participants highlighted various effects [2] Calixtro, V., Edaño, L., Gaisen, Gajo, A.,
of using this social media platform on Lino, F. (2023). Sustaining students
their social behavior and mental health. mental health through the
While TikTok is predominantly used for sse of Tiktok application.
entertainment, education, and Indonesian Journal of
motivation, it can also have negative Community and Special Needs
repercussions on users due to exposure
Education. 3(1), 11-20.
to a broad spectrum of content that can
impact their well-being. Despite http://dx.doi.org/10. 17509/xxxx.xxxx
encountering these adverse effects, the
research findings indicate that there are [3] Cyberwise (July 2022). 8 Pros and cons
several strategies available to manage of tiktok on kid's mental health.
and mitigate them, providing valuable Cyberwise
insights for individuals facing similar
challenges. Thus, TikTok's impact on [4] Dilon, C. (2020). Tiktok influences on
users is multifaceted, and understanding teenagers and young adults students: the
these effects can promote responsible common usages of the application
and healthy use of the platform. Tiktok. American Scientific Research
Journal for Engineering, Technology,
and Sciences, 68(1), 132-142.
RECOMMENDATION
[5] Ghafar, M., Rashid, A., Khan. N.B.
(December 2022). Psychological effects
of Tiktok social media application on
behavior of youth: social media, youth,

4
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tik Tok, purpose, psychological effects.

Research Gate, 2(2), 1-13. [7] Guo, J. (2021). Research on the
10.56596/jjmsca. influence of Tiktok on teenagers.
v2i2.19 Advances in Social Science, Education
Research, 631 and
[6] Ghani, M., Hadi, S., Ngadiron, S., Humanities
Mohamed, S. (2023). How TikTok is
affecting youth: positive and negative [8] Kurtz, L. (March 2022). Concerning
effect on behaviour. Asian Journal of content: Tiktok's effect on child and
Behavioural Sciences. 5, adolescent
1, 1-10. mental health. Psychiatric Times
https://doi.org/10.55057/ajbs.202 3.5.1.1
[9] Lin, Z. (2023). Analysis of the psychological impact of Tiktok on contemporary
teenagers. SHS Web of Conferences. 157
https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20
2315701024

[10] Liu, Q. (2023). Exploring the Impacts of TikTok on the Academic Performance of
Chinese Secondary School Students. BCP
Business & Management. 41, 160-163,
https://doi.org/10.54691/bcpbm.
v411.4424.Sadler, P. M., Sonnert, G.,
Hazari, Z., & Tai, R. H. (2014). The Role
of Advanced High School Coursework in
Increasing STEM Career Interest. Science
Educator.
[11] Lockwood, R. (October 2021). Why watching tiktok can be beneficial for your
mental health. Psychreg

[12] Madden, M., Lenhart, A., Cortesi, S., Gasser,

U., Duggan, M., Smith, A., and Beaton,
M. (May 2013). Teens and social media
use. Pew Research Center
https://www.pewresearch.org/int
ernet/2013/05/21/part-1-teens- andsocial-media

use/#:-:text-The%20number%2
0of%20teens%20who,online%2
Oadults%20use%20these%20site

[13] Maretha, A.L. & Anggoro, K.J. (2020). TikTok: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Implications for the
ELT Field
MEXTESOL Journal. 46(2)

[14] Nikolopoulou, K. (August 2022), What is purposive sampling? Scribbr.

https://www.seribbr.com/metho

4
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___
dology/purposive- sampling/#text-Purposive%2
Osampling%20refers%20to%20a,
on%20purpose%E2%80%9D%2 0in%20purposive%20sampling