Facebook Disclosure: A Social Technology and Society Analysis

Abstract

As Facebook use continues to be an integral part of people’s everyday life, enriching one’s understanding of the impact of Facebook on its users will better inform researchers as well as the public, about the psychological impact of using Facebook. From the student’s perception, Facebook has played a big role in terms of communicating and sharing to their peers to the point that they are spending most of the time glued on the screen. In fact, there are also negative impacts on social media which affects an individual’s mental health.To solve this problem, application of proper time management and discipline must be observed by students especially mental health awareness. Consequently, this qualitative study aims to analyze the certain effects of Facebook on the psychological being of grade 11 & 12 senior high school students. 30 students from St. Augustine School Tanza were randomly selected and was divided into the following: 25 survey participants and 5 interviewees. The scores that will be derived from the questionnaires will serve as the basis of the researchers to assess and address their research problem. The findings of the study shed light to the idea that there is a majority of students that are in favour of Facebook while only a few (16%) looks at Facebook as a source of insecurities, anxieties and depression. The result also fosters the idea that mental health problems can possibly arise from excessive use of Facebook. In fact, the student-participants noted that there is a big possibility for the younger generation to feel depressed online especially with the rampant cyberbullying in the form of harsh and uncalled for remarks as well as edited memes. In one article from Science Today (2016), it was stated that Facebook can turn normal people into depressed ones because of these two common factors: envying over posts and spending a huge number of time surfing on Facebook. The present research aimed to uncover the realities of Facebook in the eyes of the students. More importantly, based on the results of the study, it can be assumed that the abnormal use of Facebook may indeed lead to lower life satisfaction and depression.