INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ON THE INTERPERSONAL INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SECOND YEAR BS ACCOUNTANCY AND BSBA – MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING STUDENTS
________________ ______________________ ____________ ______
A Research Proposal Presented to Mr. Rudyr S. Bacolod Palawan State University Puerto Princesa City _________________ ________________________ _____________ ______
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Subject Statistics I _________________ ________________________ _____________ ______
By:
Cuadra, Cristy Marie O. Badilla, Jessa C. Nasil, Rhuaiba H. Palasigue, Zeia L. Ventura, Rae Jane C. Tagle, Jade L.
Palawan State University October 2011
Table of Contents Contents
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………….iii Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………………..iv Chapter 1: THE PROBLEM AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Introduction………………………………………………………………………...1 Conceptual Framework..………………………………………………………….3 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………...5 Scope and Delimitation……………………………………………………………6 Significance of the Study………………………………………………………….6 Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………………7 Chapter 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Conceptual Literature……….……………………………………………………11 Research Literature………..……………………....…………..………………..14 Justification of the Study…….……....…………………………………………..16 Chapter3: METHODOLOGY Research Design…………………………………………………………………17 Sampling Technique……………………………………………………………..17 Research Instruments…………………………………………………………...18 Data Gathering……………………………………………………………………18 Statistical Treatment…………….….....………………………………………...19 Chapter 4: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA Problem1…………………………………………………………………………..20 Problem2…………………………………………………………………………..21 Problem3…………………………………………………………………………..24 Chapter 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary ………………………………………………………………………….29 Conclusions……………..…………………………………………………………33 Recommendations………………………………………………………………..33 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………………37 ii
ABSTRACT Social Networking Sites (SNS) are increasingly popular nowadays. Many SNS developers like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and others are competing to give the best features in terms of socialization, interaction, privacy and even entertainment. It is not surprising that many people are hooked on with these sites since it is free and is easily accessible with the use of a computer connected to the internet and even with the use of a mobile phone that enables SNS applications or internet browsing. However, does SNS usage affect interpersonal relationships? Do people rely too much on the fastest way of communicating on the internet despite the lack of face-to-face interaction? This study aimed to determine the influence of SNS on the relationships of the Palawan State University students, especially towards their family, friends, teachers and others. The researchers researchers used the the descriptive descriptive research design design and survey technique technique which is under descriptive research design. This study is based on 150 second year BS Accountancy and BSBA- Management Accounting students who were randomly selected and were known to be users of SNS. Based on the results, it was concluded that using SNS helped students to develop a strong interpersonal relationship with their family, friends, teachers, and with others. The researchers also concluded that most of the respondents are using Facebook just to have fun and entertainment, and that they commonly use SNS 1 - 2 hours a day. Thus, the researchers then recommend the parents, school administrators, teachers, and guidance counselors to encourage the students to use SNS since it promotes good interpersonal relationships. iii
Acknowledgements
The researchers would like to express their deepest gratitude and appreciation for the following individuals who contributed valuable assistance and knowledge to accomplish this research:
To God, for giving the researchers strength, courage, guidance and faith that made this research successful.
To their parents, for the guidance, support and understanding they have given to, giving them inspiration to do our best.
To Mr. Rudyr S. Bacolod, for providing necessary information to make this research successful, and for being approachable and patient during the development of this research.
To the respondents, for the cooperation they have given, and for answering honestly the questions the researchers have provided them to answer.
THE RESEARCHERS
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CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
A. Introduction Social Networking Sites (SNS) are one of the most popular topics being talked about by the students of Palawan State University. Popular Social Networking Sites such as Friendster, Facebook, Twitter and Plurk not only help the students communicate with their friends, classmates, and relatives but they also allow them to communicate with other people to whom they share common interests. Moreover, it also allows them to associate with people regardless of their location as SNS makes socializing with other people around the world possible. This opens the possibility of making ties with other people, as frequent visits to SNS creates the opportunity for more interaction between persons. An interpersonal relationship is a relatively long-term association between two or more people. This association may be based on emotions like love and liking, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitments. Interpersonal relationships take place in a great variety of contexts, such as family, friends, marriage, acquaintances, work, clubs, neighborhoods, and churches. They may be regulated by law, custom, or mutual agreement, and are the basis of social groups and society as a whole. Social networking sites influence the interpersonal relationship of students in many ways. Through social networking sites, users come to meet other people worldwide. These people can affect the user’s interpersonal relationship with other 1
people close to him/her. This influence can either be good or bad for the user. (Belardo, et al. 2010) Just like Short Messaging Service (SMS) – another hit socialization device among teenagers, due to the emergence of the so-called “Unlimited Call and Text” offers – SNS immediately became a hit upon its introduction, making it a part of their everyday routine. In fact, this practice had become such a big trend that it was considered as the “norm,” making it an unsaid fact that every person should have an account on Facebook, the top SNS site nowadays. Consequently, persons who are unable to do so are considered as deviants by society. Social networking sites typically offer many features and those features are positively the reason why many students are interested in checking out these sites. One of the general features of SNS are profiles, which contain all the information about the person plus their photos, videos, applications that they use, and comments or messages posted by other persons. These, plus the other features of SNS allows the user to know more about the person that they are interested on. However, it is also evident that SNS invites the presence of suspicious characters and trolls, which may expose the user to various disadvantages. Furthermore, people depending on SNS for creating friendships had shown to create weaker bonds than those people whose friendship was made by direct confrontation and face-to-face contact. Hence, directed with this situation, the researchers have decided to conduct a study about the influences of SNS among second year students of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in
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Management Accounting in Palawan State University, which will provide long-lasting insights to identity construction, social behavior and peer-to-peer interaction on the perspective of the students. B. Conceptual Framework In general, online relationships contain much weaker ties than face-to-face relationships (Vitak, 2008). Social networking sites such as Facebook offer users a convenient method for maintaining a large number of weak ties. While maintenance of strong ties typically requires significant commitments of time and energy, weak ties may be managed solely through the connections that link Facebook “friends.” Facebook allows users to stay up-to-date on their weak ties’ lives simply by viewing the information available in those friends’ profiles and by connecting through actions such as pokes, private messages, wall postings and photo comments. By offering multiple methods of interaction, Facebook saves users significant time, thus enabling them to create and maintain a massive social network, although one predominantly composed of weak connections between users. For example, a recent survey found that the average user had 180 friends on the website, which is far more “friends” than the average person would say they have in the real world (Golder et al., 2006). In cases where factors such as distance change a face-to-face relationship into a primarily online relationship, strong ties are maintained and even strengthened further. Social networking sites is a tool for person to keep in touch with his distant friends by following their updates, sending a message or posting comments—users have a quick and easy way to stay connected thus keep the relationship healthy when they are too busy to commit more time to face-to-face interaction (Vitak, 2008).
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Research Paradigm
User
Social Networking Sites
Interpersonal Relationships
Figure 1. The influence of social networking sites on the interpersonal relationships of the students
The paradigm above shows the influence of social networking sites to the interpersonal relationship of students. A student using an SNS can develop a stronger interpersonal relationship of students with their friends, teachers, and parents. This happens if a student or a person knows well how to use a social networking site. Students are always updated with the status of their close friends, teachers, or even their parents that are added in their friends list in the social networking sites that they are using. It will also be easier for the user to know when will be the birthday of his/her friends and so he or she can greet them easily, even if they are apart and also, with less time and effort. Students, aside from developing a stronger interpersonal relationship, in contrast, tend to develop a weaker interpersonal relationship with their friends, teachers, and parents. This is due to too much dependency of students to the internet and computer as a medium of communication with their friends, teachers, and parents. Sometimes, students can only tell what they want to other people whenever they are chatting, or when they post comments on the wall of a person’s account or profile. If they do this over and over again, this develops into a habit and they will end up being used to it until 4
the time comes that they just depend on the internet and computer on telling what they want. Through this, a person can’t express his emotions easily, which results to an unhealthy relationship with other people. There are also times that social networking sites don’t have any effect on the interpersonal relationship of a student or a person with other people. C. Statement of the Problem This study aimed on determining the influence of Social Networking Sites to the interpersonal relationship of the students. Specifically, the researchers aim to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the students in terms of: 1.1 Block Number? 1.2 Age? 1.3 Gender? 2. What is the profile of the students in terms of using Social Networking Sites? 2.1 Frequency of Using SNS 2.2 Purpose of Using SNS 2.3 Number of close friends and online friends 3. What is the influence of SNS to interpersonal relationship of students toward their: 3.1 Family 3.2 Friends 3.3 Teachers 3.4 Others
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D. Scope and Delimitation of the Study The researchers conducted a study about the influence of social networking sites on the Second Year BS Accountancy and BSBA- Management Accounting students of Palawan State University. This study considered every aspect of students including their age, gender and year level in terms of social networking sites and their social interaction at home, with classmates, teachers and friends. They also studied the interpersonal relationship of students toward their friends, teachers, and parents as well as the influences of social networking sites to their interpersonal relationship. This study focused on the influences of social networking sites to the interpersonal relationship of students. This research involved 100 current Second Year College BS Accountancy and BSBA- Management Accounting students of Palawan State University within the first semester of School Year 2011 that use social networking sites every day. This study used purposive sampling to determine the respondents since everyday users of SNS are only considered.
E. Significance of the Study The researchers determined the role of social networking sites on the social aspects of students. a. Guidance Counselors . This study will help the guidance counselors to be aware of the influences of social networking sites to the students in Palawan State University. By informing them of this matter, they will be able to relate more with the students in order to give more accurate advices to students that have problems involving social networking sites.
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b. School Administrators This study will help the school administrators, like the guidance counselors, to be aware of the influences of social networking sites to the students in Palawan State University. With enough information about SNS and their influence to the students, school administrators can help in solving problems of the students regarding this topic and give advices that are appropriate to the situation when SNS affect the interpersonal relationship of students. c. Social Networking Sites Developers The result of this study will make the developers of different SNS aware of the influences of the SNS that they are maintaining and making. Because of this, they will be trying their best to develop a social networking site that will only have good effects to the user and will help them to develop a strong interpersonal relationship between the user and other people. d. Students The result of this study will make the students aware of how social networking sites influence them and how affect their interpersonal relationships. This will also educate the students regarding the proper usage of social networking sites. It will help the students to improve their social life with the use of social networking sites. e. Teachers This study can help the teachers by suggesting some ways in order for them to relate with the student’s social activities especially with regards of using social networking sites. In line with this, teachers, as students’ second parents, will know a
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way how to help the students if they will be encountering a problem regarding the relationship of their students with other people. f. Parents This study will help parents to understand their child’s purpose of using social networking sites and for them to be aware of the influence from social networking sites that might affect their children. With enough knowledge, parents can think of possible preventive ways if their child is prone to develop a weak interpersonal relationship with other people because of too much usage and dependence from social networking sites. g. Future Researchers. This study can help the further studies of future researchers regarding the influence of social networking sites on the interpersonal relationship of students. This can serve as a reference for further improvements to be done in their study.
F. Definition of Terms This study, which is about the influence of social networking sites to the interpersonal relationship of the students, used the following terms defined conceptually and operationally. These terms are used within the context of the study. Face – to – face friendship . It is a type of friendship wherein you can actually be with them and see them more often and you know about them well enough. Offline Friend. It is a term used to call a person who is your friend in real life. Online Friend. It is a term used to call a person added on your Social Networking Site account.
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Privacy. It is the ability of an individual or group to secure their personal information and activities apart from others. Profile. This is offered by social networking sites that contains all the personal information about the person and their activities. Social behavior. It is behavior directed towards society, or taking place between, members of the same species. Social Games. They are defined as games found in social networking sites which allow social interaction with friends during the gameplay. (e.g. Pet Society) Social Networking. It refers to making a social structure made of nodes that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige. Social Networking Sites. It focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Social networking sites are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact.
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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter contains the review of related literature of the study and the justification of the conceptual and research literature gathered from books, journals, researches and online sources. A. Conceptual Literature Social networking sites have added entirely new meanings to interpersonal interaction and community. It is the interplay between internet and real life communication and its subsequent effect on interpersonal relationships. Popular social networking websites such as Facebook have bundled many of the internet communication standards such as e-mail, forums, and instant messaging into one resource. However, its usage has become a staple activity in a young adult’s life. While it varies slightly among gender and race groups, overall, young adults (college aged) who have internet access use Facebook regularly for some type of social contact. With this mass assimilation into daily life, it has already begun to change the way in which interpersonal relationships are defined. It is one of the, if not the top medium for young adults to “scope out” and “research” potential partners. With Facebook playing a large role in many romantic relationships, it’s important to see how this will continue to shape interpersonal communication in the future. The importance of this research proposal is to look at how Facebook is an extension of real life. This aims to discover how far Facebook is used to define, cultivate, and maintain real life interpersonal romantic relationships. Through looking at previous research on Facebook,
online
romantic
relationships,
and
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disclosure
through
internet
communication, we will see what direction research needs to go to find valid conclusions on the interplay of real life and Facebook in the development of interpersonal
romantic
relationships.
Internet
based
communication
has
been
incorporated into the development of interpersonal relationships. Likewise, as popular social networking sites MySpace and Facebook have cropped up over the years, affecting the way in which people communication, so has limited research on the social mediums. It was found that 28% of the students in the study had been deceptive in their internet communication. The students were found to do this through both direct communication using the wall post and private message features as well as indirectly by the viewing of others profiles. While Facebook is used to cultivate old and new relationships, it is also used by students in romantic relationships to display and check the status and commitment of their relationship. When people write and develop their profile, choose their profile picture, and publicly write on other user’s Facebook “walls,” Research has shown that when college aged males posted information about culturally negative moral behaviors (partying, sexism, etc.) that they were participating in on other users “walls.” their perceived attractiveness went up. However, when females did it, their attractiveness went down. In the area of romantic relationships, no Facebook research has looked at how much real life interaction is required before a potential romantic partner is not seen as a “stalker” or in any kind of negative light. Since internet usage is directly related to psychological well-being, relationships, and the identity of self, it is of interest to note that there is a positive relationship between measures of internet usage and loneliness. No research has looked into how lonely or desperate a Facebook user is when trying to 11
find a potential romantic partner. Matsuba’s research has shown that real life relationships are looked at as more “real” in the negative and positive dimensions of personal qualities, while internet only relationships were less extreme. If real life relationships are seen as more “real” and Facebook is an online medium of communication for those real life relationships, then research needs to look at how far Facebook defines the romantic relationships. Research has found that those who use the internet to create and maintain a secondary romantic relationship in addiction to a real life one showed higher levels of relational certainty and high expectations of future interaction with their online partners. It’s also been found that time spent online and positive views of the internet lead to a more favorable view of online romantic relationships. Therefore, there’s a possibility that personal romantic beliefs are used more for a conventional relationship than an online-only relationship. While these studies have little relevance to the cultivation of a real life romantic relationship through Facebook, it is important to see the connections and disconnects between real life and internet life. This needs to be developed further to see how much Facebook is used in the initial stages of romantic relational development compared to usage when the partners have a highly developed real life relationship. Some study found individuals who reported high levels of social and/or dating anxiety were not more likely to use the internet to make online relationships than those who reported lower levels of social or dating anxiety. However, the research did show that certain online media (particularly webcams) are more likely to be used by people with social and dating anxiety symptoms, than those with less. This could play into new research about whether
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certain features of Facebook are used more so in romantic relational development by social and dating anxious than other features. According to WebCredible social networks provide encouragement and support; establish identity with others and fulfil the need to feel included; provide the outlet for some people to establish their need for recognition, social status, control or leadership; provide the necessary control over aspects of lives for those who don't want to be leaders; help establish friends, relationships and the opportunity to interact with others. Conversely, introverted adolescents used online communication to compensate for their lacking of certain social skills. However, along with these characteristics came a stronger motivation to talk online, resulting in more online based friendships. It is interesting to note that the introverts use the internet to compensate for their lack of social skills. The studies show how important a user’s perception of internet communication affects their levels of self disclosure. Interpersonal trust is found online through how much the users perceive the other person to be telling the truth. However, with Facebook interaction, things could be different. Research needs to look into how knowing someone directly could directly affect the way in which disclosure, empathy, and trust is built through Facebook. We also see an entirely new set of internet based non-verbal forming. While there have been numerous studies on internet based communication
concerning
romantic
relationships,
self
disclosure,
and
social
networking, this research proposal takes it a step further to look at the social utility of Facebook and the subsequent interplay of real life and on-line life in defining interpersonal romantic relationships.
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B. Research Literature According to Vitak (2008), there are some reasons why an individual uses a social networking site. The first reason is for them to meet strangers and become friends with them. This type of relationship is what we call a weak interpersonal relationship. The majority of respondents of her research paper (57%) said they were initially introduced to those “friends” through mutual friends, which increases the likelihood of such relationships developing into strong ties. On the other hand, responses to a separate question overwhelmingly support the hypothesis. While a significant portion or respondents said they have at least a few online-online friends, 85% said they do not communicate with the majority of their online-only friends, and just one respondent said that he/she considered those friends as a strong tie. Through social networking sites like Facebook, the user tends to maintain his weak interpersonal relationship with his online friends because of an easy communication. He can use private messaging, chat rooms, and other method of communicating provided by the website. On the other hand, a strong interpersonal relationship with his offline friends needs time and effort to be maintained. Distance between two users that can change an offline relationship into online relationship is also a reason why an individual uses SNS’s. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents said the majority of their friends have a Facebook account, which suggests that many students use the site to stay in touch with their offline friends. Keeping in touch with friends remains the primary reason for site usage across both years in school and gender. Furthermore, approximately one-third (31%) of respondents with friends who do not have a Facebook account say they would be closer to those friends if they
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were on the site, and 87% of respondents said they had never experienced negative consequences in their offline relationships due to content in their Facebook profiles, which suggests that most respondents benefit from using the site. With the use of private messaging and chat rooms of this site, students can communicate and maintain a healthy relationship with their friends from far places with ease that takes only a few seconds to complete it. Social Networking Sites also have negative effects in offline relationships. Some things found in the site can lead to misinterpretation for some people. Because of online messaging or comments that are visible to everyone in the friends list of a user, an offline relationship can be affected or destroyed due to fights that will happen. For example, a jealous boyfriend saw a comment from a mysterious boy posted on the wall of his girlfriend that says intimate words, because of this, the relationship between the girl and his boyfriend can be broken. Another negative effect is, because of posting comments on the wall of a user became much easier, it will also be effortless for other people to spread rumors and gossips that can destroy a life of an individual. As a larger percentage of communication moves into the digital arena, we will see a general weakening of ties between people. This weakening will be less pervasive among a person’s closest circle of friends and more obvious among lesser friends, as digital communication will become the primary mode of communication in these relationships.
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C. Justification of the Study This related studies and concepts helped in determining the influence of social networking sites on the interpersonal relationship of students in Palawan State University, First Semester of School Year 2011. This supported and validated or reversed the ideas of Matsuba and Golder (2006), and Vitak (2008). There were some studies conducted that dealt with social networking and its effects towards teenagers in different aspects. Interpersonal relationship, particularly that of second year college students in Palawan State University, isn't one of those aspects, although some of the aforementioned studies have tackled somewhat similar aspects to that of the one being studied on by the researchers.
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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY This chapter contains Research Design, Sampling Technique, Research Instrument, Data Gathering Procedure and Statistical Treatment of Data.
A. Research Design This study used descriptive research design. It involves the description, recording, analysis, and interpretation of the present nature, composition, or processes of phenomena. It focuses on prevailing conditions or how a person, group, or thing behaves or functions in the present. It often involves some type of comparison or contrast. The researchers used the survey technique which is under descriptive research design. Survey technique, requires gathering of facts that requires sufficient and accurate interpretation. This technique is used to collect demographic data about respondent’s behavior, beliefs, opinions, interests and the like and then the gathered data are analyzed, organized, and interpreted. B. Sampling Technique The researchers used purposive sampling. This sampling method included respondents that fall under the purpose of the study and others that are not useful for the study are positively excluded. The study focused on the effects of SNS to the interpersonal relationship thus a survey is conducted to the second year BS Accountancy and BSBA – Management Accounting students of Palawan State University that are using social networking sites every day.
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C. Research Instrument The researchers used questionnaires and survey forms as research instruments. The survey form asked if the respondents are using social networking sites and their frequency of using the sites. After determining those who use social networking sites everyday, the questionnaire asked for the profile of the respondents and the status of their interpersonal relationship with their family, friends, teachers, classmates and others. D. Data Gathering Procedure The researchers will distribute a survey form to each section in order to determine the users of social networking sites and must be accomplished within two to three days. After the researchers collected the survey forms, a list of the respondents which are SNS users will be organized then copies of the main questionnaire will be produced. The copies of the main questionnaire will depend on the number of the respondents. However, extra copies will be reproduced if some respondents loss their questionnaires. The respondents will be given two to three days allowance to answer the main questionnaire. An officer of each section will be selected to distribute and collect the questionnaires. Once the deadline of the questionnaires arrived, the researchers will coordinate with the officers to retrieve all the questionnaires completely. The questionnaires gathered will contain all the needed data for the study and it will be organized, summarized, analyzed, and interpreted.
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E. Statistical Treatment of Data The researchers used the following formulas to analyze the results of the survey: Frequency is the number, proportion, or percentage of items in a particular category in a set of data, while percentage is the proportion or share in relation to a whole. This technique is used to determine the percentage of our respondents out of total population in terms of frequency of using Social Networking Sites. Through this, the researchers also determined the percentage of the respondents who are affected by the influence of social networking sites. The formula for frequency and percentage is:
f P = ------- x 100 % N Where:
P is percentage f is number of respondents falling under a particular category N is total number of population
The mean, or average, is the sum of the values divided by the total number of values. This determined the average result of the data gathered from different respondents. x =
å x n
Where: X represents the sample mean
n represents the total number of respondents x represents the frequency
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CHAPTER IV PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA In this chapter, the data gathered by the researchers has been tabulated, analyzed and interpreted to get a meaningful conclusion about the data.
PROBLEM 1: What is the profile of the students in terms of year level, age, gender? Table 1.1 Year Level of the Respondents Year Level Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4 Block 5 TOTAL
Frequency
Percentage 30 30 30 30 30 150
20.00 20.00 20.00 20.00 20.00 100.00
Using frequency and percentage, the results in Table 1.1 showed that out of 150 respondents, 30 or 20 percent came from Block 1, 30 or 20 percent came from Block 2, 30 or 20 percent came from Block 3, 30 or 20 percent came from Block 4, and 30 or 20 percent came from Block 5.
Table 1.2 Age of the Respondents Age
Frequency
16 17 18 19 20+ TOTAL
Percentage 6 99 30 9 6 150
20
4.00 66.00 20.00 6.00 4.00 100.00
Using frequency and percentage, the results in Table 1.2 showed that out of 150 respondents, 6 or 4 percent are 16 years old, 99 or 66 percent are 17 years old, 30 or 20 percent are 18 years old, 9 or 66 percent are 19 years old, and 6 or 4 percent are those whose age are 20 and above.
Table 1.3 Gender of the Respondents Gender
Frequency
Male Female TOTAL
Percentage 36 114 150
24.00 76.00 100.00
Using frequency and percentage, the results in Table 1.3 showed that out of 150 respondents, 36 or 24 percent are males, and 114 or 76 percent are females. PROBLEM 2: What is the profile of the students in terms of preferred SNS, frequency of SNS usage, purpose of using SNS and number of SNS friends? Table 2.1 Preferred SNS of the Respondents SNS
Frequency
Facebook Friendster Twitter Multiply Plurk Others TOTAL
Percentage 75 21 31 8 6 9 150
50.00 14.00 20.67 5.33 4.00 6.00 100.00
Using frequency and percentage, the results in Table 1.4 showed that out of 150 respondents, 75 or 50 percent preferred using Facebook, 21 or 14 percent preferred using Friendster, 31 or 20.67 percent preferred using Twitter, 8 or 5.33 percent
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preferred using Multiply, 6 or 4 percent preferred using Plurk, and 9 or 6 percent preferred using other SNS.
Table 2.2 Respondents’ Frequency of SNS Usage Hours Less than 1 hour 1-2 Hours 3-4 Hours 5-6 Hours More than 6 Hours TOTAL
Frequency
Percentage 39 78 24 6 3 150
26.00 52.00 16.00 4.00 2.00 100.00
Using frequency and percentage, the results in Table 1.5 showed that out of 150 respondents, 39 or 26 percent use SNS for less than 1 hour, 78 or 52 percent use SNS for 1-2 hours, 24 or 16 percent use SNS for 3-4 hours, 6 or 4 percent use SNS for 5-6 hours, and 3 or 2 percent use SNS for more than 6 hours.
Table 2.3 Respondent’s Purpose of Using SNS Purpose Keeping in Touch with family Keeping in Touch with friends To meet new people
Frequency
Percentage
Just for fun and entertainment To be ‘in’ because it's popular nowadays Others TOTAL
22
15
10.00
46
30.67
17
11.33
66
44.00
3
2.00
3 150
2.00 100.00
Using frequency and percentage, the results in Table 1.6 showed that out of 150 respondents, 15 or 10 percent agreed that their purpose on using SNS is “keeping in touch with family,” 46 or 30.67 percent agreed on “keeping in touch with friends,” 17 or 11.33 percent agreed on “to meet new people,” 66 or 44 percent agreed on “just for fun and entertainment,” 3 or 2 percent agreed on “to be ‘in’ because it’s popular nowadays,” and 3 or 2 percent have other purposes on using SNS.
Table 2.4 Respondents’ Number of SNS Friends Number of Friends Less than 100 100+ 200+ 300+ 400+ 500+ 600+ 700+ 800+ 900+ 1000+ TOTAL
Frequency
Percentage 11 28 25 27 17 12 9 3 5 6 7 150
7.33 18.67 16.67 18.00 11.33 8.00 6.00 2.00 3.33 4.00 4.67 100.00
Using frequency and percentage, the results in Table 1.7 showed that out of 150 respondents, 11 or 7.33 percent has less than 100 friends, 28 or 18.67 percent has 100+ friends, 25 or 16.67 percent has 200+ friends, 27 or 18 percent has 300+ friends, 17 or 11.33 percent has 400+ friends, 12 or 8 percent has 500+ friends, 9 or 6 percent has 600+ friends, 3 or 2 percent has 700+ friends, 5 or 3.33 percent has 800+ friends, 6 or 4 percent has 900+ friends, and 7 or 4.67 percent has 1000+ friends.
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PROBLEM 3: What is the interpersonal relationship of students toward their Family, Friends, Teachers, and Others? Table 3.1 Respondents’ Interpersonal Relationship with their Family QUESTIONS: 1. You want to interact more with your family because of SNS. 2. You prioritize on having quality time with your family. 3. You always want to keep in touch with your family. 4. You have better communication with your family. 5. You can express yourself more with your family. 6. You can balance your time with your family. 7. Your relationship with your family is much better after using SNS. 8. You obey the rules of your parents. 9. You’re ready to help when your family needs you 10. You enjoy having time with your family. MEAN SCORE
MEAN
INTERPRETATION
2.75
Often
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
2.5
Sometimes
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
2.93
Often
Legend: 3.51 – 4.00 = Always 2.51 – 3.50 = Often 1.51 – 2.50 = Sometimes 0.51 – 1.50 = Seldom 0. 00 – 0.50 = Never
Table 3.1 shows the respondents’ interpersonal relationship with their family. The mean score of Table 3.1 is 2.9 or often. As a result of using social networking sites, the respondents prioritize on having quality time with their family (3); want to keep in touch with their family (3); have better communication with their family (3); express themselves more with their family (3); balance their time with their family (3); obey the
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rules of their parents (3); are ready to help when their family needs them (3); enjoy having time with their family (3); want to interact more with their family (2.75); have better relationship with their family (2.5).
Table 3.2 Respondents’ Interpersonal Relationship with their Friends QUESTIONS 1. You want to interact more with your friends because of SNS. 2. You can relate to your friends since you use SNS that they also use. 3. SNS makes you in good terms with your friends. 4. You always want to keep in touch with your friends. 5. Social networking sites help you much better in terms of communicating with your friends. 6. You prefer to spend more time with your friends like hanging-out with them. 7. You express yourself more with your friends in social networking sites. 8. You are open with your friends. 9. You’re ready to help when your friends need you. 10. You enjoy spending time with your friends. MEAN SCORE
MEAN
INTERPRETATION
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
3
Often
3.25 3.03
Often Often
Legend: 3.51 – 4.00 = Always 2.51 – 3.50 = Often 1.51 – 2.50 = Sometimes 0.51 – 1.50 = Seldom 0. 00 – 0.50 = Never
Table 3.2 shows the respondents interpersonal relationship with their friends. The mean score of the Table 3.2 is 3.0 or often. As a result of using social networking sites, the respondents enjoy spending time with their friends (3.25); interact more with
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their friends because of SNS (3); relate to their friends since they also use SNS (3); have good terms with their friends (3); always want to keep in touch with their friends (3); have better communication with their friends because of SNS (3); prefer to spend more time hanging-out with their friends (3); are open with their friends (3); are ready to help when their friends need them (3). Table 3.3 Respondents’ Interpersonal Relationship with their Teachers QUESTIONS 1. You want to interact more with your teachers because of SNS. 2. You keep your focus on the lesson being discussed by your teacher. 3. You prioritize academic-related activities. 4. You can communicate with your teachers easily with the use of SNS. 5. Social networking sites helped you much better in terms of asking your teachers regarding your school works. 6. You can easily talk or approach your teachers. 7. You can express yourself more with your teachers because of social networking sites. 8. You are open with your teachers. 9. You prioritize tasks given by your teachers. 10. You enjoy interacting with your teachers. MEAN SCORE
MEAN
INTERPRETATION
2
Sometimes
3
Often
3
Often
2
Sometimes
2
Sometimes
2.5
Sometimes
2
Sometimes
2
Sometimes
3
Often
3 2.45
Often Sometimes
Legend: 3.51 – 4.00 = Always 2.51 – 3.50 = Often 1.51 – 2.50 = Sometimes 0.51 – 1.50 = Seldom 0. 00 – 0.50 = Never
Table 3.3 shows the respondents’ interpersonal relationship with their teachers. The mean score of Table 3.3 is 2.4 or sometimes. As a result of using social networking sites, the respondents keep their focus on the lesson being discussed by their teachers 26
(3); prioritize academic-related activities (3); prioritize tasks given by their teachers (3); enjoy interacting with their teachers (3); easily approach their teachers (2.5); interact more with their teachers because of SNS (2); communicate easily with their teachers with the use of SNS (2); have better communication with their teachers in terms of school works with the help of SNS (2); express themselves more with their teachers because of SNS (2); open with their teachers (2).
Table 3.4 Respondents’ Interpersonal Relationship with Others QUESTIONS 1. You ignore friend requests from people you don’t know. 2. You block people that are suspicious. 3. You are cautious to people that you meet in SNS. 4. You make your contact number and address visible only to your friends. 5. You delete comments or posts from other people that you don’t know but are added in your friend’s list. 6. You only share limited information about yourself on your profile. 7. You make your profile visible only to your friends. 8. You visit profiles of people added in your list but you do not know. 9. You post comments to people you don’t know but are added to your list. 10. You send friend requests to people you do not know. MEAN SCORE
Legend: 3.51 – 4.00 = Always 2.51 – 3.50 = Often 1.51 – 2.50 = Sometimes 0.51 – 1.50 = Seldom 0. 00 – 0.50 = Never
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MEAN
INTERPRETATION
2.25 2
Sometimes Sometimes
2.75
Often
3
Often
2
Sometimes
3
Often
3
Often
2
Sometimes
2
Sometimes
1.75 2.38
Sometimes Sometimes
Table 3.4 shows the respondents’ interpersonal relationship with other people. The mean score of Table 3.4 is 2.4 or sometimes. As a result of using social networking sites, the respondents make their contact number and address visible only to their friends (3); share limited information about themselves (3); make their profile visible only to their friends (3);cautious to the people they meet in SNS (2.75); ignore friends requests from the people they don’t know (2.25); block people that are suspicious (2); delete comments or posts from other people that they don’t know but added in their friend’s list(2); visit profiles of people added in their list but they don’t know (2); comments to people they don’t but added in their list (2); send friends requests to people they don’t know (1.75).
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CHAPTER V SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Summary of Findings
The research was conducted for the purpose of finding out the influence of social networking sites to the interpersonal relationship of students in Palawan State University. The descriptive method of research was used and the descriptive survey technique was used by the researchers in gathering data . The researchers made use of questionnaires for the gathering of data. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling technique. The researchers used 150 respondents for this research. This research was conducted during the first semester of school year 2011-2012.
PROBLEM 1: What is the profile of the students in terms of (a) block number, (b) age, (c) gender? Out of 150 respondents, 30 or 20 percent came from Block 1, 30 or 20 percent form Block 2, 30 or 20 percent from Block 3, 30 or 20 percent from Block 4, and 30 or 20 percent from Block 5. Out of 150 respondents, 6 or 4 percent are 16 years old, 99 or 66 percent are 17 years old, 30 or 20 percent are 18 years old, 9 or 66 percent are 19 years old, and 6 or 4 percent are those whose age are 20 and above. Out of 150 respondents, 36 or 24 percent are males, and 114 or 76 percent are females.
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PROBLEM 2: What is the profile of the students in terms of preferred SNS, frequency of SNS usage, purpose of using SNS and number of SNS friends? Out of 150 respondents, 75 or 50 percent preferred using Facebook, 21 or 14 percent preferred using Friendster, 31 or 20.67 percent preferred using Twitter, 8 or 5.33 percent preferred using Multiply, 6 or 4 percent preferred using Plurk, and 9 or 6 percent preferred using other SNS. Out of 150 respondents, 39 or 26 percent use SNS for less than 1 hour, 78 or 52 percent use SNS for 1-2 hours, 24 or 16 percent use SNS for 3-4 hours, 6 or 4 percent use SNS for 5-6 hours, and 3 or 2 percent use SNS for more than 6 hours. Out of 150 respondents, 15 or 10 percent agreed that their purpose on using SNS is “keeping in touch with family,” 46 or 30.67 percent agreed on “keeping in touch with friends,” 17 or 11.33 percent agreed on “to meet new people,” 66 or 44 percent agreed on “just for fun and entertainment,” 3 or 2 percent agreed on “to be ‘in’ because it’s popular nowadays,” and 3 or 2 percent have other purposes on using SNS. Out of 150 respondents, 11 or 7.33 percent has less than 100 friends, 28 or 18.67 percent has 100+ friends, 25 or 16.67 percent has 200+ friends, 27 or 18 percent has 300+ friends, 17 or 11.33 percent has 400+ friends, 12 or 8 percent has 500+ friends, 9 or 6 percent has 600+ friends, 3 or 2 percent has 700+ friends, 5 or 3.33 percent has 800+ friends, 6 or 4 percent has 900+ friends, and 7 or 4.67 percent has 1000+ friends.
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PROBLEM 3: What is the interpersonal relationship of students toward their Family, Friends, Teachers, and Others?
The mean score of Table 3.1 Respondent’s Interpersonal Relationship with their family is 2.9 or often. All the statements were gathered under the mean of 2.50 to 3.49. As a result of using social networking sites, the respondents want to interact more with your family because of SNS(2.75), prioritize on having quality time with their family (3); want to keep in touch with their family (3); have better communication with their family (3); express themselves more with their family (3); balance their time with their family (3); obey the rules of their parents (3); are ready to help when their family needs them (3); enjoy having time with their family (3); want to interact more with their family (2.75); and have better relationship with their family (2.5). The mean score of the Table 3.2 Respondent’s Interpersonal Relationship with their friends is 3.0 or often. All the statements were gathered under the mean of 2.55 to 3.55. As a result of using social networking sites, the respondents enjoy spending time with their friends (3.25); interact more with their friends because of SNS (3); relate to their friends since they also use SNS (3); have good terms with their friends (3); always want to keep in touch with their friends (3); have better communication with their friends because of SNS (3); prefer to spend more time hanging-out with their friends (3); are open with their friends (3); and are ready to help when their friends need them (3). The mean score of Table 3.3 Respondent’s Interpersonal Relationship with their teachers is 2.4 or sometimes. The statements that were gathered under the mean of 2.55 to 3.54 are the following: the respondents keep their focus on the lesson being
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discussed by their teachers (3); prioritize academic-related activities (3); prioritize tasks given by their teachers (3); and enjoy interacting with their teachers (3). The statements that were gathered under the mean of 1.55 to 2.54 are the ff: the respondents easily approach their teachers (2.5); interact more with their teachers because of SNS (2); communicate easily with their teachers with the use of SNS (2); have better communication with their teachers in terms of school works with the help of SNS (2); express themselves more with their teachers because of SNS (2); and open-up with their teachers (2). The mean score of Table 3.4 is 2.4 or sometimes. The statements that were gathered under the mean of 2.55 to 3.54 are the ff: the respondents make their contact number and address visible only to their friends (3); share limited information about themselves (3); make their profile visible only to their friends (3); and cautious to the people they meet in SNS (2.75). The statements that were gathered under the mean of 1.55 to 2.54 are the ff: the respondents ignore friends requests from the people they don’t know (2.25); block people that are suspicious (2); delete comments or posts from other people that they don’t know but added in their friend’s list(2); visit profiles of people added in their list but they don’t know (2); comments to people they don’t but added in their list (2); send friends requests to people they don’t know (1.75).
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B. Conclusions After analyzing the data gathered by the researchers, they arrived with the following conclusions: 1.) Using social networking sites helped the respondents to develop a strong interpersonal relationship with their family, friends, teachers, and with others. 2.) Most of the respondents are using Facebook just to have fun and entertainment because of its available features for the users. 3.) The respondents are cautious with the strangers that they meet in SNS, as shown by the fact that they mostly add only the people that they know personally. 4.) The respondents intend to open up more with their friends in social networking sites than with others. 5.) Most of the respondents use social networking sites for only 1-2 hours in a day.
C. Recommendations
Based on the conclusions that the researchers made, they have formulated the following recommendations: 1.) Parents, school administrators, teachers, and guidance counselors must encourage the students to use SNS since it promotes good interpersonal relationships. 2.) Students must properly use social networking sites and not just for fun and entertainment but for communication with their family, friends and teachers.
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3.) Social networking site developers and companies must improve the security and privacy that they are giving to its users in order to promote a safe environment especially for the children and teenagers. 4.) Students must also encourage their classmates to use SNS frequently since it promotes good communication with their teachers regarding school works and related activities. 5.) Students must also encourage their friends to use SNS since it promotes good relationships, making friendship ties grow stronger.
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APPENDIX I QUESTIONNAIRE QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Block No. ___________ 2. Age
6. Purpose for Using Social Networking Sites
___________ Keeping in touch with family Keeping in touch with friends To meet new people Just for fun and entertainment To be “in” because it’s popular nowadays Others
3. Gender Female
[
]
Male
[
]
4. Preferred Social Networking Sites (You can check more than one.) Facebook
[
]
Friendster
[
]
Twitter Multiply
[ [
Plurk Others
[ [
[ [ [ [
] ] ] ]
[ [
] ]
7. Number of Social Networking Site Friends Less than 100
[
]
100+
[
]
200+
[
]
300+
[
]
400+
[
]
500+
[
]
] ] ] ]
5. Frequency of Social Networking Site Usage Less than 1 hour
[
]
600+
[
]
1-2 hours
[
]
700+
[
]
3-4 hours
[
]
800+
[
]
5-6 hours
[
]
900+
[
]
More than 6 hours
[
]
1000+
[
]
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8. Interpersonal Relationship with the Family 5 = Always 2= Seldom
4 = Often 1 = Never
10. Interpersonal Relationship with Teachers
3 = Sometimes
1. You want to interact more with your teachers because of SNS. 2. You keep your focus on the lesson being discussed by your teacher. 3. You prioritize academic-related activities. 4. You can communicate with your teachers easily with the use of SNS. 5. Social networking sites helped you much better in terms of asking your teachers regarding your school works. 6. You can easily talk or approach your teachers. 7. You can express yourself more with your teachers because of social networking sites. 8. You are open with your teachers. 9. You prioritize tasks given by your teachers. 10. You enjoy interacting with your teachers.
You want to interact more with your family because of social networking sites. You prioritize on having quality time with your family. You always want to keep in touch with your family. You have better communication with your family. You can balance your time with your family. Your relationship with your family is much better after using social networking sites. You obey the rules of your parents. You’re ready to help when your family needs you. You enjoy having time with your family.
9. Interpersonal Relationship with Friends 1. You want to interact more with your friends because of SNS. 2. You can relate to your friends since you use SNS that they also use. 3. SNS makes you in good terms with your friends. 4. You always want to keep in touch with your friends. 5. Social networking sites help you much better in terms of communicating with your friends. 6. You prefer to spend more time with your friends like hanging-out with them. 7. You express yourself more with your friends in social networking sites. 8. You are open with your friends. 9. You’re ready to help when your friends need you. 10. You enjoy spending time with your friends.
11. Interpersonal Relationships with Others 1. You ignore friend requests from people you don’t know. 2. You block people that are suspicious. 3. You are cautious to people that you meet in SNS. 4. You make your contact number and address visible only to your friends. 5. You delete comments or posts from other people that you don’t know but are added in your friend’s list. 6. You only share limited information about yourself on your profile. 7. You make your profile visible only to your friends. 8. You visit profiles of people added in your list but you do not know. 9. You post comments to people you don’t know but are added to your list. 10. You send friend requests to people you do not know.
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