Social Media and the Levels of Stress of the Social Work Students in Misamis University

Abstract

A descriptive correlational study was conducted to determine the influence of social media use on the stress levels of the Social Work students of Misamis University. Using different modified standardized surveys on stress and social media use, one hundred and thirty-six (136) students enrolled in the first semester of S.Y. 2020-2021 in the BSSW program were surveyed online using Google Forms. A focus group discussion was also done among the faculty members and students to corroborate and validate survey results and to ask for their recommendations for the enhancement of the school's welfare programs. Findings showed that students exposed to social media use are more affected by academic stress. The most popular social media site used is Facebook. Students also spend about 2 to 5.3 hours per day on social media sites, mostly for informational, conversational, and phatic purposes. Students' social stress is also affected by their frequent use of Twitter. The length of time spent on Twitter, on the other hand, has an inverse effect on students' psychological stress.