Social Studies SBA 2014

Candidate’s Name: Avian Somernaught
Registration Number:
Name of School: Mystic High
School Code: 090015
Teacher’s Name: Mr. Alarick Saltzman
Date of Submission: 5th November, 2013
Title of Study: Social Media

AVIAN SOMERNAUGTH
REG #
MYSTIC HIGH
SOCIAL MEDIA

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TASKS
Acknowledgement
Introduction

1.1 Statement of Problem
1.2 Aims of the Study

2. Reasons for Selecting the Area of Research
3. Method of Investigation

4. Data Collection Instrument (Questionnaire)
5. Procedures for Data Collection
6. Presentation of Data

7. Analysis and Interpretation of Data
8. Statement of Findings

9. Recommendations and Implementation
Appendix

Bibliography

Mark Scheme

PAGES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The researcher took this time to extend her gratitude towards her mother,
Elsa Somernaught, whom supported the researcher and gave her ideas so that the investigation could be carried out successfully by the researcher. Also, the researcher wanted to thank her subject teacher, Alarick Saltzman for his help in guiding her throughout the investigation as well as all the respondents to the questionnaires that were distributed in Mystic High.

INTRODUCTION
This School Based Assessment (SBA) was based on how the social media influenced students of Mystic High of all levels.
Over the past years technology has become the most prominent source of communication, entertainment, research, and socialisation, however, while it is used by almost everyone, it was frequently used by student, and this can caused a problem in the sense that the time they spent and what the students used the social media for, was not monitored properly by themselves and parents. The researcher was able to point how students can be influenced whether positively or negatively. Included, are reasons for selecting this area of research, the method which was used to come with these findings, how the data was collected. Also the researcher used graphs to illustrate, analyse and interpret the data that was collected. In this report you will see the statement of findings, the recommendation made by the researcher and how the researcher intended to implement a recommendation.

1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
What influences do the social media have on students in Mystic High?

1.2


AIMS OF THE STUDY

How are students affected by the social media in Mystic High?



What benefits do students gain from the social media?



How can students reduce the amount of time they spend interacting with the social media?

2. REASONS FOR SELECTING THE AREA OF RESEARCH
The researcher chose to research on the influences which the social media have on students because the researcher believed that many students are involved

with at least one form of social media on a daily basis and the social had a major influence on students. The researcher wanted to know how they were affected

by it and beneficiaries of it also, the researcher believed that students spent most of their time on the social media and wanted to know how their time can be truncated. 3. METHOD OF INVESTIGATION
Questionnaires were used to retrieve information for this investigation.
The questionnaire was used because:
 It was the most accurate method available to the researcher.
 The collection of data and information was easier to analyse and interpret by the researcher.
 It was the easiest method to retrieve data and information from numerous persons. 4. DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT
(QUESTIONNAIRE)

5. PROCEDURES FOR DATA COLLECTION
 The questionnaire was used for data collection.
 The number of respondents targeted was thirty (30)
 The ages of the respondents varied from thirteen (13) years old to sixteen
(16) years old. The gender also varied from male and female.
 The researcher targeted Christ Church Secondary School’s students for the area of study because the researcher believed that high school students are more vulnerable to the influences of the social media than adults.
 The source of data was from Christ Church Secondary School.
 The duration of the exercise lasted for two days.
 The number of students responded to the questionnaire was twenty-five
(25).

6. PRESENTATION OF DATA
FIGURE 6.1

The Effects of Social Media on Students

Number of Responses

25
20
15
10
5
0

Positive Reactions

&

Negative Reactions

The column graph above illustrates how students feel and respond towards positive and negative comments directed towards them.

FIGURE 6.2

Benefits of the Social Media to Students
Contacting Long Lost Family
Members
Rekindling Old Friendships

Watching Videos

NUMBER OF RESPONSES

Listening to Music

Research
0

2

4

6

8

10

The bar graph above depicts how students are beneficiaries of the social media.

FIGURE 6.3

PARENTAL INTERVENIENCE
Assigning More Chores

4%

Getting You Involved With
Extra Curricula Activities

40%
40%

Enlightening You About The
Dangers of Spending Too
Much Time on the Social
Media
Monitoring Your Time
16%

The pie chart above shows the percentage of teenagers who think that actions should be undertaken by parents to help them reduce the amount of time they spend on the social media.

7. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA.
In FIGURE 6.1 the graph shows how the social media affects students.
Thirteen (13) out of twenty- five (25) students felt happy about positive comments directed to them and twenty- three (23) students were humble in their responses. Three (3) students felt excited, four (4) students felt confident, six (6) students felt contented and three (3) students were bashful in their responses. However, seventeen (17) of twenty- five (25) students felt angry about negative comments directed to them and twelve (12) students ignored such comments, while four (4) students felt depressed, three(3) students felt sad and six (6) students responded aggressively, four (4) students responded humbly and three
(3) students responded rudely.
Most of the respondents stated that negative comments directed to them ignited anger within them but they suppressed the anger and just ignored these comments, also, these negative comments made a few students feel inferior to themselves and other students to react to them negatively, which could result in an online dispute.
In FIGURE 6.2, the bar graph illustrates how the social media can be of benefit to students.
Students have clearly stated the reasons for which the social media is of use towards them. Five (5) of twenty- five (25) students used the social media for research, nine (9) for listening to music, one(1) student watched videos, eight
(8) students used it to rekindle with old friendships and two (2) students used it for contacting long lost family members.

Research had proven that rekindling old friendships had an impact on the lives of students. It gave them a feeling of connectedness because they were reunited with an old friend.
For those who used the social media to listen to music while studying, the researcher felt it necessary to include the findings of the American Music
Conference (AMC) which states, ‘music improves the capacity of the brain which makes learning other subjects and achieving better academic grades possible for students.’
In FIGURE 6.3, the pie chart represented what actions parents could have undertaken to help students to reduce their time spent on the social media. This also indicated that some students would have welcomed parents’ intervention in helping them to manage their time in a more productive way.
Four percent (4%) of the respondents stated that parents should assign more chores to students; forty percent (40%) stated that parents should get them involved in extra curricula activities; sixteen percent (16%) stated that parents should enlighten their children about the dangers of spending too much time interacting with the social media and forty percent (40%) stated that parents should monitor their children’s time on the social media.

7. STATEMENT OF FINDINGS
The researcher found out that students are affected both positively and negatively by the social media. This varied according to what was being said to them on the media. It affected some of them psychologically in the sense that they cared a lot about what was said to them on the social media because the social media was where they interacted the most with their friends.
The researcher also found out that students were beneficiaries of the social media because it allowed them to connect with friends and family and listen to music. Being able to be connected with their friends and family, students can be helped by them when doing research; all they had to do was simply ask via email, chat or message.
It was made known to the researcher that most students spent more than five
(5) hours on the social media. The most suitable ways by which students can reduce the amount of time they spent on the social media are

8. RECCOMMENDATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
The researcher recommended that students should be taught not to take comments directed towards them on the social media personally, especially negative comments, because it will have an impact on their emotions and actions. Also, the researcher recommended that students should be more involved in extra curricula activities.
The researcher implemented that Christ Church Secondary School should have a sports team, whether it be basketball, cricket, swimming or football, and a book club or study group. This would have allowed for students to be a part of something in the school. These activities should be kept and maintained by teachers and assisted by fifth form students on a regular basis. At least once a week. APPENDIX
THE EFFECTS OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA ON STUDENTS
FEELINGS AND RESPONSES TOWARD POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COMMENTS
Feel Excited
Feel Confident
Feel Happy
Feel Contented
Respond Humbly
Respond Bashful

NUMBER OF ANSWERS
3
4
13
6
23
3

Feel Depressed
Feel Sad
Feel Angry
Respond Aggressive
Respond Humbly
Respond Rudely
Ignore It

4
3
17
6
4
3
12

BENEFITS OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA TO STUDENTS
WHAT STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM THE SOCIAL MEDIA

NUMBER OF RESPONSES

Research

5

Listening to Music

9

Watching Videos

1

Rekindling Old Friendships

8

Contacting Long Lost Family Members

2

PARENTAL INTERVENIENCE
PARENTAL INTERVENIENCE
Assigning More Chores
Getting You Involved With Extra Curricula Activities
Enlightening You About The Dangers of Spending Too Much Time on the Social Media
Monitoring Your Time

NUMBER OF
RESPONSES
1
10
4
10

BIBLIOGRAPHY http://mashable.com http://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu http://www.askmen.com http://blog.hendricks.org http://education.more4kids.info