Cover Page

Candidate Name: Shoshana Singh

Candidate Grade: 11MB2

Candidate Number:

Centre Number: 090018

Center Name: Corentyne Comprehensive High School

Year of Examination: 2024

Subject: Human and Social Biology

Topic: The negative impact of social media on teenager’s mental health

Teacher:

Territory: Guyana

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 Content Page

Cover Page……………………………………………………………………………………1

Content Page………………………………………………………………………………….2

Topic………………………………………………………………………………………….3

Background/Overview………………………………………………………………………..4

Problem Statement………………………………………………………………....................5

Research Objective…………………………………………………………………………...6

Methodology………………………………………………………………………………….7

Presentation of Data…………………………………………………………………………..9

Analysis and Interpretation of Data………………………………………………………….13

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………...15

Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………...16

Reflections…………………………………………………………………………………...17

Appendix………………………………………………………………………………….....19

References…………………………………………………………………………………...26

Marking Scheme………………………………………………………………………….....27

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 Topic

The negative impact of social media on teenager’s mental health

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 Background/Overview of Issue

Mental health is a subject that does not receive the volume of attention it demands, especially in
the Caribbean region. Teenagers mostly are affected by mental health issues and studies have
shown that the internet largely contribute to this. Teenagers are exposed to a vast capacity of
what social media projects, and because they are not fully developed mentally, it is challenging
for them to deal with what they are exposed to, hence they face the negative impact of it.

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 Problem Statement

What negative impact does social media have on teenager’s mental health?

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 Research Objective

To determine the negative impact of social media on teenager’s mental health.

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 Methodology

Method of Investigation:

The instrument the researcher chose to gather data for the research is “Questionnaire” because
this method was very simple to use and cover wide range of participants.

A questionnaire is a research tool consisting of a set of questions presented to a respondent to

gather information. Questionnaires can be conducted through various methods, such as in-person
interviews, phone calls, email, mail, or online surveys. The questions in a questionnaire can be
either closed-ended or open-ended. Closed-ended questions are those that offer a limited set of
predetermined responses, while open-ended questions allow respondents to provide answers in
their own words.

Benefits of questionnaires include:

1. Cost-effective: Questionnaires can be a cost-effective way of gathering information since they
can be distributed to a large number of people at a lower cost compared to in-person interviews.

2. Large sample size: Since questionnaires can be distributed to a large number of people, a large
sample size can be achieved, which can lead to more diverse data.

3. Anonymity and privacy: Respondents can remain anonymous when completing

questionnaires, which can encourage them to provide more honest and accurate answers.

4. Efficiency: Questionnaires can be completed quickly, and since they do not require face-to-
face interaction, they can be completed at a respondent's convenience.

Overall, questionnaires can provide researchers with valuable data, which can be used to inform
decision-making processes, improve products and services, or conduct academic research.

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To go about the research using Questionnaire, 20 questionnaires will be printed and 4
Questionnaires each will be distributed to each levels to 4 random students from grade 7 to 11, it
will be done in school “Corentyne Comprehensive High School” during recess and expected to
receive it back the same day during lunch break, consent will be obtained from the school
administration, to ensure that all ethical considerations are taken into account, participants are
within the age range 12 to 18 years old.

One challenge faced when gathering data for this research is, Missing data, not all the students
return back their questionnaire, which resulted in smaller sample size.

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 PRESENTATION OF DATA

Figure 1: Table showing the age range for which participants have a most negative impact of
social media

AGE RANGE (YEARS) NUMBER OF PARTICIPANT’S

12 2

13 3

14 6

15 3

16 3

17 4

18 4

TOTAL 25

Figure 2: Bar graph showing which social media platforms participants use mostly

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 Bar chart Showing which social media platforms partic-
ipant's used more
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Number of Participant's

20

15

10
10

5
5 4
3
2
1
0
Tiktok Instagram Facebook YouTube Snapchat Twitter

Social Media Platforms

Figure 3: Pie chart showing how participants feel after using social media anxious or depressed

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 Pie showing how often participants feel anxious or
depressed after using social media

4
6

Always Almost always Sometimes Almost Never

Figure 4: Line chart showing how participants feel when seeing other people having fun on
social media without them

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 Line Chart showing how particpants feel when seeing
others having fun on social media without them
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Number of participants

20

15

10 9
6
5 4
3

0
Sad and left out indifferent envious and jealous feel happy

How participants are feeling

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

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This study investigated the negative impact of social media on teenager’s mental health, table
Figure 1: were analyzed and found that teenagers do have a negative impact on social media
platforms.

Figure 1: shows the age range for which participants have a negative impact on social media
platforms. The questionnaire was designed to capture data for several ranges, which are as
follows:

Age Range (Years) Percentage of Participants

12 8%
13 12%
14 24%
15 12%
16 12%
17 16%
18 16%

The table above shows that 12-year-old teenagers are least affected by the negative impact of
social media, which is 8% of teenagers, followed by 13, 15, and 16-year-old teenagers which is
12%, 17 and 18-year-old teenagers which is 16%, whereas 14-year-old teenagers are most
affected by the negative impact of social media platforms which is 24%. The table shows that
14-year-old teenagers are mostly affected by social media platforms.

Figure 2 is a bar graph showing which social media platforms participants use the most. There
were five social media platforms listed which are Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snap
chat, and Twitter. Most participants mostly use Tiktok, which is 40%, secondly Instagram, which
is 20%, thirdly Facebook, which is 18%, fourthly YouTube, which is 12%, fifthly Snap chat,

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which is 8%, and lastly Twitter, which is the least used social media platform by participants,
which is 4%. The bar chart shows that most participants use Tiktok out of all the social media
platforms listed.

Figure 3 is a pie chart showing how often participants feel anxious or depressed after using
social media. There were four responses which are Always, Almost always, Sometimes, Almost
never. Most participants choose Almost always, which is 36%, followed by Always and
Sometimes, which is 24%, and lastly, the least amount of participants choose Almost never,
which is 18%. The pie chart shows that most people feel anxious or depressed after using social
media.

Figure 4 is a line chart showing how participants feel when seeing others having fun on social
media without them. There were four responses which are Sad and left out, Indifferent, Envious
and jealous, feel happy. Most participants feel Sad and left out, which is 36%, secondly feeling
Indifferent, which is 16%, thirdly Envious and jealous, which is 24%, and lastly feeling happy,
which the least amount of persons feel, which 12% is. The line chart shows that most people feel
sad and left out after seeing others having fun on social media.

CONCLUSION

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From this research data has been obtain from participant age 12-18 it has been concluded that
social media do have a negative impact on teenagers mental health. Causing them to develop
feeling of anxiety, depression, loneliness and jealousy, while social media can be a source of
social support and connection, it can also create a sense of pressure for teenagers to conform to
unrealistic standards of beauty, popularity, and success. It is important for parents, educators, and
mental health professionals to be aware of the potential negative effects of social media on
teenagers and to help teenagers develop healthy online habits and coping strategies for the
challenges they may encounter on social media.

RECOMMENDATIONS

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After analyzing the data collected, the following recommendations can be made.

1. Encourage social media breaks and limited screen time: According to the research
excessive social media use can increase the risk of depression and anxiety in teenagers.
Therefore, it's crucial to encourage teenagers to take social media breaks and limit their overall
screen time. Parents can support their teenagers by modeling healthy digital habits and setting
reasonable boundaries around screen use.
2. Encourage positive social media use: Encourage teenagers to follow positive and uplifting
content creators, and engage in social media communities that promote a supportive and healthy
environment. Parents and educators can also encourage teenagers to use social media to connect
with friends and peers in a constructive and positive manner.
3. Provide mental health resources and support: Schools and mental health professionals
should provide resources and support to help adolescents combat negative mental health effects
caused by social media. This can include therapy, support groups, and access to online mental
health resources that can provide information, coping strategies, and a safe space to discuss their
feelings.

REFLECTIONS

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Two lessons learned after researching, the negative impact of social media on teenager’s
mental health:

1. The researcher have learn that social media has a powerful effect on teenagers' mental health,
and it is important to educate teenagers about the potential negative effects and how to use social
media responsibly.
2. The researcher learned that conducting thorough research is important because it helps to
understand the root causes and effects of complex topics such as the negative impact of social
media on teenagers' mental health. Additionally, data analysis is critical to identify significant
patterns and trends that can be used to inform policy decisions, educational programs, and
interventions to address the issue.
One way in which the lesson learned could be applied to the researcher's personal life:
As a researcher, I have learned how social media can potentially have negative impacts on
mental health, and this knowledge can be applied in my personal online life by implementing
healthy habits when using social media. For instance, I can set boundaries on my social media
use by limiting my screen time, using it only at specific hours, and taking frequent breaks and
using social media more responsibly.

One way in which the project could be improved:

To improve the project, researchers should consider expanding their focus to explore how social
media affects different age groups and cultures. This would provide more valuable insight into
the impact of social media on mental health around the Caribbean and help to develop more
effective intervention strategies. Further research may need to be conducted to collect data from
a broader range of demographics and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the issue.

ONE social impact and ONE economic impact the issue could have on the researcher's
school or community if not rectified:
Social impact: The negative impact of social media on teenagers' mental health could lead to
increased instances of depression, anxiety, and social isolation, resulting in poor academic
performance, dropping out of school, and a higher incidence of suicide.
Economic impact: The long-term costs associated with poor mental health among teenagers,
including medical costs, reduced productivity, and lost earnings, could have a significant impact
on families, communities, and the economy as a whole.

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APPENDIX

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QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear Participant,

I am a student of Corentyne comprehensive High School and I am in Grade 11MB2. I am

conducting this research as part of my Human and Social Biology SBA. This research seeks to
prove that Social media do have a negative impact on teenager’s mental health and I am kindly
requesting your participation in the completion of my research.

Please answer the questions honestly and to the best of your knowledge. The information you
provide will be kept strictly confidential.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Yours truly

_________________________

(Shoshana Singh)

Please use a √ to mark the boxes you select.

1. What is your gender?

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 A. Female

B. Male

2. How old are you?

A. 12 years old

B. 13 years old

C. 14 years old

D. 15 years old

E. 16 years old

F. 17 years old

G. 18 years old

3. How much time do you spend on social media every day?

A. Less than 1 hour

B. 1 hour

C. 2 hours

D. 3 hours

E. 4 hours

F. More than 4 hours

4. What content on social media do you watch?

A. Comedy

B. Cooking shows

C. Dancing shows

D. Makeup tutorial

E. Cartoons

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 F. Car makeovers

G. Shopping videos

H. Luxury lifestyle

I. Love stories

5. What social media platforms do you use mostly?

A. Tiktok

B. Instagram

C. Facebook

D. YouTube

E. Snap chat

F. Twitter

6. How has content on social media affected your self-esteem?

A. Positively

B. Negatively

C. There is no effect

D. I am not sure

7. How often do you feel anxious or depressed after using social media?

A. Always

B. Almost always

C. Sometimes

D. Almost never

8. How do you feel when you see people having fun on social media without you?

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 A. Sad and left out

B. Indifferent

C. Envious and jealous

9. On average, how often do communicate with strangers on social media.

A. Daily

B. Weekly

C. Monthly

D. Almost never

10. On average, how often do you make comments on the posts others make?

A. Daily

B. Weekly

C. monthly

11. Do you genuinely react to posts of others on social media?

A. Always

B. Almost always

C. Often

D. Never

12. When looking at posts about people luxurious life style, how do you feel?

A. Jealous

B. Happy for them

C. Angry that you’re not living a similar life as them

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13. How do people’s posts about having toned bodies make you feel?

A. Insecure

B. Jealous

C. Angry

D. It was no effect

14. In your opinion does social media contribute to mental health issues?

A. Definitely

B. Maybe

C. Not at all

15. How do you think social media use may affect your mental health in the long term?

A. Positively

B. Negatively

C. No effect

16. How do negative comments on tour social media post make you feel?

A. Sad

B. Insecure

C. Unworthy

D. Angry

F. No effect

17. How frequently yoy feel pressured or persona online?

A. All the time

B. Very often

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 C. Sometimes

D. Never

18. From your experiences how does social media affect your relationship with friends and
family?

A. Positively

B. Negatively

C. No effect

19. On the scale of 1 to 5, 1 being least difficult and 5 being most difficult, how difficult is it for
you to communicate face-to-face with people?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4

E. 5

20. How do you think social media companies can contribute to minimizing teenagers mental
health issues influenced by use of social media?

A. Protect from cyberbullying

B. Allow age appropriate content only

C. Mandate for adult supervision

D. Stricter guidelines

E. Educating users and parents.

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REFERENCES

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THE ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION. (2023, August 10). Social Media and Teen Mental
Health. The Annie E. Casey Foundation. https://www.aecf.org/blog/social-medias-concerning-
effect-on-teen-mental-health#:~:text=Numerous%20studies%20show%20that%20higher

The Harmful Impacts of Social Media on Teenagers. (n.d.). Www.linkedin.com. Retrieved

January 23, 2024, from https://www.aecf.org/blog/social-medias-concerning-effect-on-teen-
mental-health%23:~:text=Numerous%20studies%20show%20that%20higher

Oh, E. (2021, December 28). How to Help Teens With the Negative Impacts of Social Media.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. https://www.chla.org/blog/advice-experts/how-help-teens-
negative-impacts-social-media

Marking Scheme

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