TIKTOK TRENDS ON THE PERCEIVED BEHAVIORS OF SENIOR HIGH

SCHOOL STUDENTS AT MOUNT CARMEL SCHOOL OF SAN LUIS

A Qualitative Research

Presented to the Faculty of Mount Carmel School of San Luis

033 Avenida Aurora, Poblacion 04, San Luis, Aurora

Presented by:

BERJA, MIKEL JIM C.

May 2024
 Chapter I
THEPROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

Young people feel the constant need to be productive, disregarding the counter

productivity these distractions bring. These simple, three-minute videos on TikTok can

distract its users from completing other necessary tasks, such as finishing homework or

completing chores. Students these days are exposed to various academic, financial and

psycho-social stressors while studying, and they have increasingly turned to social media

to alleviate stress and access social support. While evidence suggests that social

networking sites may promote health awareness and health-protective behaviors, little

research has explored TikTok, a relatively new platform, is a social network launched in

the Chinese market 2016 (as Douyin) and internationally in 2017 (as TikTok). In 2018, it

was the most widely downloaded mobile app in the United States and other countries,

and is currently available in more than 150 countries and has more than 800 million

monthly active users. The study found that while escapism and the mood-boosting are the main

motives for users, expressing the hidden self and socializing with friends were the subsidiary

reasons. The study also discovered that TikTok, as a platform that celebrates real human

experiences, stimulates users’ creativity by designing simple and easy-to-operate user interfaces

and comprehensive and functional editing tools (Yang, 2020).

TikTok is a platform that, in addition to entertaining videos, gives a young and

global audience access to a new format of short educational videos created by expert

authors. This perspective presents several opportunities for the dissemination of

sharing social networking service that is rapidly growing in popularity. It was the second

most downloaded app in the app world in 2020. While the platform is known for having

users post videos of themselves dancing, lip-syncing, or showing off other talents, videos

of users sharing specific knowledge have increased because of initiatives such as learn on

TikTok. Social media is an internet-based community created visually to build profiles

individually and socially. Social media platforms are created around the concept of

personal profiles that resembles a homepage that serves to describe each site. It is also

used to make communication easy between people through digital devices. Over 80% of

students who are mostly adolescents own one form of new media technology, including

cell phones or computers, and use it frequently to text or message their friends or other

people online. Most adults use these platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and

Twitter. In today’s society, the media plays an important role in guiding the values of

young people.

Overall, studying the impact of TikTok on students is crucial in order to

understand the potential advantages and disadvantages of this popular platform. This

knowledge can inform educators, parents, and policymakers in effectively addressing the

challenges and harnessing the opportunities TikTok presents for students' perceived

behaviors, well-being and development.

Statement of the Problem

behaviors or students’ perception of senior high students at Mount Carmel School of San

Luis (MCSSL). It is designed to be tackled by asking the inquiries that follows:

1. How do TikTok trends influence social interactions among junior high school students

at MCSSL?

2. In what ways do TikTok trends shape junior high school students' attitudes and

perceptions of school academics?

3. How do junior high school students incorporate TikTok trends into their daily routines

at MCSSL?

Chapter II
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

As a result of the study conducted by (Wojdan, 2020), it has shown that TikTok is

causing various issues, including addiction, in kids and teenagers. Some of the adverse

effects of TikTok addiction include inferiority complexes, superiority complexes, and

complexes of attractiveness and an increased usage of social media platforms by students

is associated with a notable shift in their study habits, resulting in reduced attention

towards scholarly works and this is particularly evident when there is an imbalance

between excessive TikTok use and limited focus during study time. Consequently, such

changes in study habits may adversely impact the academic prospects of students. The

popularity of social media platforms offers several advantages, including improved

communication, easier information access, and platforms for artistic expression.

However, social media's addictive nature and capacity to draw in and hold users' attention

can have a negative impact on study habits and academic achievement. When students

spend excessive time on TikTok or other social media platforms, their focus on studying

can diminish significantly. Constant distractions, such as receiving notifications, scrolling

through endless feeds, and watching short videos, can break their concentration and

hinder their ability to engage in deep and meaningful learning.

Additionally, the effects and benefits that the users gain from using TikTok are to

showcase talents through short videos using various effects and editing tools, allowing

skill development. It keeps users updated on viral trends and memes, fostering

community engagement. The platform offers entertainment, stress relief, and exposure
for content creators to gain followers and monetize. Educational content enables learning

opportunities in a fun way, though moderation is key to avoid negative impacts.

A cross-cultural comparison study between China and the U.S. in a research by

(Yang, 2022), aimed to examine the short video-sharing social media platform,

TikTok/Douyin, particularly its use in the two countries. Other than analyzing how

people use the short video app platform and their influencer video use, the study further

explored how cultural values influenced user behaviors on TikTok. Using Hofstede’s

Cultural Dimensions as a theoretical framework, this study investigated the impact of

cultural differences on the gender fit expectation and influencers’ endorsement

effectiveness (product attitude and purchase intention) between China and the U.S. An

online survey was conducted in each country. In general, Chinese participants were more

likely to be persuaded by influencers to make purchase decisions than US participants.

Unexpectedly, Chinese participants claimed a higher individualism score and a lower

power distance score than US participants, which contradicts with Hofstede’s original

cultural scores for each country.

In addition to this, the findings supported that participants’ gender fit expectations

positively predicted influencers’ endorsement effectiveness, and Chinese users were more

influenced than the U.S. users. Besides, the influencer’s expertise-product congruency

and gender congruency impacted people’s product attitudes and purchase intentions

independently for the gendered product, and expertise congruency was less influential

than gender congruency. The impact of influencers varies by consumers gender,

persuaded than young users. Male influencers more influenced the US TikTok users, both

male and female. In China, female influencers were more persuasive than male

influencers among male and female TikTok users according to (Yang, 2022).

To conclude, marketing practitioners should consider the demographic

characteristics and user preferences of TikTok and Douyin for their marketing practices.

In addition, the study confirmed that cultural values influenced users’ TikTok/Douyin use

in some conditions, especially their gender values. Hence marketers should consider

consumers’ gender expectations and gender influence as well. This is the first study to

compare TikTok/Douyin use between the U.S. and China. The study by (Yang, 2022)

enhanced the understanding of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory. Furthermore, it

demonstrates helpful and detailed information on the general platform use and how it is

influenced by the cultural differences between the two countries.

Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
 The study conducted by (Yang, 2022) compared TikTok/Douyin usage between

China and the U.S., a short video-sharing social media platform, and how cultural values

influenced user behaviors. The study used Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions to investigate

the impact of cultural differences on gender fit expectations and influencer endorsement

effectiveness. Results showed that Chinese users were more likely to be persuaded by

influencers to make purchase decisions, and that influencer expertise-product congrue

and gender congruency impacted people's product attitudes and purchase intentions

independently. The study also confirmed that cultural values influenced users'

TikTok/Douyin use, especially their gender values.

Another study by (Meng and Leung, 2021) demonstrated that TikTok use in

China, focusing on gratifications, egotism, and traits. Data from 526 users reveal nine

sought gratifications: escape, fashion, pleasure, information, service, socialization,

navigation, approach, and interactivity. Extraverts and vain individuals are most active in

creating, enhancing, and sharing content. Exhibitionists and those open to new

experiences are more likely to engage, while narcissists prioritize gaining likes,

commenting, assisting others, and following trends. The findings offer theoretical and

practical insights into TikTok engagement.

Additionally, (Wojdan, 2020) claimed that TikTok addiction in kids and teenagers

leads to inferiority complexes, superiority complexes, and attractiveness complexes.

Increased TikTok usage can lead to reduced focus on scholarly works, negatively

impacting academic prospects. While social media offers benefits like improved
communication and artistic expression, its addictive nature can negatively affect study

habits and academic achievement. Constant distractions can hinder deep learning