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Impacts of Social Media on Relationships among Residents in Selangor, Malaysia

Name

Affiliation of Institution

Name of Professor

Course

Date
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The successful completion of this study results from help from several people. My

sincere gratitude goes to all my family members who showed their undying support towards

completing this project. Appreciation also goes to all the respondents for providing me with the

necessary data and information about the project. Without forgetting, my gratitude also goes to

my friends and lecturer, who accorded me with essential assistance towards completing this

study and ensured that I followed the right directions in performing the research. Finally, I wish

to thank all the people who participated in the research methodology.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT........................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................4
1.0 Background of the Study.................................................................................................................4
1.1 Problem Statement..........................................................................................................................4
1.2 Research Questions..........................................................................................................................4
1.3 Research Objectives........................................................................................................................5
1.4 Significance of the Study.................................................................................................................6
1.5 Scope of the Study............................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................7
2.0 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................7
2.1 Respondents of the Study................................................................................................................7
2.2 Research Instrument Used..............................................................................................................7
2.3 Research Procedure.........................................................................................................................7
2.4 Data Analysis...................................................................................................................................8
CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS....................................................................................9
3.0 Description of the Data....................................................................................................................9
3.1 Description of Findings...................................................................................................................9
3.2 Discussion of the Findings.............................................................................................................10
CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................12
4.0 Overview of the Study...................................................................................................................12
4.1 Restatement of the Objective........................................................................................................12
4.2 Review of the Finding....................................................................................................................12
4.3 Limitations of the Study................................................................................................................12
CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................13
5.0 Recommendations based on the Findings....................................................................................13
5.1 Recommendations for Future Research.......................................................................................13
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................14
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background of the Study
The use of social media has skyrocketed over the past decades, with the number of users

increasing day by day. Growth in the number of users of TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram,

and Facebook, among other social media platforms – and the amount of time spent on these

platforms – has ignited interests among clinicians, parents, teachers, and policymakers, about the

impacts of social media on the relationship of individuals as well as their psychological well-

being. While there is still numerous research on the subject matter, the psychology researchers of

media are now dissecting how time spent on social media impacts or not the daily lives of

individuals.

1.1 Problem Statement

About various studies, social media has numerous impacts on relationships. The results

are either negative or positive. Social media connects people worldwide, but it comes with

pitfalls. Social media may bring problems in a person's relationship when they realize that they

have a conflict over less quality time spent together due to the frequent use of social media

(Whiteside et al., 2018). However, social media has also rekindled many long-lost relationships

between people far apart in different parts of the country or across the continent. Many people in

Selangor, Malaysia, face various impacts of social media and its use on their relationships

(Jovevski & Vasilevski, 2019).

1.2 Research Questions

This research is based on the impacts of social media on relationships among residents of

Selangor, Malaysia. In an attempt to uncover the impacts of social media, this study will explore

questions related to those impacts.

RQ1: How does the use of social media platforms affect your relationship?
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This research question aims to find out how the use of social media (Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Snapchat, among others) affects an individual's relationship

with others. There may be positive or negative impacts on the use of social media.

RQ2: How frequently do you use social media daily?

This question aims to find out the number of times people use social media per day, how

the frequency of use defines their entire day's activities, and if the frequency of use impacts their

relationships with their partners, friends, or family members.

RQ3: How often do you find yourself in an argument with your partner, friend, or

family member concerning the use of social media?

The entire goal of this question is to determine if the use of social media spikes an

argument between partners, friends, or family members concerning posts that are viewed from

social media.

1.3 Research Objectives

The overall objective of this study is to determine the impacts of social media on

relationships among residents of Selangor, Malaysia. Other sub-objectives have to be met to

make a conclusive statement on the study's overall objective to explore the fundamental research.

Objective 1: To determine how the use of social media affect a person’s relationship

Objective 2: To explore the frequency in which people in Selangor, Malaysia, use social

media daily

Objective 3: To examine if the use of social media among residents of Selangor,

Malaysia spikes an argument between partners, friends, or family members.

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1.4 Significance of the Study

This study explores the impact of social media on relationships among residents of

Selangor, Malaysia. The findings of this study will be relevant since it will help the residents to

know how their use of social media affects their entire relationships with others, whether

partners, friends, or family members. The results of this study will be significant in making the

residents aware of both the positive and negative impacts of social media use and how their

relationships are influenced. Through the suggestions on responsible use of social media,

residents of Selangor, Malaysia, will implement the relevance of service to help foster good

relationships among people. Finally, this study will help future researchers explore further

studies on the impacts of social media on relationships. This study will serve as the reference

point for further exploration and improvements in their research.

1.5 Scope of the Study

The scope of this study is based on the impacts of social media on relationships among

residents of Selangor. The study takes the residents' views to determine how social media has

impacted their relationships, either positively or negatively.

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CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.0 Introduction
This chapter explores the methodology used by the researcher when undertaking the

research. This chapter includes respondents of the study, research instruments, research

procedures, and data analysis. The researcher used both the qualitative and quantitative research

methods since they supplement each other by providing an in-depth description and explanation,

and statistical data of the phenomenon.

2.1 Respondents of the Study

Respondents refer to the entire sample of individuals with the same observable

characteristics. The respondents of the study were the residents of Selangor, Malaysia. The age

group was between 16 and 45 years old. A survey of the impacts of social media on relationships

among residents of Selangor motivated the area in which respondents were garnered from and

the age range according to the study's questionnaire.

2.2 Research Instrument Used

Research instruments in this study refer to the items used by the researcher in data

collection. This study uses focus group discussions and questionnaires as the research

instruments. Focus group discussions provided a comprehensive report on research objectives

that the questionnaire could not capture. The researcher moderated focus group discussions to

maintain decorum throughout the debate. A questionnaire was preferred to other data collection

methods since it can source information from a larger group of respondents in a short period due

to the nature of its objectivity (Ahmad & Murad, 2020).

2.3 Research Procedure

The research procedure is how this study was performed and provided a scientific and

systematic plan in which the task was completed. In finding the impacts of social media on
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relationships among residents of Selangor, Malaysia, the researcher got 18 respondents to the

questionnaire.

2.4 Data Analysis

The data collected from the respondents were both quantitative and qualitative, with

qualitative taking center stage. The data collected was presented both in pie charts and bar

graphs.
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CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

3.0 Description of the Data
The data used in this research were from 18 respondents, where 100% of them agreed to

be using any of the listed social media platforms. There were more females than males,

indicating that many of the users of social media are females.

Fig 1: Number of people using social media

3.1 Description of Findings

66.7% of the respondents were female, and 33.3% were male, where 33.3% were aged 22-27,

44.4% were aged 28-33, 16.7% were aged 34-39, and the rest were between 40-45 years old.

Most of the respondents were Indians and the rest Asians. Out of the respondents, all of them

agreed to use any social media platforms. 38.9% of the respondents agreed to be using social

media platforms as a mode of communication with friends or family members.

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Fig2: Gender of respondents

Fig 3: Number of people using social media as a mode of communication

3.2 Discussion of the Findings

From the discussion, it is noted that all respondents use social media platforms. The

relationship among residents of Selangor is maintained mainly by the use of social media as a

means of communication (see fig. 3). From the data, the study can categorically conclude that

most of the respondents are addicted to social media. Their close friends or family have asked

50% of them to distance themselves from their phones because it's distractive (see fig. 4).
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Fig 4: Number of people asked to distance themselves from their phones because it’s distractive
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CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION
4.0 Overview of the Study
This study aimed to establish the impact of social media on relationships among residents

of Selangor, Malaysia. It is noted that the majority of the residents rely on social media to

communicate with the ones they love and hold dear. The findings from the collected data will be

helpful for future research on the impacts of social media on relationships.

4.1 Restatement of the Objective

Regarding the achievement of the overall objective, the study explored three different

sub-objectives.

a. To determine how the use of social media affect a person’s relationship

b. To explore the frequency in which people in Selangor, Malaysia, use social media

daily

c. To examine if the use of social media among residents of Selangor, Malaysia

spikes an argument between partners, friends, or family members.

4.2 Review of the Finding

The study's findings concluded that many people between the age of 22 and 40 use social

media to communicate with their close ones. Most of the respondents agreed that the use of

social media is a distractive factor in relationships, and in some cases, disagreements erupt.

4.3 Limitations of the Study

Although the study aimed to explore the impact of social media on the relationship

among residents of Selangor, many of the respondents were Indians and not Malays. The number

of respondents was also few hence hindering the broader exploration of the study.
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CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Recommendations based on the Findings
The recommendation for the study's findings is that the researcher could have explored

most of the residents of Selangor, specifically the origins of Malay. To get an accurate

perception of the impact of social media on relationships among residents of Selangor, using a

more significant number of respondents would have been appropriate.

5.1 Recommendations for Future Research

For future research, various research methods should be implored by the future

researchers to get a conclusive finding on the research topic. Using one-on-one interviews would

supplement the research methods since personal views from respondents would add much to the

overall results (Jiménez-Castillo & Sánchez-Fernández, 2019).

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REFERENCES
Ahmad, A. R., & Murad, H. R. (2020). The impact of social media on panic during the COVID-

19 pandemic in Iraqi Kurdistan: online questionnaire study. Journal of medical Internet

research, 22(5), e19556.

Jiménez-Castillo, D., & Sánchez-Fernández, R. (2019). The role of digital influencers in brand

recommendation: Examining their impact on engagement, expected value and purchase

intention. International Journal of Information Management, 49, 366-376.

Jovevski, D., & Vasilevski, M. (2019). The impact of social media on building long-term

relationships with the customers. Journal of Sustainable Development, 9(22), 47-63.

Whiteside, N., Aleti, T., Pallant, J., & Zeleznikow, J. (2018). Helpful or harmful? Exploring the

impact of social media usage on intimate relationships. Australasian Journal of

Information Systems, 22.