HCMC University of Education Group

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDENTS FROM HCMUE
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

|| CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The Internet brings many benefits and supports people in many aspects such as economy,
science, education, social connection, mental health. However, the explosion of Internet
usage leads to many problems related to the abuse of this platform. Mental health is
defined across a very broad spectrum based on factors such as recovery, satisfaction, and
the presence or absence of symptoms of a psychological disorder. The harmful effects of
Internet abuse are somewhat similar to substance addiction. Internet addiction was also
found to be a predictor of stress, depression and anxiety among students. Using the internet
for a long time is often said to be one of the causes of internet addiction and affects the
spirit of students of the English Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education.

Living environment and work activities such as study-related pressure, family difficulties,
lack of satisfaction in family are risk factors for the emergence and maintenance of negative
internet use behavior. Spending time on the Internet means less time for other activities,
which can be one of the direct causes of mental health problems instead of long time
online.

Of the many factors that mediate between Internet addiction and mental health, the factor
of social comparison is somewhat prominent. A lot of people use the Internet by accessing
forms of connection such as social networks. In 2018, Vietnam had nearly 45 million
Facebook accounts (Statista, 2019). The Internet provides the foundation for making social
comparisons on an unprecedented scale when individuals can access to a huge amount of
information with just simple operations. Some studies also show that the use of social
networks such as Facebook, Instagram creates social comparisons in both positive and
negative aspects in users.

Individuals who have symptoms of depression or have a negative self-image are more likely
to see themselves as inferior to others when using the Internet. This leads to negative

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mental health consequences. Social comparison plays an important role in the relationship
between mental health and negative Internet use behavior, however, there is not much
research on the relationship between social comparison, perceived health mental health
and Internet use behavior among Vietnamese students, namely students of Ho Chi Minh
City University of Education.

Research reason

Currently, students of the English Department of the University of Pedagogy access and use
the Internet a lot, but there have not been many specific studies on the relationship
between Internet use and mental health status and the impact on mental health its
influence. The research team found that the popularity of the Internet was associated with
mental health problems, so the team chose the topic of the impact of Internet use on
mental health on students of the Faculty of English.

In Vietnam, the age of schoolchildren and students showing signs of addiction to social
networks also shows symptoms of mental health. Compared with some Southeast Asian
countries, the level of Internet addiction among Vietnamese adolescents is higher than that
of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore. The research team believes that these problems
in Vietnam will increase in the future, and it is necessary to screen and facilitate
interventions. In addition, social comparability plays an important role in the relationship
between social media use and mental health, and there is not much research on the effects
of the internet on mental health. The research team will independently investigate mental
health and cognitive factors in Internet use behavior to test whether there is an influence
between these two factors.

Objectives of study

This study investigates the relationship between mental health status and Internet use
behavior of students of English Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education.
From there, it is possible to draw conclusions about the impact of social media use on
students' mental health.

|| CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

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Introduction

This chapter of the paper reviews articles and studies which have been conducted by other
people on the negative impact of social media on mental health of young people. The
research work and related materials of others provided the basis in picturing an overview of
the relationship between social media and mental health problems as well as gaining a
deeper insight into the research question. By glancing at the title, it is easy to utter several
details about the general topic due to the popularity of it. However, because there are many
opinions, it becomes challenging to categorize those mental health problems. Fortunately,
most research papers, partly or wholly, mention four potential mental issues that the young
can encounter when they access social media. According to the research by Royal Society
for Public Health (RSPH) (2017), those four negative effects include anxiety and depression;
sleeping problems; cyberbullying; and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).

Peformance assessment and reliability

The first negative impact of social media that the writers want to review is anxiety and
depression. They may appear separate in words, but they overlap each other. The
prominent symptoms of anxiety and depression can include loss of interest in activities,
changes in sleeping and eating patterns, emotional outbursts, sense of being overwhelmed,
faulty self-assessments, and lack of energy (Mayo Clinic Health System staff, 2021). Social
media, not surprisingly, was mentioned in the list of factors influencing mental health in
detrimental ways by McAlpine (2021). According to Lyall et al (2018), those who check
Facebook late at night are more likely to feel depressed and unhappy. Another viewpoint is
that the less time people spend on social media, the less symptoms of depression and
loneliness they feel (Hunt, Marx, Lipson & Young, 2018). Similarly, Sampasa-Kanyinga and
Lewis (2015) in Canada found that daily social media use of over two hours was associated
with psychological distress. In addition, Twenge et al. (2017) revealed that the rise in
symptoms of depression correlates with smartphone adoption during the period from 2007
to 2015, even when matched year by year. Remarkably, smartphones were introduced in
2007, and by 2015 fully 92 percent of teens and adults possess a smartphone. The result of
the study showed that the number exhibiting high levels of depressive symptoms increased
by 33 percent between 2010 and 2015, and the suicide rate for girls in the same period
increased by 65 percent. On the other hand, according to the statistical results from the

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study of Mathewson (2019), there was a weak positive correlation between social media
usage and both anxiety and depression, as well as a non-significant positive relationship
between suicidality and social media usage. However, “weak” does not equal “no”, since the
result still shows the number of participants feeling anxiety ranging from minimal level to
severe level.

The writers decided to scrutinize the research conducted by RSPH (2017), then compare
with results and statements which are mentioned above. Research suggests that young
people who are heavy users of social media - spending more than two hours per day on
social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram - are more likely to report
poor mental health, including psychological distress. Using social media for more than two
hours per day has also been independently associated with poor self-rating of mental
health, increased levels of psychological distress and suicidal ideation. This phenomenon has
even been labelled as ‘Facebook depression’ by researchers who suggest that the intensity
of the online world - where teens and young adults are constantly contactable, face
pressures from unrealistic representations of reality, and deal with online peer pressure -
may be responsible for triggering depression or exacerbating existing conditions. The result,
one more time, asserted that there was a positive relationship between the massive usage
of social media and the illness of mental health, especially the adolescents. There was also a
similarity between two studies about the correlation between the increase of mental-
related issues in young people and the popularity of smartphones. The research of Twenge
et al (2017) demonstrated the increasing number of depressive symptoms in the young in
the period of smartphone possession while the research of RSPH (2017) pointed out that
identified rates of anxiety and depression in young people have increased by 70% over the
past.

In addition, sleeping problems have been short-listed in the negative factors of social media
by RSPH (2017). The study exposed the tight link between sleep and mental health. Lack of
sleep not only possibly leads to depression and anxiety but also hinders one from clear
thinking and keeping one's emotions at an even keel (Peri, 2021). Therefore, sleep is
particularly important for teens and young adults due to this being a key time for
development and avoidance of mental illness. Sleep is essential for allowing us to function
properly during waking hours and teens need around 1-2 hours more sleep every night than

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adults. Nevertheless, in the study of Lund & et al (2010), up to 60% of university students
admit that they had poor quality sleep. Putting aside some academic-related reasons, social
media should be responsible for the sleep loss of students. Numerous studies have shown
that increased social media use has a significant association with poor sleep quality in young
people. Using social media on phones, laptops and tablets at night before bed is also linked
with poor quality sleep, even more so than regular daytime use of social media. This means
it takes longer to fall asleep and individuals end up getting fewer hours of sleep every night
(RSPH, 2017). The research of Li & et al (2019) found out the potential link between social
media usage and sleep pattern: the more time adolescents spent on screen-based activities,
the more trouble they had falling asleep and the less sleep they got during the night. Dr.
Sunter (2020) also stated that nighttime social media use could really affect our sleep and
provided two rational reasons. First, blue light emitted from the phone screen keeps us
productive and focused, therefore, at night, looking at the phone would tell the body to be
awake. Second, scrolling through the newsfeed before bedtime would stimulate the brain
and signal it to remain active.

Along with sleeping problems, depression and anxiety, cyberbullying obviously became one
of the negative impacts of social media. Cyberbullying, sometimes called online harassment
or abuse, refers to behaviors where a person repeatedly causes harm to others using
electronic devices and technologies, such as the spreading of malicious rumors, threats, and
exclusion from a group; all this harassment leaves victims feeling isolated, scared and
depressed (Tzani, Synnott & Ioannou, 2021). Therefore, cyberbullying is strongly linked with
depression and anxiety. According to UNICEF, the effects of cyberbullying can last a long
time, prevent people from speaking up or trying to deal with the problem, and even lead to
people taking their own lives. According to RSPH (2017), seven in ten young people have
experienced cyberbullying, with 37% of young people saying they experience cyberbullying
on a high-frequency basis. Similarly, the outcome from the research of Aboujaoude, Savage,
Starcevic & Salame (2015) asserted that a significant proportion of children and adolescents
(20% - 40%) have been victims of cyberbullying, with females and sexual minorities
seemingly at higher risk. By nature of the electronic platform, there seems to be an easier
path to the bully-victim phenomenon than that in traditional bullying. Accompanying
psychopathology, including an increasingly well-established link to suicidality, is common. In

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the survey of Tzani, Synnott & Ioannou (2021), some 37 percent of participants reported
that they had experienced cyberbullying. The victimization took place on various platforms,
namely Facebook (74%), Twitter (17%), Snapchat (9%), and Instagram (9%). Also, RSPH
pointed out that young people are twice as likely to be bullied on Facebook than on any
other social network. Sadly, those are extremely popular social networks for adolescents. It
was no surprise that the number of depressed and suicidal teenagers increased throughout
the period of smartphones, as mentioned in the study of Twenge (2017). Cyberbullying
contributed a lot to the toxic side of social media.

Besides, Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) should be mentioned in the list of destructive effects
of social media. The definition provided by Merriam-Webster of FOMO is the fear of not
being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are
experiencing. Everyone could experience FOMO, however, college students might be most
likely to undergo FOMO in the period of balancing their lives. As Barth (2013) explained in
her article, college is a time when we are programmed to develop on two parallel tracks: on
the one hand, we are making new kinds of connections with our peers, developing more
adult friendships and more intense romantic relationships than in the past; and on the
other, we are making inroads into our future professional goals; therefore, FOMO makes a
lot of sense – what if I don’t go to the party and what if I do. In other words, the fear is that
no matter what you do, you will miss out on something – and that something will be the
most important thing, the very thing you should not have missed. FOMO became more
common since the appearance of social media. The purpose of social media is to update, so
the fear of being excluded may be strongly triggered in the digital era. Vogel (n.d.) gave a
small but clear example about how social media could lead to FOMO: Imagine you’re happy
to stay home on a Friday night, but when you’re scrolling through social media while sitting
on the couch, it looks like everyone you know is having a great time; you might feel like
you’re missing out on the fun. Indeed, the intense use of social media had something to do
with the pattern of FOMO. The reality that social media is continuously updating what
others are doing, all the time, is one that society is constantly adjusting to, and there are
many studies that show social media’s effect on self-confidence and direct relation with
FOMO (Kidwell, 2019). FOMO on social media refers to the apprehension that online

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contents and interactions from others are unseen and reacted to in a timely fashion (Al-
Utaybi A, Al-Thani D, McAlaney J & Ali R, 2020).

There was a study by Fioravanti et al (2021) which discovered the link between FOMO and
media use. In the study, the authors integrated the results of 33 independent samples on
FOMO and social media with 21473 participants in total. The result revealed that people
who showed more FOMO also showed more problematic social media use. From the result,
it could be assumed that social media and FOMO together made a vicious cycle for the
users. People saw others doing amazing things, then they had to constantly check the feed
because they did not want to miss the thrills from others. The fear of being left out then
developed in that constant.

These studies were informative. However, they were wide and general for the research
question. The writers wanted to pay more attention to one group of students in Vietnam, or
more specifically, students from the English Department of Ho Chi Minh University of
Education (HCMUE). So far, mental health has been more prominent to the young in
Vietnam, however, there are still few campaigns on raising people’s awareness about the
danger of mental health problems. Students, especially those who study in languages or
social-related fields, are reported to use social media intensively for the purpose of
connecting friends, updating information and learning while the epidemic occurs. Therefore,
the research question only focused on the students from the English Department of HCMUE.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this chapter went through different viewpoints about four negative impacts of
social media on mental health of young people. In general, all the studies provided enough
information and statistical numbers about the link between the usage of social media and
the negative symptoms of mental health. The writers were given a good overview about the
topic and related theories to get ready for finding the answer to the research question.

|| CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

Introduction

The methodology presents specific methods and stages used to perform this study.
Pointedly, this chapter focuses on the study design, research setting, and participants.

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Study design

This study was designed by using a quantitative approach toward evaluating whether social
platforms impact mental health providers. The platform the researchers decided to use for
the survey is Google Form. This survey required participants to multiple-choice questions,
allowing them to select the specific answers which resemble their status. Given the scarcity
of research on mental health practitioners' reactions to an increase in mental health
symptoms, the quantitative method design provided a platform for identifying barriers,
insights, and potentially future responses for mental health education. Hereafter, the
following questions were investigated by using a quantitative research method:

Q1: How old are you?

Q2: Do you use social media?

Q3: How many hours a day do you use social media?

Q4. Which social media platform do you use most often?

Q5. Do you care about how many people view or like your posts?

Q6. Do you feel confident or well-liked based on the number of likes you get on a post?

Q7. Do you feel as if you are a different person online?

Q8. How influential is social media in your life?

Q9. "Social Media negatively affects mental health in young people”

Q10. If, so in what way has it affected you?

Q11. When having mental-health-related problems, who will you ask for help?

(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/
1FAIpQLSdARtt5LdpB0T3W9vgckCZ571Oy4zVoNEVmJ8-q_DZF9NT0Sg/viewform)

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Setting

The study was designed as a cross-sectional investigation, in which the setting was Ho Chi
Minh City which has been severely affected by Covid-19. The city was in lockdown for
approximately 4 months, which made considerable changes to people’s daily life, especially
the students (target participants). Students have to study online and get most school
assignments done on virtual platforms, therefore, the survey was designed as a Google
Form, which enabled participants to take part in wherever they are. It took approximately 5
minutes for each participant to do the survey when they easily got access to the Google
Form link with the Internet connection.

Participants

According to the short-term nature of the study and to facilitate sampling, the selected
participants were all students from the English Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of
Education, using social networks. Sampling will shorten data collection time, helping our
group invest in the data analysis and interpretation phases. However, our group is also
aware that the convenience sample will be unrepresentative and have bias problems. Each
participant will conduct a questionnaire on mental health and social media usage, social
comparison trends once. In addition, age information will also be collected during the
implementation of the survey.

Conclusion

All data analysis was carried out according to a pre-established analysis plan. Multivariate
analyses were conducted with logistic regression. The respondents seem to have a
comprehensive knowledge of social media and its adverse effects on young adults’ mental
health and have no problem doing the survey. In the new normal stage in Ho Chi Minh City,
people tend to be reluctant to have direct access to other people, therefore, the
quantitative method design provided a survey conducted through Google Form identifying
barriers, insights, and potentially future responses for mental health education shows the
results effectively.

|| CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Introduction

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Sample surveys were distributed in order to receive the first overview of the strong
relationship between social media usage and mental health problems. This chapter
discusses the results estimated from the first conduction.

Targets

The result showed that the majority of participants are from 18 to 24 (80%). They all got
involved in social media. The time spent on social media varied from less than an hour to
more than 4 hours, and the most chosen amount of time was between 3 and 4 hours. The
preferred social media platforms utilized by participants, from most number of users to least
number of users, were as follows: Facebook (45%), Instagram (25%), TikTok (25%), and
Twitter (5%). 60% participants showed that they cared about the interaction in social media
and 50% of them felt more confident and well-liked by looking at the number of reactions.
Furthermore, the majority of participants (65%) admitted that they became a different
version when they went online.

Mental health issues

The majority agreed that social media affected them seriously, and supported the idea that
social media was linked with mental health issues of young people as up to 62% of
participants ticked the “agree” option. When being asked about how social media impacted
on mental health, most of them mentioned these 4 impacts which had been discussed in
literature review: anxiety and depression (68%), sleeping problems (46%), cyberbullying
(57%) and fear of missing out (73%). Besides, participants were also asked about the
support when mental health issues occured. The result indicated many types of support:
support from friends (20%), support from family (35%), support from psychologists (20%),
and support from consultants (25%).

Conclusion

The sample surveys showed, not obviously but vaguely, the positive relationship between
social media and mental health problems. Most participants agreed that they used social
media so much and social media had great negative influences on them. However, to make

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the statement clearer, more survey questions should be added and old ones should be
corrected for better research results.

|| CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Through the process of researching and collecting information from students of the English
Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, the research team found that there
is a clear negative influence of using social networks on mental health of the students. Most
of the students realize their excessive use of the internet but have not yet realized its
harmful effects on their mental health. After the research, the team has gained a lot of
experience and learned some data collection methods.

After conducting the research, we have trained teamwork skills and data processing skills.
And from the results obtained, we are also aware of the influence of social networks on our
mental health. From there, the team can find a solution to use social networks more
appropriately to minimize its negative effects.

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