Effects of Social Media on Mental Health and Workplace

Effects of Social Media on Mental Health and the Workplace
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Effects of Social Media on Mental Health and the Workplace
Introduction
Technological advancement has made the world interconnected through social media. People communicate and learn about trending political, social, and economic issues across the globe through social media networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Continuous and uncontrolled use of social media leads to addiction which is dangerous for users' mental health and their performance in the workplace. Most social media users like to share positive and good things in their lives and withhold the negatives. This creates an exaggerated image on social media that is likely to pressure other people to achieve the same. This may affect their mental health. Social media affects the employer's performance in the workplace because most people are likely to spend more time on social media than they would have spent working on their responsibilities.
Social media use has grown over the past few decades. People from all age brackets have adopted the use of social media networks. Bashir and Bhat (2017) argue that the younger generation, the active workforce, is the most active on social media and susceptible to its effects. These youths often compare their workplace culture with others on social media, causing mental health issues. According to Sadagheyani and Tatari (2020), excess social media use also puts people in a virtual world, causing loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Besides, social media use leads to workplace burnout, with most people failing to balance social media use with their work responsibilities, according to Han et al. (2020). Nonetheless, Sadagheyani and Tatari (2020) note that social media increase the base for access to healthcare and workplace information, which is a good thing for social media users. Therefore, this research will seek to investigate the perspectives of HR professionals and managers on the use of social media as well as the impact of their perspectives in the workplace.
Purpose of the study
This study aims to understand the perspectives of Human Resource Professionals and Managers on the use of social media and its impact on the workplace. This research will be conducted through a semi-structured questionnaire, classifying participants via their employer/ managerial levels. There are no potential benefits to the individuals involved in completing this questionnaire; thus, the feedback received will provide relevant evidence to help support the conclusion of this research report. Ultimately, this research is being directed to answer the following question: "what are the effects of social media on mental health and the workplace?"
Hypothesis
* Social media has both positive and negative impacts on mental work and workplace performance
Research Question
Ї Does the use of social media leave a positive or negative impact on mental health and the workplace?
Methodology
Research Approach/Design
A research methodology has multiple dimensions, and it also encompasses research methods. By definition, research methods are the techniques that are incorporated in the process of conducting research (Fowler, 2014). In other words, they are methods used in carrying out research operations, and they encompass the instruments used in the selection and the construction of a research technique (McBurney & White, 2013).
This research will seek to investigate the perspectives of HR professionals and managers on the use of social media as well as the impact of their perspectives in the workplace. The question at hand is, "what are the effects of social media on mental health and the workplace?" The research methodology will adopt descriptive research. Descriptive research aims to gain new insights, put forward a hypothesis, formulate a research problem, and become familiar with a phenomenon. The ultimate goal is to determine whether or not social media usage impacts mental health in the workplace positively or negatively and why. Using the questionnaire survey, the study will classify the participants according to their management levels and their perspectives on social media users to understand mental health stability levels in the workplace using the five point-Likert scale against the selected variables. It will help determine the impact of their perspectives in the general workplace environment because it allows participants to express their attitudes (Cheng et al., 2021). In the implementation, the study will use an experimental design.
This takes quantitative research based on quantifying data and generalizing the results from the sample to the population of interest (Norris et al., 2015). More specifically, it will examine the relationship between people's perspectives in managerial positions on social media and workplace mental health. In the process, it will use statistical analysis to represent their relationship.
The research philosophy refers to the belief about the means of data assembly. There are two categories which are positivist and interpretivism philosophies. On the one hand, positivists are researchers who believe that reality is stable and can be defined from an unbiased perspective. On the other hand, interpretivism argues that intervention and comprehensive interpretation are the only factors that can lead to a full understanding of reality (Crossan, 2003). The latter suggests that the various existing interpretations of reality are a subsection of the scientific knowledge they pursue. Often, it is used for detailed analysis of qualitative data that represents a small sample to understand the implications of the data to a larger group. Some well-known interpretivism includes Freud, Marx, and Kant (Kumar, 2012). The former philosophy, which is the positivist philosophy, relies on manipulating reality with changes in a particular independent variable to result in regularities that establish relationships between them. Here, the relationships also refer to the components of the social world. Up to the 1970s, interpretive research used to be the widely known choice of research philosophy. However, afterward, the positivist tradition took over and became the norm. Some famously known positivists include Durkheim and Descartes (Kumar, 2012). This study will use the positivist philosophy because it uses quantitative data.
Participants
The study will have a sample size of sixteen participants comprising eight Human Resource professionals and eight managers. While collecting primary data from the respondents, I will observe ethical norms and guidelines that influence the credibility and legitimacy of the collected data. Most importantly, confidentiality will be upheld in a good way. During the selection of the respondents, the participants will be approached, and they will be informed that I am conducting an ongoing study regarding the use of social media in the workplace. Next, they will be asked if they would voluntarily wish to participate in the study. They will be reminded that their participation should be entirely voluntary and that the study results will be used for educational purposes only. Also, anonymity will be observed in an undisputed manner (Goddard & Melville, 2011). After the potential respondents agree to participate in the study, a copy of the questionnaire will be given.
Additionally, there will be a creation of a consent form inviting the participants to the research survey in the form of a letter. This letter will indicate the study's main objective (Stebbins, 2001). It is to gather information from individuals in managerial positions concerning how social media influences mental health in the workplace. By signing the letter, the participant will consent to their participation and the use of the information they share.
Materials
Data will be collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. A questionnaire is a tool for recording and collecting information about a topic of interest (Wade, 2004). It will contain questions and clear instructions that aim to identify the impacts of social media use in the workplace from the perspectives of top management and HR professionals. The questionnaire will have questions asking the participants if their company has a policy regarding the use of social media; requesting participants to provide a rating from one to five on their familiarity with the following social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn; whether or not their company uses social media to promote mental health awareness; if their company has had any recent incidents of stress, bullying or addiction concerning the use of social media; and what they would say the overall impact is of social media in their workplace, positive or negative.
Data Collection Procedures:
The design of the questionnaire will reflect the specific objectives in regards to the research. The semi-structured questionnaire will be sent to the participants through the website to obtain the needed data. The link to the questionnaire will be sent to the participants for filling. Unarguably, an online survey is affordable and more convenient. Next, the feedback will be entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Then, the data will be entered into the dataset according to the measurement level because all of them are input.
Data Analysis Procedures
Quantitative data can capture any data that can be expressed as numbers. For this research, SPSS will be used to analyze the collected data. This software is helpful to researchers in the process of processing and analyzing data (Ott & Longnecker, 2010). For this study, the tool will be indispensable in analyzing data from the online website. The data will be imported into SPSS through the excel file, and graphs will be constructed accordingly.
References
Bashir, H., & Bhat, S. A. (2017). Effects of social media on mental health: A review.В International Journal of Indian Psychology,В 4(3), 125-131. DOI: 10.25215/0403.134
Cheng, C., Lay, K., Hsu, Y., & Tsai, Y. (2021). Can Likert scales predict choices? Testing the congruence between using the Likert scale and comparative judgment on measuring attribution. Methods in Psychology,В 5, 100081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metip.2021.100081
Crossan, F. (2003). Research philosophy: towards an understanding.В Nurse Researcher,В 11(1), 46-55. https://doi.org/10.7748/nr2003.10.11.1.46.c5914
Fowler, F. (2014).В Survey research methods. Sage Publication.
Goddard, W., & Melville, S. (2011).В Research methodology. Juta & Co.
Han, R., Xu, J., Ge, Y., & Qin, Y. (2020). The Impact of Social Media Use on Job Burnout: The Role of Social Comparison.В Frontiers in public health,В 8, 795. DOI https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.588097
Kumar, R. (2012).В Research methodology. SAGE.
McBurney, D., & White, T. (2013).В Research methods. Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Norris, J., Ross, S., & Schoonen, R. (2015). Improving Second Language Quantitative Research.В Language Learning,В 65(S1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12110
Ott, L., & Longnecker, M. (2010).В An introduction to statistical methods & data analysis. Cengage Learning.
Sadagheyani, H. E., & Tatari, F. (2020). Investigating the role of social media on mental health.В Mental health and social inclusion.
Stebbins, R. (2001).В Exploratory research in the social sciences. SAGE.
Wade, D. (2004). Assessment, measurement, and data collection tools. Clinical Rehabilitation,В 18(3), 233-237. https://doi.org/10.1191/0269215504cr183ed
Appendices
Annotated Bibliography
Working Title: Effects of Social Media on Mental Health and the Workplace
Short description of the scope and objectives of the literature search:
Social media plays a critical role in driving mental health. My literature research revolves around analyzing the effects of social media on one's mental health and how it impacts one's profession if there is at all. To build on the growing body of research, I used Google Scholar, Government websites, Social Media platforms to narrow down the critical sources pertinent to this research
Search Strategy:
The overall objective is to determine whether or not social media use impacts the workplace positively or negatively and why.
The rationale for conducting this research is anchored on the premise that there is an overload of positive and negative effects of social media and how it impacts mental health and the workplace. Because there is plenty of research that backs both positive and negative effects, the purpose will be to conclude a final decision using my ethical research.
Keywords used in the search:
Social media; mental health; workplace; cause and effects; research; data analysis
Databases searched:
Google Scholar, Government websites, Social media platforms, University Library
The method used for assessing study relevance and quality appraisal:
The study used the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. It isВ a generic tool for appraising qualitative research methodologies' strengths and limitations. The CASP tool has ten questions that focus on a different methodological aspect of a qualitative study. The questions are;
1. Was there a clear statement of the aims of the research?
2. Is a qualitative methodology appropriate?
3. Was the research design appropriate to address the aims of the research?
4. Was the recruitment strategy appropriate to the aims of the research?
5. Was the data collected in a way that addressed the research issue?
6. Has the relationship between researcher and participants been adequately considered?
7. Have ethical issues been taken into consideration? 8. Was the data analysis sufficiently rigorous?
9. Is there a clear statement of findings?
10. How valuable is the research?
Annotated Bibliography
Reference #1:

Sadagheyani, H. E., & Tatari, F. (2020). Investigating the role of social media on mental health.В Mental health and social inclusion.

Summary of the main points

The article explores the effects of social media on the mental health of its users. The authors reviewed existing sources using keywords like social media, health, mental health, and mental well-being. The research found that social media is double-edged as it has positive and negative effects. Too much of it leads to mental health deterioration, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. On the other side, social media helps access other people's health experiences and expert health information, provides emotional support and community building, manages depression, expands and strengthens offline networks and interactions, establishes and maintains relationships, and self-expression and self-identity.

Assessment of strengths and limitations in terms of methods, presentation, and conclusions

The study used a literature review which is excellent for presentation. It also used a fixed sample of the articles carefully selected using keywords and drawn within a specific timeline.

Reflect on the relevance of the reference to your domain of interest/research question

The article is significant for my study because it addresses my study problem on the effects of social media on mental health.

Reference #2:

Han, R., Xu, J., Ge, Y., & Qin, Y. (2020). The Impact of Social Media Use on Job Burnout: The Role of Social Comparison.В Frontiers in public health,В 8, 795. DOI https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.588097

Summary of the main points

The article researched the effects of social media use on job burnout. Most social media use compares their state of workplace and others, creating tension that affects their performance at work. The study showed a significant positive correlation between social media use and job burnout and that social comparison plays a moderating role in social media's impact on burnout.

Assessment of strengths and limitations in terms of methods, presentation, and conclusions

The article uses a significant sample of 530 people. This means that the findings can be used to generalize a larger population. However, it cannot be entirely accurate to use the results in other regions to inform similar knowledge gaps because the sample used is in Chinese. Other regions may have different experiences with social media use than China.

Reflect on the relevance of the reference to your domain of interest/research question

This article is credible for my research because it addresses the relationship between social media use and workplace performance.

Reference #3:

Bashir, H., & Bhat, S. A. (2017). Effects of social media on mental health: A review.В International Journal of Indian Psychology,В 4(3), 125-131. DOI: 10.25215/0403.134

Summary of the main points

The article explored the effects of social media on people's mental health. It reviews existing literature, meaning it is a secondary source. The study found that the younger generation is susceptible to mental issues due to prolonged use of social media.

Assessment of strengths and limitations in terms of methods, presentation, and conclusions

The study did a literature review which is an excellent method. The findings are also discussed in subtopics, strengthening the article's credibility. However, the study does not state the range in years of the materials reviewed and where they were obtained from.

Reflect on the relevance of the reference to your domain of interest/research question

The research is important for my study because it explores social media and mental health, which are at the core of my study.

Reference #4:

Cheng, C., Lay, K. L., Hsu, Y. F., & Tsai, Y. M. (2021). Can Likert scales predict choices? Testing the congruence between using Likert scale and comparative judgment on measuring attribution.В Methods in Psychology,В 5, 100081.

Summary of the main points

The article explores the effectiveness of using the Likert Scale for comparative judgment. It used a sample of 929 adolescents to rank their academic performance. The results show that the Likert scale cannot be fully relied upon and thus should be used alongside other interpretive means.

Assessment of strengths and limitations in terms of methods, presentation, and conclusions

The study uses a reasonable sample and is thus credible for any study. It also samples students who are active in their academic work and are likely to give reliable responses.

Reflect on the relevance of the reference to your domain of interest/research question

This article is relevant to my research because it guides my use of the Likert scale. It makes me aware that the results may not be entirely reliable.

Reference #5:

Crossan, F. (2003). Research philosophy: towards an understanding.В Nurse Researcher (through 2013),В 11(1), 46.

Summary of the main points

The article aims at educating the researcher on the difference and significance of quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Assessment of strengths and limitations in terms of methods, presentation, and conclusions

The study discusses the topic based on subtopics that expand each approach. This makes the study credible and reliable for references.

Reflect on the relevance of the reference to your domain of interest/research question

The article is important for my research because it guides me on the research approach to take for optimum effectiveness.

Reference #6:

Fowler Jr, F. J. (2014). The problem with survey research.

Sum...