METHODOLOGY

This chapter describes the different schemes and procedures

employed in the study such as research design, locale of the study,

participants, sampling procedure, data gathering procedures, research

instrument, and data analysis.

Research Design

This study will employ a qualitative research design, specifically

phenomenology, wherein this design allows an in-depth exploration of

teenagers’ subjective experiences, perceptions, and strategies related to

social media use. This study will employ a phenomenological approach to

capture the lived experiences of teenagers and understand the essence of

their interactions with social media.

Phenomenology is chosen as the research design because it

focuses on understanding how individuals experience and make sense of

their world. This approach is particularly suited for exploring teenagers’

perceptions of social media as it seeks to uncover the meanings and

insights they derive from their interactions with these platforms. According

to Creswell (2013), phenomenology aims to describe the essence of lived

experiences by exploring how participants perceive and interpret specific

phenomena. This aligns with the study’s goal of understanding both the

positive and negative aspects of social media as experienced by

teenagers.

Sampling Procedure

To explore teenagers' perceptions of social media and understand

its positive and negative influences, a qualitative approach will be utilized,

focusing on capturing in-depth insights. Data will be collected through

semi-structured interviews with teenagers aged 13-18 from diverse

backgrounds. The interview questions will explore their personal

experiences, emotional responses, and perspectives on social media use.

The data collected will be transcribed and analysed using thematic

analysis, allowing the identification of recurring themes and patterns

related to both positive and negative influences. This requires participants

to be:
 Inclusion criteria: Participants should be teenagers aged 13-19

from at Kabacan Sandigan Colleges, who actively use social media.

Participants must be active users of at least one major social media

platform (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok). Active use is defined

as engaging with the platform regularly, such as daily or several times a

week.

Participants must be willing to participate in the study and have

signed informed consent to do so. For participants under 18 years old,

parental consent must be obtained. The participants may have the option

to withdraw if they do not wish to participate in the study anymore.

Participants

The participants will be selected based on specific criteria to ensure

that they provide relevant and insightful data. A total of fifteen (15)

teenagers from Kabacan Sandigan Colleges will be involved in this study.

Locale of the Study

 This study will be conducted at Kabacan Sandigan Colleges in

Kabacan, North Cotabato for one week during the first semester of the

school year 2024-2025.

Research Instruments

This study will be conducted with an in-depth interview with the

participants at Kabacan Sandigan Colleges. The researcher will record the

entire conversation with the participants using a recorder. This research

instrument is consisting of semi-structured interview questions designed to

address the main research questions. Each main research question is

accompanied by one primary interview question and three probing

questions to elicit detailed responses.

Data Collection and Procedure

This study will follow a procedure in collecting data: first, the

researcher will send communication letters to the School Head of

Kabacan Sandigan Colleges and to the participants; second, the

researcher will set a date with participants to meet at a certain place; third,

the researcher will start the conduct of their study by interviewing and

lastly will maximize the use of technology in voice recording in data

gathering wherein the data acquired will be managed and disposed of

correctly after the study.

Data Analysis

The data will be read, understood then transcribed and examined

by the researcher after the data collection. The data will be subjected to

thematic analysis which will reveal the perceptions of teenagers at

Kabacan Sandigan Colleges, regarding the positive and negative

influences of social media on their daily lives. Second, the researcher will

identify and label key concepts and themes that emerge from the data with

the use of coding for the participants’ data privacy. After developing

themes and sub-themes based on recurring patterns and significant

findings, the data will be validated to ensure accuracy of the

interpretations (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).

According to Braun and Clarke (2006), thematic analysis involves

identifying and interpreting patterns or themes within qualitative data. This

method will help in organizing and making sense of the data, focusing on

recurrent themes related to teenagers’ perceptions, experiences, and

management strategies concerning social media.

Trustworthiness

In establishing the trustworthiness of the study, the integrity and

consistency of this qualitative study should be maintained. According to

Lincoln and Guba (1985), the reliability of the study intends to expound the

argument about the accuracy of the findings, making it "worth paying

attention to." This section contains the discussion of the trustworthiness of

the study in terms of its credibility, transferability, dependability, and

conformability.

To establish credibility, the researcher will ought to present valid

data with an accurate, calculated interpretation of the context. The

information must not be altered or drawn from the original data. The data

must not be a product of any research errors or misunderstandings due to

unknown factors.

To establish transferability, the researcher will ought to classify the

observations and data in a specific context, and generalization is limited to

a specific context. The researcher makes sure to provide an ample

amount of information to prove that the findings may apply to other

circumstances and situations. Extending the range of a specific context

through purposefully selecting different locations with participants who

have different perspectives will be done.

To establish dependability, the researcher will be under obligation to

ensure that the research questions and collected findings from in-depth

interviews, even after repeated administration, are consistent.

Furthermore, the researcher will seek verification from the research

adviser to substantiate the claims and outcomes of this research.

To check for conformability, the raw data collected will be given to

the participants for them to review the transcribed statements before

publishing them. The data will be subjected to retraction and changes if

considered necessary by the participants.

The researcher will personally send formal communication letters to

the participants in Carmen Cluster, SGA, BARMM in order to maintain the

credibility of the research. To avoid bias, the researcher will conduct and

record the entire conversation with the participants before writing down

their responses fully.

Ethical Considerations
 Any participation in the study will be voluntary after the participants

are informed of the study's purpose, and any physical or mental discomfort

experienced by the participants in relation to certain issues will be

considered. They will be provided a consent form to secure their

participation as participants (Halai, 2006).

As a result, participants will be advised that they can choose not to

answer questions that make them uncomfortable, or they can withdraw or

leave the research without penalty if they do not feel comfortable

discussing the information that is requested of them.

The information provided by the participants' responses will be kept

private, preserving the privacy of personal information. There will be no

false statements, exaggerations, or deceptions that could harm the

participants.

Furthermore, the researcher will have no intention of discriminating

or showing prejudice towards its participants. Instead, they will be obliged

to show tolerance and empathy at the target location for this study,

especially if it is considered a diverse community. The participants’ culture

must be considered sensitive and respected.

The researcher also acknowledges the different authors that are

mentioned as supporting this study through proper citation. After

conducting this study, the researcher will give a token to each of its
participants to show my utmost appreciation for their participation and

support in this research.

In addition, participants’ identities will not be exposed. Therefore,

the ethical aspect of research will be strictly followed throughout the

conduct of the study.

Role of the Researcher

The researcher’s role in qualitative research is to attempt to access

the thoughts and feelings of study participants. This is not an easy task, as

it involved asking people to talk about things that may have been very

personal to them. Sometimes, the experiences being explored are fresh in

the participants’ minds, whereas on other occasions, reliving past

experiences may be difficult. However, the researcher’s primary

responsibility for the data acquired is to protect the participants and their

data.