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Chapter Three: Methodology

Student’s Name Course Name Professor’s Name Institution Affiliation City and State Date

Impact of Social Media on Mental Health Chapter Three: Methodology Introduction The methodology chapter is fundamentally aimed at understanding the aspect that lies behind data collection, processing, and analysis concerning the impacts of social media on mental health. Through this chapter, the used research methodologies will be presented and the way they were employed in answering the research questions as posed in the first chapter of the study. Hence, this chapter focuses on the research design which entails aspects of epistemology, ontology, and methodology, used data collection methods, processing of the collected data, and the used approach to gain ethical approval. Besides that, chapter three also elaborates on the instruments of research that were used during the data collection. The chapter is elaborative on all aspects revolving around the methodology used and how it was used. Epistemology, ontology, and methodology Epistemology is defined as the philosophy of knowledge. Before the research process was started, it was necessary to search through literature material and observe what problems people would be encountering but do not notice. Literature materials also enabled us to gain enough knowledge of how social media platforms work and who are the most affected people in society and the actions that can be taken to save the situation. This was the essence of epistemology. On the other hand, ontology is defined as the study of beings. Though this study was able to understand how people react to the environment and act in response to what affects them. This was the basis of the research trying to understand the relationship between people, social media platforms, and the environment around them. Lastly, research methodologies are what are used in selecting, identifying, processing, and analyzing information on specific topics. The methodology was then decided and clear paths to be used outlined. This directed the research enabling us to collect valuable data for analysis. Methods of Data Collection Methods of data collection are determiners to the quality of data and its usefulness in research. In this study, several methods that were used in collecting data will be exploited. Questionnaires. By definition, questionnaires are a set of written or printed questions that are presented to specifically targeted people to get their response regarding a particular subject. Questionnaires can either be designed in such a way that they have choices are left as open-ended questions given the targeted sample of people the freedom to give their views. This method of data collection was effective in the study since from it we were able to gauge what people feel about the internet (social media) and the impacts it has had on them. The questionnaires were based on the claims obtained from the journal and other online articles relating to social media's negative impacts. The targeted group's composed of adolescents and middle ages adults who were said to make up the highest number of social media platform users (Berryman, Ferguson, and Negy 2018). The obtained responses from people are what will then be used to guide the research to a conclusion to the study is obtained. Semi-structured interview. Through direct talks with teenagers and adults around the population of research were used to exploit ideas. Information was obtained and the general feel of the people determined. Through the direct interactions that involved talks and questioning, data was recorded on what people think social media has impacted their mental health. The semi-structured interview was designed to find out how people interact with social media and what they feel its negative impacts are (Kaur and Bashir 2015). Examples of questions used in both the questionnaires and the structured interviews were: To what extent do young people attribute their self-esteem to the impact of social media? How do young people differentiate between the impact of visual and non-visual social media on their mental health? In what ways do young people recognize both positive and negative impacts on their mental health that might attribute to social media? Process of Data Collection By definition, data collection represents a method of communicating questions to a specific targeted group of people and obtaining responses. The chosen samples were used to represent the situation in the whole lot/group of people. From the questionnaires, quantitative data was collected. The collected data was then kept in a safe place as confidential responses to bar others from accessing it and later giving responses that are either similar or close to those that had been given initially. The collected data was then imported into the database software to offset the analysis process. Through the semi-structured interviews and focus groups, qualitative data was collected. The collected qualitative research is what enabled the research to have an elaborative state of the impacts of social media explained. In some cases, interviewers came across people who seemed to be mentally disturbed. Their linking and coordination with the things that happened around them seemed to have been interfered with. The people who were involved in this study included middle-aged workers and partly university students who	were readily available and seemed to have been the most affected lot according to research. Previous literature by different authors indicated that the loneliest people were university students who also seemed to be too much into social media (Bashir and Bhat 2017). It was noted that they stayed on social media to interact with other people they considered not a bother to them. Making new friends, as the results indicated was the main reason why most people spent their time on social media despite its negative impacts which they know. On the other hand, the collection of quantitative data was divided into two distinct stages. The first stage was the sampling of the specific target populations from which needed data would be obtained. After sampling, the questionnaires were set forth, and records were obtained from the people's responses. The second stage was determining whether the people/users of social media platforms, such as TikTok understood that such media had the power of impacting negatively on them. Identifying this was relevant because it would mean the responses are substantial from people who know what they responded to. Both stages involved the populations that were said to be heavy users of social media platforms. Approach to Gaining Ethical Approval Ethical approvals are necessary for ensuring that whatever data it is that is obtained from people is safely and confidentially kept. The approach used to gain ethical approval was first setting up a pilot study. Through the feasibility study/small version studies, we proved to the regulatory bodies that we were ready to collect, handle, and analyze the data effectively without causing upheavals. Through the pilot study, the university verified that all was in order and that the research had no ill intends but a positive step that would help save the world. The code of practice was also ascertained before the beginning of the research to ensure no kind of breach would be evidenced on either side. Defaming specific social media platforms would go against the codes of practice. It was thus ensured that the research maintained the highest levels of neutrality regarding the various social media platforms that exist such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram. We proved to the university that we would uphold the code of practice by staying on our lanes and only obtaining the data we needed and nothing more. It was through this that we got ethical approval from the university.

References Bashir, H., and Bhat, S.A., 2017. Effects of social media on mental health: A review. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 4(3), pp.125-131. Berryman, C., Ferguson, C.J., and Negy, C., 2018. Social media use and mental health among young adults. Psychiatric quarterly, 89(2), pp.307-314. Kaur, R., and Bashir, H., 2015. Impact of Social Media on Mental Health of Adolescents. International Journal of Education, 5, pp.22-29.