LEGACY LEAVERS

DIVISION
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN
THIS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY

I. Introduction.

The 2019 novel coronavirus or extreme severe acute respiratory syndrome

coronavirus 2, as it is now known, is rapidly spreading all over the world, from its origin
in Wuhan City, China. Nowadays, social media are often seen as fast and effective
platforms for searching, sharing, and it serves to provide an important informal source of
data to identify health information that has not been reported to medical officers or
health departments. But this channel of disseminating knowledge sometimes mixed with
scare tactics, discrimination, misleading reports and conspiracy theories related to the
origin of the virus, its spread and mass buying of face masks, all closely connected to
the modern 21st century “info media” social media networks. Social media will also
serve as online learning of students during this pandemic but despite its advantages,
social media has a lot of disadvantages too. Despite the importance of rapid access to
information in these critical situations, poor comprehension, inaccurate or false
information in the format of rumors or unreliable news can lead to misunderstanding in
the community, which makes the situation worse.

II. Background.

Social Media had its own role in this time of the pandemic, based on how it is
used. It is one of the best ways to share news nowadays (it may be the only way for
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DIVISION
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN
THIS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY
some people), like helping neighbors and local communities to connect with each other,
screening "fake news", sharing information, supporting local businesses while
pandemic, especially if you are trying to alert people of something serious in a very,
very quick manner.

According to the Digital 2020 Global Statshot report, Facebook is the world’s top-
used social platform as of April within this year. It is followed by YouTube, WhatsApp,
Facebook (FB) Messenger, and WeChat. Other than that, Twitter also saw its biggest
quarterly rise among social platforms. Also, TikTok—a Chinese video-sharing app also
raised its number of users and estimated that there are already 800 million users of this
app. In addition, social media as social platforms are also used for work-from-home
arrangements and home-based learning where users of the mentioned application
grow, as it was said by Dr. Brian Lee head of the Communication Programme at the
School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences at the Singapore University of Social
Sciences.

In our country, education remains to continue and never bothered by the virus
spreading across the globe. Students now use gadgets like phones and laptops for their
classes that happened online. According to Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., professor of
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DIVISION
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN
THIS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY
criminology and criminal justice at Florida Atlantic University and co-director of the
Cyberbullying Research Center, as more adolescents use digital platforms like social
media, there is more likely to increase the number of cyberbullying. Victims would also
likely suffer in silence, seek less for help and educators will not able to notice it quickly
since they are not physically present in person.

When the community quarantine was implemented, the unemployment rate in the
Philippines increased. According to Dennis Mapa, a National Statistician, the job rate
fell to 82.3%, from 94.7% in January 2020 and 94.9% in April 2019. Millions of Filipino
became jobless due to the strict implementation of ECQ. Therefore, in order to survive
the pandemic, people tried businesses through online selling. In fact, since everyone is
stuck in their individual houses, most of us use online shopping apps like Shoppee and
Lazada to buy things we want without getting outside. From this, online scamming has
been very popular and widespread, especially those people who are experiencing
financial problems and became desperate to have money. Many people take advantage
of the situation we are experiencing right now. Social media platforms like Facebook
have been more likely to use to scam people since millions of us use this app. Another
thing, people use ailments to seek financial help, they make themselves pitiful in order
for those kind people to help them where in fact, they are really not ill. These tactics in
social media are very common in this time of the pandemic.

In the time of calamity, especially in this time of the spread of the COVID-19 that
claimed a number of people, social media has been also used to spread information to
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THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN
THIS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY
people about the updates of the pandemic. It is also used as an awareness platform
where the number of recoveries and deaths of those who got affected by the virus is
shared in social media. Misinformation and the spread of fake news is one of its
problems and the dangers of COVID-19 would be worsened if the information
distributed to social media users will remain unchecked. (Pennycook, G., et. al, 2020)

The Legacians used their own resources like blogs and health-related sites that
is happened to show in Google. They made sure that they made a fact-check before
using the site/blog as a basis for the background information. Another thing, the cited
problem above are also observable to us, Legacians since we are also users of social
media.

III. Alternatives.

 Cyberbullying

Parents' Counseling

As the Legacians did an evaluation, this alternative has been rejected. In most
cases, when children ask for help from their parents, they usually get embarrassed or
even pressured. Cyberbullying is a serious matter and it may result in worse
psychological problems. It is undeniable that our parents train us on how to be strong
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DIVISION
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN
THIS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY
and how to stand on our own but when we seek help from them, they just often joke or
share and even compare their experience to you which diverts the main intention why
we talked to them. "They know you well as a person but not exactly what you're feeling,"
one of the Legacians said. In fact, it is noticeable that it is easy to share your problem/s
with your friends than to your parents. Another thing, this alternative is not applicable to
all individuals who are victims of cyberbullying.

 Online scamming

Check the seller's background

Checking the seller's background has been rejected because of some various
reasons; 1. The teenagers don't really buy online, 2. The teenagers mostly depend on
their parents, and 3. The teenagers were too busy doing their teenage stuff to still spend
time on buying things online. Therefore, this alternative has been rejected for most of
the social media addict are the teenagers, 13-19 years old to be specific. This
alternative is not suitable for all youngster.

 Misinformation/Fake News

1, Read information in the trusted sites only

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THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN
THIS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY
Read information in the trusted sites only has been rejected. The information
must be factual enough if it is not true or factual. Find more reliable information or watch
television because there is a lot of fake information in social media, because the
information behind the research may be unclear, poorly formulated, or not relevant to
the research field. Carrying out an extensive literature review can help guide your
hypothesis or research question.

2. Check the writer's background

This alternative has been rejected. There are reasons why the writer's
background is rejected. First, some of the manuscript is not formatted correctly some of
this are not enough and the others excess their limitations of sharing information.
Second, some of the teenagers is not interested of reading complete articles they only
focus of deficient or short information, what they read is the right thing for them. Third,
some of people didn't do "Fast-Checking" to verify some news. Not all people is
checking the writer's background they prefer what they have heard or just read
anywhere.

IV. Proposed Solution.

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THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN
THIS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY
Professional counseling is the best solution to a person who's encountering a
cyberbullying. They know better how to comfort you emotionally, they know better on
what kind of comfort you need and they know better about emotional breakdown.
Professional counseling must be advised to all individual especially when suffering to
severe emotional stress. There are things that we don't usually admit to our friends and
family that's why having a complete stranger(counselor), will not judge you and people
are sometimes embarrased to tell their thoughts to the people they know.

Links of evidences;

https://www.hvcc.edu/cct/counseling/benefits.htm

https://www.antioch.edu/auonline/2017/04/07/mental-health-counseling-important.

https://ejcop.psychopen.eu/article/view/105/html

We have tackled alot in class about social media and we also tackled its
advantages and disadvantages. Being bullied online is much worst than being bullied in
person, we all know that social media is a flash news where one click and it can change
someone's life. Professional counseling is very important, they know how to talk to you
without you getting triggerred emotionally because they know better than yourself and
your parents. They spend years to study and became a liscensed counselor so why
don't people trust them? Unprofessional individual may triggered you emotionaly and it
could cause emotional stress or worst depression.
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THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN
THIS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY

V. Recommendations.

Parents counseling is actually good but if you know that your child/ren is suffering
from emotional stress cause of social media or cyber bullying, you must consult a
professional counselor to give your child/ren the best council she/he need. The parent's
should be the one guiding their child/ren especially when s/he is spending more time in
social media, they must keep track on what their child/ren is doing.

Specific strategies:

1. Always keep track on your child/ren doings especially online.

2. Always ask them if how did their day go.

3. You must not set aside your child/ren's weird actions.

4. Take action immediately.

5. Consult a professional counselor.