Teenager Problems: Prioritization
Of Facebook over Academics
An extended essay submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirements
Of the course, ENG11_A6
By
Exequiel Y. Pasion
March 10, 2016
I. Abstract
This study focuses on how teenagers spend most of their time in Social media especially Facebook. Knowing that Facebook is an online networking sites that is very popular to humankind, it contains many information, many relation and other apps that make people very entertained. In result to that, teenagers dissatisfying scores in school that disappoint their parents. This research involves the factors and reasons why teenagers get to prioritize Facebook first than their Academics and how parents should handle the said problem. Since we are in the era of social media, it is supposed to be making our lives easier and better and not the other way around, maybe most teenagers get to abuse it too much. To avoid further problems, parents should do something about the overuse of Facebook by their children. In summary, it is up to the teenagers on how they can handle the use of social media especially Facebook no matter how they are guided and managed by their parents.
II. Introduction
Facebook is probably very famous when it comes to Social media sites and application that teenagers use. Facebook allows people to get connected to other people without the use of other gadgets like phones and email. Thus it is very easy to create an account from it that almost everyone could make one. It makes things easy for people by connecting others for whatever their purposes are like emails and attachment for their jobs, work, etc. But for teenagers, Facebook could either help and support them nor hinder them that will result to something that will disappoint them. They have the unbalanced use of time to Facebook and their studies that end up with failing grades.
III. Body
Teenagers nowadays get to gain their freedom from their parents in many forms. Freedom that they can almost do whatever they want to do, as long as they should balance their studies. They abuse they independence too much that they almost do not know what is right or wrong, they don’t even think if they can be in danger or not. With the aid of technology specifically Social media, their minds focuses on the contents of it not knowing they are getting addicted to it. In result to that they lose their focus to studies and their habits on how they will study.
There are certain evidences that prove the degeneration of study habits. Evidences that proves teenagers have less study time and more use of Facebook. Nowadays, with the aid of technology, teenagers get too timid and lazy.
Magher(2016)said “most students who cram usually are the one who had a little practice recalling and applying the material. On the test day, they are at a disadvantage because they are worried and weary. In result, students who crammed hope to obtain on the tests are not attained.” Students get too busy with their personal stuffs that make them forget that there are some academic things that must be prioritized first. “There’s a difference between remembering and learning, and cramming might lead to remembering material a day later, but it doesn’t lead to learning at all.”(Campus, January 14, 2014). There are certain distinction between learning and remembering when talking about studies, meaning that Learning can be remembered and applied as a teen grows up while remembering is just reminiscing the past.
It is normal for a student to browse his notes from time to time whenever he is at home. With this way, he could keep up with his lectures and notes from the lessons that was taught by his teacher at school. In result, he would participate in class by reciting and answering in whatever activities will be held in their class. But as for the teenagers who were overwhelmed by Facebook, they make use of their time learning different things from the application. Different things that are not even related from their present lessons taught that would precisely be resulted by being inactive to school and get low grades in recitation.
There are issues that cause the study habits of teenagers worse. Making them also worse.
Bill Robinson (2014). said “Facebook has turned into a humongous waste of time and productivity as all those legions of people are glued to their back-lit screens of all descriptions, typing madly, when they could and should be doing something productive–meaning having some value”. Most people are attached so much to Facebook doing nonsense things, pressing their gadgets when they could do something else productive meaning having some sense. Facebook has different pages that posts showbiz, news, facts that makes teenagers waste their time.
According to Denny Carter’s news(December 31st, 2014), students who use social media had less study habits like doing schoolwork and joining classes, becoming not academically confident and problems regarding their academics, like sleep deficiency. Social media, specifically Facebook, makes teen students eat their time in studying, it diverts their focus to its different news and information that entertains them. In result, it greatly affects their academic attributes so that why most teenagers experience this kind of struggle because they lack self-discipline.
Teenagers may probably get worse as time passes by, but there still time to improve them by proper guidance and support by their parents. Parents are responsible for the situation of their children so they must do something about the unpleasant situation.
Perhaps the most powerful institution shaping human lives is the family. Parents within that institution have been invested with the authority and the responsibility to discipline and train their children (Roberts, 1893). Children’s personalities and attributes basically came from their parents that are made of a small unit of society. Whatever the children have done, it will reflect on the parents who taught them.
Diener’s(2016) module tells that the point of authority of parents starts when their children are 2 years old to 4 or 5 years of age in which case parents make decision and plans to apply to their child’s behaviour because the ages are the stage of remembering and Learning. It crucial for the parents to urge to educate their children the proper behaviour in academics so that they would be secured for the future.
Principal Luz Labuzon, Cavite School of Life, Bacoor, Cavite. (personal communication, February 26, 2016) noted that the parents should negotiate with their children regarding their studies and their freedom. Parents should make an agreement in which their children will be able to balance their studies and their social lives. Parents should secure the balance between studies and the social lives of their children so that there won’t be any circumstances that will cause them disappointment. Implementing agreement in which they would give time for their children to enjoy and after they will let their children study for their academics.
To conclude, Facebook have various information from the pages teenagers relate resulting to their addiction to it. It is hard for them not to touch their phones or gadgets and access their Facebook account because of its daily routines and stuffs. They have the habit of posting and for some teenagers who liked their posts gain their confidence resulting to their addiction. Being attached to Facebook greatly affects teenagers’ academic attributes, Facebook eats teenager’s time in studying which results to cramming, procrastination, laziness, etc.
The consequences of it is having failing grades that make their parents be angry and disappointed. In dealing with their addiction, parents should make a way in balancing Facebook and their children’s academics by having an agreement in which they will give an allowance to use Facebook in a limited time, and when the time expires, then they must start studying in order to maintain the balance of it.
References:
• Maria, M. (2016). Disadvantages of Cramming for Tests. Retrieved from http://education.seattlepi.com/disadvantages-cramming-tests-2665.html
• Campus, H. (January 14, 2014). 6 study habits that could be hurting your grade. Retrieved from http://college.usatoday.com/2014/01/14/6-study-habits-that-could-be-hurting-your-grade/
• Robinson, B. (2/10/2014). Facebook: The World’s Biggest Waste of Time? Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/billrobinson/facebook-the-worlds-bigge_b_4585457.html
• Carter, D. (December 31st, 2014) Number 1: Social media has negative impact on academic performance. Retrieved from http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/social-media-negative-456/
• Diener, M. C “The Developing Parent.” Retrieved from http://nobaproject.com/modules/the-developing-parent
• Roberts, S. (1983). Parental Authority: Its Uses, Misuses and Implications. Retrieved from http://bahai-studies.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/BSN-3.1-2.Roberts.pdf
• Labuzon, L. Principal. Cavite School of Life. Bacoor, Cavite.