Data Collection Procedures

The initial stage in data collection is to find interested participants through an online panel, and then use a sample approach that is appropriate for the data source. There are several sampling approaches available, however quota sampling and employing a representative sample are the most successful for this study (Ott & Longnecker, 2015). The people under investigation are then divided into groups based on the variable of age, with quotas set for each group whose activity on social media platforms are to be monitored. Following that, I will choose online quotas and set up a sufficient study period to collect data. The time must not be too long or too short because the latter may lead to an alteration in the final results.

The next step is adapting the online questionnaire which in my case, would be made up of false statements and all possible response options to determine how honest the participants can be while responding to the questions. To ensure efficiency of my study, I will consider the privacy of data because despite the participant being less compelled to share sensitive information, he/she needs assurance that the information is confidential. In addition to the questionnaire, I will apply observation technique whereby a visual examination of the behavior of participants whenever they log in to social sites is noted and data recorded but without their knowledge at that instant.

Data Analysis

In analyzing the gathered data, I will use two types of statistics namely: mean and hypothesis testing. The mean which is most often referred to as the arithmetic mean or merely the average is the summation of a big list of numbers which is then divided by the number of items on that specific group or list. In this study, however, the mean refers to the total number of pictures or videos posted on social networks divided by the times the individuals have posted. The mean in this study can also be used to analyze data by adding up the number of times the people under review have been interacting with others online and then dividing by the particular age group to identify how age, mentality, and circle of activity influence how much time people spend on social networks. Mean is efficient in determining the general observable trend of a set of data or giving a quick snapshot of your data. In addition to that, arithmetic mean is easy and its calculation very quick.

The second type of statistics I would use to analyze the collected data is hypothesis testing. After formulating a hypothesis, I should investigate and determine if it is true or false. Hypothesis testing is also called t testing, and in this study, I would use it to assess if a particular parameter is right for my data set. The outcome of a hypothesis during data analysis would give me a stand to classify my results as statistically significant if the results failed to occur by random chance. If they happen by random chance, then my results of my hypothesis test would be statistically insignificant. In this study, for instance, I can formulate a hypothesis and say that ‘social networking addiction decreases with age.’ With my collected data, I will use them to prove the validity of my statement.

Contribution to the Field

From the study, I concluded that most people use social platforms as a means of expressing themselves through sharing personal data but in the broader scope, these sites destroy social relationships and the healthy physical communication among people. In spite of that, the study also revealed the positive impact of social networks especially for people in business because it provides a quick and efficient way of interacting with customers without having to meet them physically which may be cumbersome. Thus the use of social platforms for business through emails and social media is a positive result which was identified from the study. Additionally, useful information finds its way to the necessary recipients faster hence portraying the positive aspect of social networks. This particular study also showed the positive impact of social sites that people in trade or scholars can benefit from first handed through opportunities such as scholarship opportunities for students or business opportunities for people in a business that are mostly advertised on such sites.

Contrary to that, the study also identified some shortcomings which proved the point those social networking impacts negatively on social lives and communication between people. Because most people spend most of their time on these platforms, the study revealed the fact that many people end up neglecting important duties and even lack time to spend with their friends and families at the expense of social sites. Moreover, some social platforms have negative influence such as cyber bullying which to people especially youths and the society at large emphasizes on the fact that social networking should be avoided in cases where youths may find themselves victims of such situations.

Research Limitations

Bearing in mind the point that this research study was carried out with people as the subjects, it is prone to some disadvantages which may bring forth unreliable results. The limitations are; some of the people used for the study may withdraw before completion at their will because it is an online-conducted study (Leech et al, 2014). Besides, some may also show inconsistency or alter the regular pattern of their activities on online platforms, for instance, the 20-year-olds may reduce the amount of information they usually share thus give altered data. Another limitation is that maintaining an online research study may seem tedious if it goes for long. Moreover, the statistics used to analyze gathered data may give false results when the subjects fail to show consistent behavior pattern.

Conclusions of the Research Process

From this research process, I made several findings that ascertain the fact that social networking impact negatively on social lives and communication. Furthermore, age, mentality, and sphere of activity are factors that determine how much time one spends on social platforms. The four different age categories selected had different patterns of what kind of information they post and how frequently they post on social networks as well as the people with whom they interact.

Additionally, I concluded that social networking destroys healthy relationships between people since it has become an integral part of human nature. Many people prefer spending more time on these platforms at the expense of physical interactions thus striking a balance between the two becomes hard. Studies also reveal that people who tend to be addicted to social networks are at a high risk of suffering depression because the exposure to cyber-bullying and other similar negative interactions are heightened on such platforms (Hamm et al, 2015). Finally, the study also showed that in as much as there are people who are addicted to social networks, there are some who can use such sites in moderation.

References

Hamm, M. P., Newton, A. S., Chisholm, A., Shulhan, J., Milne, A., Sundar, P., & Hartling, L. (2015). Prevalence and effect of cyberbullying on children and young people: a scoping review of social media studies. JAMA pediatrics, 169(8), 770-777.

Leech, N. L., Collins, K. M., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2014). Collecting qualitative data for social network analysis and data mining. In Encyclopedia of Social Network Analysis and Mining (pp. 124-133). Springer New York.

Ott, R. L., & Longnecker, M. T. (2015). An introduction to statistical methods and data analysis. Nelson Education.