Title

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSURE ON SUICIDAL TENDENCIES AMONG CRIMINOLOGY STUDENT

Author(s)

RABALLOS, GHELME A.

BARITA, EIRON KETH M.

MAYORDO, JUSTIN MAE A.

Affiliation

MISAMIS UNIVERSITY

Degree Program

Bachelor of Science In Criminology

Contributor

DANIEL, EDMAR R. - ADVISER

GUPIT, ELMA FE E. - PANEL MEMBER

MALDEPEÑA, KRISTAL MAY V. - PANEL MEMBER

CUEVAS, JOSE JR. F. - CHAIRMAN

ORONG, MARKDY Y. - INSTRUCTOR

Year

2026

Abstract

The emergence of social media use has created increasing concern about its potential impacts on the mental health of students, particularly in demanding courses like criminology. This study investigated the relationship between social media exposure and suicidal tendencies among criminology students in a selected city in Misamis Occidental, Philippines. Using a quantitative descriptive-correlational research design, data from 120 randomly selected criminology students were collected. We utilized researcher-made questionnaires to measure social media exposure based on frequency of use, number of platforms engaged in, type of content, level of involvement, and time spent online, and suicidal tendencies based on ideation, plan, behavior, and associated emotional states. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and regression modeling were used in the analysis. The results indicated varying levels of social media exposure among the participants and suicidal tendencies among them. Interestingly, some measures of social media exposure significantly related to suicidal tendencies; this would mean that higher levels of exposure to social media might be associated with heightened emotional distress and suicidal ideation. This calls for a need for mental health screening, digital literacy and awareness, and targeted interventions within criminology training programs to support students' psychological well-being.

Keywords

criminology education, quantitative correlational study, social media exposure, student mental health, suicidal tendencies.