COVID-19 Stress, Facebook Use Intensity and coping strategies of Filipino students: An analysis of data collected during a pandemic

Abstract

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with significant levels of stress worldwide. For students, the shifts from in-person to virtual platforms may not only affect learning but also other aspects of their lives, which may yield certain levels of distress due to the uncertainties of the pandemic. Because of pandemic-related restrictions, students have turned to online resources and platforms such as social media for information, entertainment and social connection. Given findings that display the interaction of social media on different forms of stress, there is a need to look at how COVID-19 stress, which has created even more distance between students and typical forms of coping. Hence, this quantitative study explored the relationship between COVID-19 stress and Facebook use intensity among college students. The regression analysis of responses from 220 college students indicated a strong positive relationship. As college students’ COVID-19 stress increased, Facebook use intensity also got higher. With the rising need and popularity of social media and the development of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, people continue to rely on the internet and online means to satisfy social needs. The findings of this study does not only report an increase in frequency of Facebook use, but also the intensification of college students’ engagement as brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The moderation analysis showed that Approach and Avoidant coping when taken on their own, do not significantly moderate the relationship. When taken together, Approach and Avoidant coping significantly moderate the relationship on a minimal level. This confirms the contention that since social media use is highly subjective on an individual’s motives, coping through social media use also involves a combination of different types of coping.