Relationship Between WhatsApp Use and WhatsApp Use Anxiety Among Students in Mixed Day Secondary Schools – Kamenu Ward Thika, Kenya
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Date
2024-09-24
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IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science
Abstract
WhatsApp is a platform where interactions take place among people, information is conveyed and socialization occurs with the help of the WhatsApp application. This study investigated the relationship between WhatsApp use and WhatsApp use anxiety among student in Mixed Day Secondary Schools in Kamenu ward Thika, Kenya. The study utilized three objectives which were; to examine what extent are WhatsApp use levels among students, to measure the levels of WhatsApp use anxiety among students, and to establish the relationship between WhatsApp use and WhatsApp use anxiety among students in Mixed Day Secondary Schools in Kamenu ward Thika, Kenya. The study was informed by Cognitive Behavior Theory and Use and Gratification Theory. A correlation survey design was employed. The sample size was 328 calculated using the Krejcie and Morgan formula. The students were ages between 14-20 years. Data was collected using WhatsApp Use Scale and WhatsApp Use Anxiety Scale. The Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences version 26 was used to conduct the analysis. Data was analysed using descriptive (frequency and percentages) and inferential statistics (the Pearson’s product moment). Findings revealed that 83.2% of the students scored high level of WhatsApp use, while 0.3 % in Mixed Day Secondary Schools in Kamenu ward Thika Kenya, had low level of WhatsApp Usage. It was also found that 80.8% of students reported severe WhatsApp Use anxiety and 2.1% had moderate level of WhatsApp Use anxiety. The study established that there was a significant relationship between WhatsApp Use and WhatsApp Use Anxiety among students in mixed day secondary schools in Kamenu ward Thika, Kenya (r = .369**; P = .000, ≤ 0.05). The study recommended that the school administration in mixed day secondary schools to place stringent strategies to stop use of phones in schools and educate students on positive use of WhatsApp. There is need to engage psychological counselling to help curb the excessive use of WhatsApp on phones. This will facilitate more effective strategy in helping the students on the use of WhatsApp that may not be pathological.