An Exploratory
Study to Assess the Knowledge regarding Selfitis among Adolescents in selected
Colleges of Bhubaneswar, Odisha with a view to develop information pamphlet
Mrs. Soumya Sonalika
College of Nursing, Kalinga Institute of Nursing
Sciences (KINS), KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
*Corresponding Author
E-mail ssonalika@outlook.com
ABSTRACT:
Background of the study:
Selfie is a new vocabulary used to describe the craze
of young people’s obsessive behaviour of capturing own photo. Selfie is an
image of oneself taken by one self using a digital camera especially for
posting on social network. The increase in media and technology there allows
society to engage in social media has brought about an increase in the
adolescents of narcissism and selfies expressed by milliners. Now a days selfie
taking becomes an one type of addiction mainly in adolescents, by through smart
phone or cameras. But it really affect on the health of the adolescents,
physically and psychologically.
Objectives:
1. To assess the level of knowledge regarding
selfitis among adolescents.
2. To find out the association between the
level of knowledge score with their selected demographic variables.
3. To develop an information pamphlet on
selfitis.
Method: A non-experimental exploratory research design was adopted to carry out
the present study. Convenient sampling technique was to select 160 adolescents.
Data was collected by using self structured questionnaire to assess the
knowledge regarding selfitis among adolescents with a view to develop
information pamphlet. The analysis was done by using descriptive and
inferential statistics.
Results: Findings of the study revealed that majority of respondents 88 (55%)
had inadequate knowledge, 57 (35.62%) are had moderate knowledge regarding
selfitis. Area wise knowledge assessment highest mean score (5.17± 2.58) which
is 2.23% of maximum score was obtained for the area “definition of selfie
syndrome”. The lowest mean score (0.79 ± 0.76) which is 0.49% was obtained by
them for the area of “complication of selfitis”. There was significant
association between knowledge scores and the selected demographic variables
such as income of the family, residence, types of mobile use at 0.05 level of
significance.
KEYWORDS: Knowledge,
selfitis, adolescents, information pamphlet
INTRODUCTION:
A selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically
taken with a digital camera or camera phone held in the hand or supported by a
selfie stick. The obsessive selfie-taking has been classified as a mental
disorder and many psychologists have categorized this kind of disorder as
“selfitis”. Social media is the prospective of communication, a countless array
of Internet based tools and platforms that increase and enhance the sharing of
information. The selfie is a phenomenon that has taken over the world quite
quickly. Oxford English Dictionary had described “Selfie” as word of the year
in 20131. The concept of uploading group self-taken photographs to
the internet, although with a disposable camera and not a Smartphone, dates to
a webpage created by Australians in September 2001, including photos taken in
the late 1990s2.
Selfitis,an obsessive compulsive disorder of taking
too many selfies. The American psychiatric association (APA) has officially
deemed taking selfie as a “mental disorder”. Giving the name “Selfitis” to the
disorder, the APA defined the disorder as a type of an obsessive compulsive
disorder to take one’s own picture and post them on social media. They also
stated that this condition is a mechanism used by people to make up for their
low self-esteem and increase intimacy with other people [3].
Psychiatrists as beginning to consider the compulsion
to take selfies as a serious mental health problem , although precise mechanism
of selfie syndrome, isn’t known but it is assumed to be due to imbalance
between the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter, serotonergic pathway
could also be involved. However these needs further elucidation for biochemical
and neuropsychological testing’s. Approximately 14% of higher percentage of
teenage, young and adult population in the developed world and some-what lower
in the developing world are suffering from the selfie syndrome with the
manifestation varying from mild to severe and the doctors decided for
counselling. Self motivation, family therapy for prevention of selfitis[1].
Need of the study:
Technology is an indispensible part of our daily life,
and it is impossible to neglect its impact on human life. The advent of
technological advents as locked to a new realm of medical disorder termed,
“Behavioral addiction”, which are now emerging as psychiatric disorder for
future. Mobile phone addiction or Smartphone addiction has been reported in
literature a cross many studies worldwide. It has been noted across studies
that adolescents are more prone to behavioral addiction than adults and people
in middle age [4]. Escalation in narcissism proves to be a potential
risk to developing young adolescents in terms of their emotional and
psychological health [5]. A recent report suggests that more people
have died in India in the past two years than the total number of
selfie-related deaths in the rest of the world. Using special search techniques
to fish through the internet and social media for data, the researchers spotted
about 127 confirmed selfie deaths since March 2014[6]. Smart phone
addiction is one of the most common behavioral addiction over 1.5 billion human
beings owing and using a smart phone worldwide. A study done in South Korea
revealed that 11.4% of 10-20 years old and 10.4% of 20-30 years old suffer from
smart phone addiction. A meta-analytic study based on studies conducted in
India has reported the rates of smart phones addiction to range from 18.5% to
78.8% of people [4].
India led the world in selfie-related deaths in 2015,
according to Washington Post. Citing reports, the Washington Post says that
India accounted for about half of the selfie-related deaths globally[7]. The
selfie statistics indicated that about half (47%) of adults were taking
selfies. About 40% of people aged between 18 and 34 admitted to taking selfies
at least once per week. At the same time, women are believed to take selfies
1.3 times more than men[1]. From the above studies there
is need for heightening adolescents knowledge on selfitis and their complications.
As a nurse researcher, it is of paramount important to recognize the problems
of selfitis and giving them health education through information pamphlet to
improve the quality of life.
PROBLEM STATEMENT:
An exploratory study to assess the knowledge regarding
selfitis among adolescents in Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and
Technology (CIPET) Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar and College of IT and Management
Education Institutions (CIME) Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar with a view to develop an
information pamphlet.
OBJECTIVES:
·
To assess the level of
knowledge regarding selfitis among adolescents.
·
To find out the
association between the level of knowledge score with their selected
demographic variables.
·
To develop an
information pamphlet on selfitis.
HYPOTHESIS:
The hypothesis will be tested at 0.05 level of
significant.
H1: There will be a significant association
between knowledge score of adolescents with selected demographic variable.
DELIMITATIONS:
·
Study was limited to
the students studying in +3 1st year.
·
Who were willing to
participate in the study.
·
Those were present
during the time of data collection.
METHODOLOGY:
RESEARCH APPROACH:
For the present study the exploratory approach was
considered.
RESEARCH DESIGN:
For the present study non experiment research design
was utilized to achieve the objectives of the study.
SAMPLING TECHNIQUE:
Convenient sampling technique was used.
SAMPLE:
Sample size was 160 adolescents.
VARIABLES:
RESEARCH VARIABLES:
Knowledge of adolescents on selfitis.
DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES:
Age, sex, religion, types of family, income of family,
father’s occupation, residence, type of mobile use, previous knowledge to
source of information regarding ill-effect of selfitis, take more selfie at,
time spend in the internet per day, common social media sites and apps uses,
number of posting selfies to social networking platform, expected number of
likes in selfies, poses preferred for taking selfies.
SETTING:
The present study was conducted in Central Institute
of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET) Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
and College of IT and Management Education (CIME), Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar,
Odisha.
DESCRIPTION OF TOOL:
·
Section A:
It includes the demographic variables of +3
1st year adolescents students such as age, sex, religion, types of
family, income of family, father’s occupation, residence, type of mobile use,
previous knowledge to source of information regarding ill-effect of selfitis,
take more selfie at, time spend in the internet per day, common social media
sites and apps uses, number of posting selfies to social networking platform,
expected number of likes in selfies, poses preferred for taking selfies. There
were totally 15 items.
·
Section B:
It consist of knowledge items on selfitis
(i.e.) definition, etiology, types and levels, epidemiology, sign and symptoms,
prevention or treatment, complication on selfitis. This section has 30 items.
Each item has four options which one most correct answer.
SCORING PROCEDURE:
The knowledge on selfitis was measured in terms of
knowledge scores. Each correct response was awarded a score of ‘one’ and wrong
response carries the score ‘zero’. The total score was 30. An answer key was
prepared for scoring answer to the closed ended questionnaire guide.
TABLE 1- Percentage of scores revealing level of
knowledge
|
Level of
knowledge
|
Percentage of
scores
|
Actual scores
|
|
Inadequate
knowledge
|
<50%
|
0-15
|
|
Moderate
knowledge
|
51-75%
|
16-23
|
|
Adequate
knowledge
|
>75%
|
24-30
|
DEVELOPMENT OF PAMPHLET:
The researchers prepared the pamphlet on selfitis. The
content in pamphlet includes definition, types, levels, epidemiology,
pathogenesis, sign and symptoms, prevention, complication of selfitis.
DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUE:
The investigator collected data from Central Institute
of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET) Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar and
College of IT and Management Education (CIME) Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Prior permission was obtained from higher authorities of the college to conduct
the study. 160 adolescents were selected as per inclusive criteria. Informed
consent was obtained from the study samples. Descriptive and inferential
statistics was used for data analysis.
DISCUSSION:
·
The findings of the
study related to demographic variables revealed that majority 74(46.25%)
adolescents belongs to 19-20 years and were male. 89(55.62%) were from urban
area and 111(69.37%) didnot have previous knowledge on selfitis.50% of
adolescents used internet more than one hour and post selfie 0-1 time per
week.
·
The findings of the
study revealed that majority 55% had inadequate knowledge and 10% had adequate
knowledge and after the administration of information pamphlet knowledge score
improved.
·
The above findings of
the study showed that during assessment on area wise distribution highest mean
score (5.17
2.58) which is 2.23% of maximum score was
obtained for the area “definition of selfitis”. The lowest mean score (0.79
) which is 0.49% was obtained by them for
the area of “complication of selfitis”.
·
The data showed that
the distribution of information pamphlet is effective in improving the
knowledge level of adolescents regarding the prevention of selfitis.
·
The findings of the
study also revealed that significant association was found between knowledge
scores in relation to selected demographic variables (p<0.05) of +3 1st
year adolescents college students.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
·
A similar study can be
undertaken for +2 college students and school students.
·
A study can be
conducted on adult to assess the knowledge and attitude towards selfie
syndrome.
·
A similar study can be
conducted by using different teaching method.
·
A similar study can be
done with experimental approach.
·
A similar study can be
replicated in different parts of the states and countries to examine the
variation in the contributing factors.
REFERENCES:
1. Sai Krishna G, Komal Krishna T. Selfie
Syndrome: A Disease of New Era. Research in Pharmacy and Health Sciences Vol 2
Issue 2 Apr-Jun, 2016; 118-121.
2. wikivisually.com/wiki/selfies
3. https://adobochronicles.com/ www.mtatva.com
n https://www.newsgram.com › Life Style › Health
and Fitness
4. Dutta,et.al’ : Attitudes towards selfie
taking. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, May-June 2016, 38(3): 242–245.
5. Taylor M. Wickel S.Narcissism and Social
Networking Sites: The Act of Taking Selfies Available from URL: www.elon.edu/u/academics/communications/journal/. /01WickelEJSpring15
6. Yadav N. Killfie-India records the most
selfie deaths in the world Available from URL: http://www.bgr.in/ news/
November22, 2016.
7. TOI Tech. India had the most selfie related deaths
in 2015: Report. Available from URL:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews
