Contribution of Social-Media Usage in Shaping the Emotional Well-Being of Adolescents in Public Secondary Schools in Arusha City, Tanzania

Glory Mhina
Ngaramtoni Primary School
Email: mhinag359@gmail.com

Dr. Patrick Olemong’i
St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Arusha
Email: patrickngalaole@gmail.com

Abstract: This study investigated the Contribution of Social-Media Usage in Shaping the Emotional Well-Being of Adolescents in Public Secondary Schools in Arusha City. Specifically, it assessed how social media interaction shapes the emotional well-being of adolescents and suggested the strategies for using social media among adolescents to shape their emotional well-being in public secondary schools. Social Media Impact Theory and convergent mixed methods research design guided the study. Target population comprised of 662 teachers, and 26 head of schools, 7738 form one student and 6922 form two students. Stratified random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the sample size. Questionnaire and interview guide were used as data collection tools. Validity of the instruments was ensured by the research experts and reliability yielded r=.856 for students’ questionnaire and r=.905 for teachers’ questionnaire through Chronbach Alpha methods. Content and face validity of the qualitative instruments was established through peer debriefing and trustworthiness. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics in the SPSS for quantitative data while the qualitative data were thematically analysed then later converged to strength quantitative findings. This study revealed that social media offers connection, self-expression, and stress relief, it also poses emotional risks including anxiety, cyberbullying, addiction, and misinformation. This study concludes that adolescents require structured support through digital literacy, emotional well-being training, and responsible policies to mitigate these risks. It recommends collaborative efforts by MoEST, PORALG, schools, teachers, parents, and students to implement comprehensive strategies that transform social media into a constructive tool for adolescents’ emotional well-being.