The impact of social media shaming on teachers: A quantitative study of perceptions and prevalence

This study aims to assess the problem on social media shaming among teachers in the Abuyog Community College by determining the incidence of the problem and measuring the affected emotion, profession, and reputation which was primarily designed to examine (1) how educators believe shamed on social media and (2) which groups tend to be targeted most, and (3) what kind of connection existed between their perceptions and their actual experiences. A quantitative descriptive design was used, as well as a structured questionnaire administered to 30 faculty members. The data were analyzed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and ANOVA. Key findings show that social media shaming impacts teachers’ mental health, job security, and public reputation with female teachers reporting more emotional intensity than male teachers. While educators of all backgrounds see shaming examples around them, the occurrence of shaming events did not vary depending on age, sex, department, or degree. Although we found a weak positive correlation between perceived prevalence and actual occurring events suggests perceptions are likely out of touch from their experiences. In summary, the study showed social media shaming events are damaging from an emotional and professional standpoint, however, the perceptions we collected about their occurrences were broader than the actual experience. Recommendations are for institutions to introduce strategies to protect educators by way of digital literacy training, mental health services, and the developing of policy/training.