Advisers

Joshua R. Oh, RPm

Discipline

Psychology

Abstract

Working college students often experience academic stress due to the combined demands of employment and academic responsibilities. In the digital age, internet memes have become a common form of emotional expression and coping among students. Anchored on Barbara Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions, this study examined the relationship between exposure to memes and academic stress among working psychology students at Bestlink College of the Philippines. The study employed a descriptive correlational research design. A total of 80 working psychology students, equally distributed across year levels and sex, were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-made Exposure to Memes Scale and a validated Academic Stress Scale. Statistical tools used included frequency and percentage distribution, weighted mean, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient to determine the relationship between variables. Findings revealed that respondents experienced a moderate level of academic stress (composite mean = 2.99), with time constraints and scheduling conflicts ranking highest. Similarly, exposure to memes was found to be moderate (composite mean = 2.93), with emotional avoidance (masking) ranking first among the indicators. Correlation analysis showed a significant moderate positive relationship between exposure to memes and academic stress (r = 0.35, p = 0.001), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. The study concludes that higher academic stress is associated with higher exposure to memes among working psychology students. Memes function as a supplementary coping mechanism that provides temporary emotional relief but does not eliminate underlying academic stress. The findings highlight the importance of promoting balanced digital media use and strengthening adaptive coping strategies to support the well-being of working students.

Keywords

coping strategies, Academic Stress, Working Students, Exposure to Memes, Emotion Regulation