The impact of TikTok application use on the social behaviour of undergraduate Arabic language students at Makerere University

Abstract

This is a preliminary abstract prepared at the research-proposal stage, before data collection and analysis. The findings and recommendations will be added upon completion of the study. This study aims to examine the relationship between TikTok use and social behavior among Bachelor of Arabic language students at Makerere University. The research problem stems from the need to determine the nature of the relationship between use of the application and the social behavior of this student group. The study seeks to answer three main research questions: 1. What are the patterns of TikTok use among Bachelorstudents of Arabic language at Makerere University, in terms of frequency and duration of use? 2. What are the manifestations of social behavior among these students? 3. What is the nature of the relationship between TikTok use and social behavior among these students? The study proposes adopting a descriptive-correlational research design, with data collected through a questionnaire addressing use of the application and manifestations of social behavior. The provisional conceptualization of these manifestations includes direct communication with peers, cooperation and helping, and participation in university social activities. It is hoped that the study will contribute to a clearer understanding of the relationship between TikTok use and social behavior among the target group, with implications for researchers and practitioners in education and sociology in Ugandan universities and the wider region.