Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

A video game played online is one that is connected to a computer network. Games have

always utilized whatever technology was available, including modems before the Internet and

hard-wired terminals before modems. Typically, this network is the internet or equivalent

technology. The growth of online gaming has been mirrored by the overall growth of computer

networks from local networks to the internet as well as the extension of internet access. Online

games can range from straightforward text-based settings to those with intricate graphics and

multi-player virtual worlds. Online games are becoming social activities that go beyond

single-player games because many of them have connected online communities.

According to a survey of MomJunction, it has shown that almost half of the percentage

47% came from those online players who have poor grades and 23% of light players performed

better than the players who had poor grades. This shows how online games affect the studies of

students.

On the other hand, playing online games has a good influence on everyone. According to

a research that is published in 2014 (American Psychological Association, 2014) the good

influence of online games on students help them to memorize well, and develop

problem-solving. This also helps them to relax and avoid being bored. It makes them decide

quickly about people whom they trust. It shows, if playing online games makes them happy then

it is good for them because this will avoid them to do something that is bad. Although online

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games have good effects to them, most research identifies that online games have more bad

influence on students.

A study by the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology of Argosy University found

that video game addicts argued with their teachers, argued with their friends, and scored lower

than others who played video games. Some studies suggest that video games can increase

children’s concentration. Other studies, such as a 2012 paper in Psychology of Popular Media

and Culture have found that playing games can harm children rather than help solve attention

problems, which improves concentration in short bursts, but harms long-term concentration.

Games can also promote acts of evil and distort a sense of right and Hull said. Teenagers who do

not play video games are often isolated, said James Ivory, a professor at Virginia Tech, who has

analyzed the effects of video games. Parents that allow teens to play violent, adult games are too

focused on preventing risky behavior.

In a study conducted at Ohio State University with 220 children ages 8 to 12 years old,

children who played video games with guns and swords were less likely to touch a real, disabled

handgun, handle a gun, or pull the trigger more often they played nonviolent video games.

Previous research with children has shown that those who play more video games are more

likely to have good social skills, perform better academically, and build better relationships with

other students owing to the social and collaborative components of these games. Researchers

have also suggested that video games could help adolescents develop problem-solving skills

through strategic video games and role-playing games, and young adolescents may be better at

solving problems.

According to a study by the British National Literacy Trust, playing video games

provides young people with a way to read, improves their self-confidence and reading skills,

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promotes their creativity and writing, supports positive communication with family and friends,

increases empathy, and supports mental well-being. Since 95% of US teenagers own a

smartphone, it is difficult to find children who do not play any kind of game online. Playing is a

great way for you and your child to reconnect in a fun, stress-free environment, play, and spend

time together.

83% of American teenagers who play online say they play video games with others in the

same room. 91% of boys and 72% of girls do so. Nine out of ten boys in online video games

(88%) say they talk to their friends while playing, and about half (52%) of girls in online games

do this. Three-quarters of teens who regularly play online video games say they often talk to

friends while playing.

According to a long-term study on children and online friendships, more than half of

teenagers have made new friends online and about a third (36%) say they have met their new

friends by playing video games with friends. 57% do so while playing video games, compared to

13% of girls. More than half of the teens who play online make new friends, and nearly a

second-third of them say they have met their friends while playing a video game.

The same study found that eight out of ten online gaming teenagers said they felt more

connected to others by playing with friends. Teenagers from low-income households were more

likely to report feeling connected to people they were not friends with when playing games with

others online. A quarter of teenagers said they play games and screen names online, and they use

games to get their phone numbers and meet new friends in person.

The conclusions of this study concur with those of numerous other studies conducted

globally. The findings indicate that computer gaming addiction has an impact on several aspects

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of health, increasing physical issues, anxiety, and despair while decreasing social functioning

disorder. Video games are a type of media that are frequently linked to harmful health effects.

However, when games are played mindfully and in moderation, they can act as a stress reliever, a

boost to mental health, and a tool for social skill development.

Statement of the Problem

The general purpose of this study is to determine the effects of playing online games in

Academic Performance among Senior High school in La Union Christian Comprehensive

College. Specifically, this study will be carried to find answers to the following:

1. To what extent is the effect of Playing Online games to the following Behavioral aspect of the

Senior High school students in LUCCC?

1.1 Positively/Negatively change of personality;

1.2 Relationship issues; and

1.3 Low self-esteem?

2. To what extent is the effect of Playing Online games to the Academic Performance of the SHS

students in LUCCC relative to?

2.1 Failing grades

2.2 Concentration problems

2.3 Poor academic performance

3. What preventive measure do the SHS students do to avoid the adverse effect of the problems

provided caused by Playing Online games?

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Review of Related Literature

Anderson and Dill (2007), studied about the online gaming and found that too much

playing of online games or getting addicted to it does not only give a high impact on the

academic performance of a student, but it triggers a higher level of aggression. In which, it can

affect both problems in school and their academic performance.

According to the researcher Janna Anderson and Lee Rainier (2012), they found out that

teens and young adults have the rapid adoption of mobile internet. This causes the percentage of

teen and young users to raise up to 95% for teens whose age was 12–17 years old and 96% for

young adults who were 18–29 years old. That creates the activity of people on the different

platforms of social media. Thus, it makes sense of the high rate of popular apps even before, like

YouTube and Facebook.

Ryan V. Labana, Jehan L. Hadjisaid, and Daniel C. Malicdem (2017). According to them,

World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the big impact of online gamers in the

Philippines, which has 29.9 recorded gamers. In 2017, according to the statistics of newzoo.com

who reported the percentage of teenagers and adults playing online games ages 21–35 years old,

followed by teenagers ages 10–20 years old. As the big impact of online gamers getting high,

there’s also a bad effect due to gaming addiction that has the impact of depression, anxiety,

health issues, and mood disorders to gamers here in the Philippines.

Peter Grinspoon, MD, Contributor (2020), online gaming can be a good therapy for

everyone, especially for teens who enjoyed playing games. On the other hand, online gaming has

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a high effect on health, which may lead to internet gaming disorder (IGD). It’s a unique

syndrome in which you were experiencing five of its symptoms; playing to escape from

problems, loss of interest in other activities, failure to control, loss of relationships and playing to

ease the negative problems.

Significance of the Study

The result of the study will be benefit the following:

Students:

The result of this research will provide great information and guidance to students who

abuse playing online games. It will give them information about online games, on how they

affect them mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically because they skip their meals so

that they can play. It will also give the students a limitation on how they should be using their

time in playing online games. Hoping that at the end of this study, students will apply what they

gathered from this study.

Teachers:

The data given by this study will provide teachers with information about how online

games affects their students. They may know that one cause of being absent-minded in class is

that they think too much about what they are playing. Through this study, teachers will identify

the cause of why some students lack of focus in their studies.

Parents:

The data or information given by the study will guide them on how they should discipline

their child. They will have an idea of how they should limit their child from playing an online

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game, because they cannot focus on their study anymore. They can conclude that online game is

a bad influence on their child, and on their child’s study that might affect their future.