Computer Addiction i

Running Head: Computer Addiction

The Effects of Computer Addiction to the Academic Performances of

Mapua Institute of Technology First Year Students

Philline Kate Vera C. Palaña

Juan Paolo D. Rabacio

Marjorie Maralit

Nidia P.D.C. Andrade

Mapua Institute of Technology

 Computer Addiction ii

Abstract

This paper describes the effects of computer addiction to the academic performance of the first

year Mapua Institute of Technology students. Due to the fast advancement of technology

nowadays, first year students were getting involved with the use of computer. With this trend,

many students were developing too much dependency towards the computer (Kovach, 2001).

Being too much dependent in computer is called computer addiction. Computer addiction has

affected the study habits of the first year students. The computer programs that were invented

were the reason why students were easily hooked with the computer.

16 first year students of Mapua Institute of Technology were surveyed about study habits

and computer addiction. 11 participants were classified as computer addicts. Result shows that

computer addicts spend more time playing with the computer than studying. Thus more failing

courses were noted with addicts than non-addicts. The researchers concluded that computer

addiction leads to a decline in the academic performances of first year Mapua Institute of

Technology.
 Computer Addiction iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Number
TITLE PAGE i
ABSTRACT ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii
LIST OF APPENDICES iii
INTRODUCTION 1-2
BODY 2-10
CONCLUSION 10-11
REFERENCES 12-14
APPENDICES 15-31

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix A: Interview Questions 15

Appendix B: Survey 16-31
Computer Addiction 1

Technology has developed so much that it is almost crucial to have electronic devices

particularly the personal computers at home, school, internet café, etc. Teenagers have gotten so

used to have technology around them. However, while having these computers that make life

easier, comfortable, and handy at most of the times, it could also have negative effects on their

lives particularly in their studies when used too much. When these computers are used too much
by these teenagers, they will develop a kind of addiction which is now commonly called

computer addiction. Computer addiction is defined as such a strong involvement with a machine

or what can be displayed on it that the usual criteria for impairment through addiction are met

(Lowinson, 2005). This is the most common addiction being observed by the researchers to the

teenagers who are in their first year collegiate level at Mapua Institute of Technology. Computer

games, cyber sex, cyber relationship, internet gambling and information overload are the causes

why students are being addicted to computer. These are the most common things that they do

when they are in front of a computer (Deverensky & Gupta, 2004). These causes can affect the

academic performance of the students. There are high rate of failure and drop out rate of the

students. The nearby computer shops trigger the students to be easily hooked in computer use.

That’s why the researchers believe that computer addiction is the primary cause why most of the

first year students at Mapua Institute of Technology are poor in their academic performances.

It is very evident that people specially students nowadays are now attached to computer

the addictive computer programs and not with books in making reports and academic works. For

example: students tend to play games first, browse websites and make friends with new people

Computer Addiction 2

by the use of the internet rather than studying. For these reasons, the researchers conducted this

paper to give an overview for the readers to fully understand the causes of computer addiction

and how it affects the academic performances of first year Mapua Institute of Technology

students. This paper is in point a fact about computer addiction and how it declines the academic
performances of first year Mapua Institute of Technology students. The researchers performed

surveys and interview to completely accomplish this paper.

There are lots of students that develop bad habits in their computer use that cause so

many problems in their study. They spend large amount of time in front of the computer doing

unnecessary things like: visiting porn sites, watching pornographic videos/images, involving in a

cyber relationship, involving in information overload, addiction to computer games and doing

net compulsions instead of studying (Lowinson, 2004).

Students nowadays were getting involved with internet pornography. According to the survey

conducted by the researchers at Mapua Institute of Technology, two out of 16 first year students

admitted that one of the most common things they did was viewing a sexually explicit site. This

result shows that they tend to be involved in internet pornography rather than doing their school

works and studying their lessons. “Being involved in internet pornography is in point also a

behavioural-oriented addiction, which those who get hooked, are addicted to what they do and

the feelings they experience when they are doing it” (Young, 1998, p. 17). Male students usually

seek for power and influence. On the other hand, female students look to the internet as a source

of friendship and romance. They also think that by being a prostitute, it would help them

financially because their partner would sustain their needs also their wants (Lowinson, 2004).

Computer Addiction 3

Based on the information that is gathered from the survey, there are a lot of students

doing their homework at the same time, tend to involved in a cyber relationship through chatting.

14 out of 16 first year students confessed that they did their homework and chat at the same time.
They may think that through this communication channel, they could find someone and begin a

relationship. Students hope that they can find perfect someone just like in the movies. It is

because some people feel uncomfortable with public relationship and they can also neglect other

people or responsibilities in order to be online whereas from this stuff they find no commitment

even without knowing the character of people they talk to (Lowinson, 2004). Students used to be

addict in chatting and involving themselves in cyber relationship. It is because they think that

they could be together as possible. In the end, they tend to hurt themselves and do not

concentrate in their studies anymore knowing that the person they are to be in a relationship

with, was just a fraud. People could change personalities even identities using the cyber world.

Students still involve there selves with the cyber relationship, for the reason that, they don’t

usually get the feeling of a person whose love career is engaged in a cyber relational (Lowinson,

2004).

Nowadays, Googling and Facebooking are the most common daily activities in our

society. 16 out of 16 first year students surveyed by the researchers at Mapua Institute of

Technology said that they always do Googling and Facebooking. The huge time that college

students waste increases.

Computer Addiction 4

Students aside from doing school project also try to update with the celebrity gossips and

visit the sites where they can easily find news about favorite celebrities and reading magazines.

Sometimes they are obsessed with glamorous life of celebrities that make them forget what they
should do as students. The addicted students always feel anxious or depressed when their

computer time is shortened and they also easily become angry when being disturbed

(Derevensky & Gupta, 2004). Students tend to surf the net first and gather many info on news,

celebrity gossip, and organizing data, which is too much that not all of the information can be

used (Derevensky & Gupta, 2004).

Internet addiction disorder refers to the problematic use of the Internet, including the

various aspects of its technology, such as electronic mail (e-mail) and the World Wide Web

(American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Students nowadays do have a known disorder, which

is the IAD (Internet Addiction Disorder). They may not be able to know that they have this

disorder until they realized that playing or using computer is more prioritized than doing school

works. Students get so obsessed with online gaming like Defense of the Ancient, Left for Dead,

Cabal, etc. that they tend to sacrifice their academic sides just to go to computer shops and play,

not noticing the time while using the computer (Sharples, 2009; Self-Help: Computer Addiction,

2008). According to the survey conducted by the researchers at Mapua Institute of Technology, 9

out of 16 students are at risk of being hooked with the computer games and have academic

failure for the first quarter of school year 2009-2010. They make conscious efforts just to be with

their computers and continue failing. Also for the fact that they miss events or opportunities with

family and friends also with non-computer related tasks because of the time spent on the

Computer Addiction 5

computer. Relationships with friends and family members begin to wither as they stop attending

social gatherings (Self-Help: Computer Addiction, 2008).

 Net Compulsions are a new and increasingly worrisome category under the umbrella

diagnosis of Internet Addiction. Net compulsions are related to Compulsive Online Gambling,

Online Auction or eBay Addiction, or Obsessive Online Gaming. Net compulsion include

compulsive online gambling, compulsive use of online sex or porn, online auction addiction, and

obsessive online trading. These behaviors are very addictive because of the following

(Derevensky & Gupta, 2004; Young, 2009).When it comes to net compulsions, students

nowadays are already gambling online with the fact that, they used to risk money online to think

that their problem financially would be resolved and they would be able to satisfy their wants,

but not their needs, not knowing that they are becoming an addict in purchasing and gambling

online. According to the survey conducted by the researchers, two out of 16 first year students

have admitted that internet gambling is the one of the most common they did in front of

computer. According to the interview to Mr. Glenn Raz, Mapua Institute of Technology

guidance counselor, that financial problem is the first common reason why students voluntarily

dropped out of the institute. To think that before the internet, gambling used to be just in Las

Vegas or nearby casinos. Gaming was used to be limited to some of the college students who are

already legal in gambling and knew how to access gambling sites (Kovach, 2001).

A whole genre of studies describes the damage Internet involvement can wreak on

academic performance. Although many parents help their children get online in order to bolster

grades, research reveals that more time spent online translates into less time spent reading books

Computer Addiction 6

and worse study skills (Kelemen, 2002). Students who are involved in computer addicted

programs is one of the reasons why they didn’t pass all the requirements for the past years and
semesters (Self-Help: Computer Addiction, 2008). According to the interview conducted by the

researchers to the Mr. Glenn Raz that the dropout rate of students during the school year (2006-

2007) is a total of 1071 and for the last school year (2007-2008) they have gathered 1121

students dropped out of the institute. He also said that one of the 19 reasons why students

dropped out of the institute is because of computer addiction. This is a proof that as technology

advances particularly on the computers, the number of students who became computer addicts

and the number of influences on computer addiction increases. Peer pressure is also one of the

problems why students get easily addicted in computer games and softwares, which can ruin

their entire school career which will lead them to dropping out of the school (Self-Help:

Computer Addiction, 2008).

Many of the first year students nowadays were having problems with regards to their

major courses. Most of them did not pass their major courses. Nine out of 16 first year students

of Mapua Institute of Technology failed on their major subjects during the first semester of the

school year 2009-2010 according to the survey conducted by the researchers. All of these

students who have failed in their major courses admitted that they were not satisfied with their

grades last semester. Based again on the survey, these students have an average of four hours per

day of using the computer. Five out of nine who have failed said that they do not always study

and always use computer. This shows that most of the students give more priority in enjoying

Computer Addiction 7

themselves in using the computer rather than studying that is why they failed in their major

courses.
 Due to the addiction felt by the students in computer, without their knowledge, they have

started to experience the bad effects of computer addiction. The effects were escapism to reality,

dishonesty, and financial problems. With these effects they have experienced, they have been

also affected academically by their poor performance at class.

Escapism is defined as something such as fantasy or entertainment that makes it possible

to forget about the ordinary or unpleasant realities of life for a while (Encarta, 2009). Students

were addicted to internet surfing day and night, most of them applied what they have perceived

or seen in the computer to their studies. Based upon on the survey conducted by the researchers,

15 out of 16 first year Mapuans agreed upon that they have been applied to their studies what

they perceived in computer. They tend to imitate wrong acts they have seen in the computer even

if they knew that it not all they have perceived in front of the monitor is good for them.

Dishonesty or lying is one of the results of computer addiction to the students (Self-Help:

Computer Addiction, 2008). Students tend to lie to their professors, parents, etc. so that they may

be able to continue their addiction to computer. In the survey administered by the researchers at

Mapua Institute of Technology to the first year student, five out of 16 students confessed that

they have lied to their professors, parents, etc. that they have skipped their classes just to go to a

nearby computer shop. They did alibis so that they will be able to cut classes. They also lied

about the amount of time spent on the computer and what they did about it (Self-Help: Computer

Addiction, 2008). Having an alibi is one of the actions that was under the category of dishonesty,

Computer Addiction 8

students have an alibi always just to play in the computer. Students did not care if they lie to their

parents, professors, etc.

 Students nowadays can be easily engaged in gambling. Through the internet in the

computer a student will easily have an access to the gambling sites by faking his or her identity.

According to the survey conducted at Ohio University and Mapua Institute of Technology, they

have discovered that five to eight percent of their students are in the danger zone in developing

an addiction to the internet gambling because of the great number of computers, easy access and

it is yet easy to get hooked. With these factors, students neglected their study habits and school

works, and engaged themselves to gamble. Students being addicted to this kind of program leads

them to financial problems which will eventually become a serious problem to that person (Why

Should Computer Addiction Be Taken Seriously?, 2009). Students also thought that the lost they

attained in the internet gambling is not the same in the gambling in the traditional casinos. It is

proven that internet gambling is almost the same with the gambling in the traditional casinos and

the amount of money lost in the traditional casinos is the same with the lost by the internet

gamblers. As a result in some parts of the world with regards in gambling, there are people who

have financial problems because of it (Lowinson, 2004). In the interview conducted by the

researchers, Mr. Glenn Raz said that financial problem is one of the reasons why students

dropped out of school. Students experiencing financial problems because of the debts in the

gambling sites are also experiencing emotional problems due to it (Why Should Computer

Addiction Be Taken Seriously?, 2009). The effect of experiencing financial and emotional

problems to the students is their poor academic performance which can lead them also in

dropping out of school (Why Should Computer Addiction Be Taken Seriously?, 2009).

Computer Addiction 9

Another factor why first year Mapuans can be easily addicted to computer and neglect their

studies is that the location sites of the computer shops near to MIT. Computer shops are just
around 50 meters away from the Mapua Institute of Technology (Google Maps, 2009).

According to the survey conducted by the researchers, four out of 16 students admitted that they

have cut or skipped their class just to go to a nearby computer shop.

There were also reports in the cities here in the Philippines about this kind of incident. In

Pasig City, their officials made an ordinance which prohibits the minor students to play on the

nearby computer shops. They also set a 200-meter radius of any school banning those nearby

computer shops. This is the action done by the government in answer to the parents’ complain

about the nearby computer shops. In the parents’ complain, it is stated that those computer shops

lured their children from schooling which really affects their academic performance. With this

ordinance, it helped their children to concentrate in their studies (Alave, 2007). In Baguio City,

Principals observed that there were students which were allowed to go to the computer shops and

play while the classes are still on going. They were worried about this incident that is why they

ask the government to prohibit the nearby computer shop’s operation. The government of Baguio

city aids the problem by invoking a zone ordinance. With this ordinance, it somehow lessened

the computer addicted students (Opina, 2007).

According to Mr. Glenn Raz, the institute is aware that there are computer shops nearby

Mapua. He said that it is not the responsibility of the institute to prohibit those computer shops

because it will be the responsibility of the students if they go there to just play during school

hours. He also said that there were no provisions being implemented against the nearby computer

Computer Addiction 10

shop that is why the institute doesn’t take charge about it. The institute also believes that this

computer shops are not for the purpose of gaming only but to help the students to do their
projects, reports, etc. The institute admits that these nearby computer shops made some of the

students hooked into computer gaming and with this incident, the guidance office of Mapua

Institute of Technology conducted seminars, activities, programs, etc. to help those students that

are addicted to it. These findings and reports show that the location of the computer shops is

really a great factor for the students to be addicted to computer and disregard their studies and

school works.

Conclusion

The researchers analyzed the data gathered and carefully relate it to real life situation as

of the situations involved with regards to computer addiction and how it declines the academic

performances of the first year students of Mapua Institute of Technology. The output of the

research was organized and studied by the researchers to give a complete overview of the main

concept of the paper.

The study was able to demonstrate the effects of computer addiction to the academic

performance of first year students in Mapua Institute of Technology. The results of the survey

conducted by the researchers have shown that 11 out of 16 students were considered as computer

addicts. These students have an average of four hours per day in front of computer. Nine of them

failed on their major courses and was not satisfied with their grades during the first semester.

Five students admitted that they do not always study and always use computer. 15 of the students

Computer Addiction 11
said that they were able to apply what they have perceived in the computer. Five of them lied to

their parents, professors, etc. just to go to nearby computer shops. Playing games, Facebooking,

Googling, chatting, doing school works were the most common things that these students do

when using computer.

The study was carried out by a variety of investigation from the past four years that

attempted to find several negative consequences that affects the academic performances of the

students with regards to computer addiction. These results indicate an unnecessary approach to

students who are still in their first year collegiate level. As with the results of computer

addiction, many participants didn’t pass the required courses due to the addiction of computer.

Computer Addiction 12
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Williams & Wilkins.

Santrock, J. W., & Halonen, J. S. (2008). Your Guide to College Success: Strategies for

Achieving Your Goals (6th ed.). Florence, KY: Cengage Learning.

Thurlow, C., Lengel, L. B., & Tomic, A. (2004). Computer mediated communication: social

interaction and the Internet. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE.

Derevensky, J. L., & Gupta, R. (2004). Gambling problems in youth: theoretical and applied

perspectives. New York, NY: Springer.

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

Disorders (4th ed.). Virginia: Author. Retrieved December 5, 2009, from

http://www.minddisorders.com/Flu-Inv/Internet-addiction-disorder.html

escapism. (2009). In Encarta. Retrieved December 5, 2009, from

http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861609113_561533169/prevpage.html

Young, K. (1998). Caught in the net. New York: Wiley.

Kelemen, L. (2002). What They Don't Want You to Know About Television and Videos. Targum

Press.

Computer Addiction 13
Opina, R. (2007, December 22). School heads protest v. videoke bars near campus [Electronic

version]. Sunstar. Retrieved from

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bag/2007/12/22/news/school.heads.protest.v..videoke.b

ars.near.campus.html.

Sharples, T. (2009, September 27). A New Recovery Center for the Woes of Warcraft. Time.

Retrieved November 19, 2009, from

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Alave, Kristine L. “Pasig bans students from computer shops during school hours.” Inquirer 22

Apr. 2007. Web. 20 Nov. 2009.

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Computer Addiction 14
Mapua Institute of Technology. (2009). Retrieved December 5, 2009, from

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q=mapua+institute+of+technology&hl=en&cd=1&ei=Z0caS_LjHqiwugPXzsSTAQ&sll

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282723979770&ved=0CBMQpQY&hq
 Computer Addiction 15

Appendix A

Interview Questions

1. What is the drop rate of the first year students nine years ago?

2. What is the failure rate of the first year students nine years ago?

3. What is the drop rate of the male first year students last semester?

4. What is the failure rate of the male first year students last semester?

5. What is the drop rate of the female first year students last semester?

6. What is the failure rate of the female first year students last semester?

7. Is the school aware that the computer shops is just 50 steps away from the school?

8. Does the school make actions about the issue of the nearby computer shops?

9. What are the usual reasons why students drop/fail?

 Computer Addiction 16

Appendix B

Survey