THE EFFECTS OF ONLINE GAMES TO THE BEHAVIOR OF SHS

STUDENTS

A Quantitative Study
Presented to the
Senior High School Department
of Asian College of Technology - Bulacao
Talisay City, Cebu

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Subject
APLD 03 - Practical Research 2

by

Herch Jared N. Condrillon

Jacob Clint A. Lipura
John Aerol M. Allosada
Ken Ivan C. Libre

RUFELS CHRISTIAN F. CATUBAY, LPT, MAEd

Research Instructor/Adviser

December 2022
 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Rationale

Online games, which are a form of created technology, are growing more and

more popular as generations shift and as technology advances. This is especially true

now since many students are staying at home during the new normal. They had plenty

of time to spend amusing themselves, which led to the students developing a daily

habit of playing online games. Technically speaking, online games are video games

that may be played on cell phones, laptops, computers, or any other high-tech device

with a connection to the internet or any other computer network available. As an

interactive electronic game, its primary objective is to amuse participants. There are

many different types of video games available online, such as first-person shooters,

strategy games, and massively multiplayer online role-playing games like Mobile

Legends, Wild Rift, League of Legends, Dota I or II, Vainglory, Dragon Nest,

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Call of Duty, Rules of Survival, CSGO, CrossFire,

Valorant, etc., that are widely known to be played by not only students but people in

general at this time.

Many games were created and became quite popular between the 1940s and

the 1960s. Simple computer equipment was used to play games. However, the years

between 1960 and 1990 marked a new chapter in the history of video games. Many

games have been created and developed to encourage online participation. Since there

are more games available online, more individuals can play them at lower costs and in

a range of genres that suit their preferences. As a result, during the past few years,
internet gaming has become increasingly popular all around the world. As technology

becomes evidently advanced in the present, online games have become more

common, and they have even ingrained themselves into students’ routines since they

introduce a variety of behaviors that affect players in different ways. Online games

will undoubtedly expand in popularity as time goes on, which implies that their

detrimental effects on players will only get worse.

The World Health Organization officially classified "gaming disorder" as a

mental illness in 2019. Additionally, there are more than two billion video game

players globally, and by 2023, that figure will probably reach three billion. Video

game addiction affects 3-4% of gamers. A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis

2 determined that 3.05% of people worldwide have gaming disorder. That implies that

there may be up to 60 million people—or even more—who have a gaming disorder.

Alarmingly, 8.5% of young people between the ages of 8 and 18 experience gaming

disorders. A growing number of people engage in gaming every year.

With 29.9 million gamers registered in the Philippines, excessive internet

gaming is on the rise. The prevalence of depression is rising across the nation as well.

More than 29.9 million gamers were counted in the nation in 2015. The majority of

gamers were between the ages of 21 and 35, followed by teenagers between the ages

of 10 and 20. In the nation, adolescents made up 30.5% of the overall population.

Moreover, what's more alarming is that, in general, this age group already struggles

with mental health problems such as depression, mood disorders, and anxiety.

Moreover, according to Philippine News issued in 2021, it stated that the mayor of

Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Junard "Ahong" Chan, posted about the predicament of a

young gamer on his official Facebook page, wherein a 24-year-old local had mental
illness as a result of playing internet games frequently. The mayor of the municipality

warned adolescents and anyone who enjoys playing online games, particularly

multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games. The mayor emphasized the

significance of youngsters not taking their health for granted because they harmed

themselves while playing the game.

The fact that the online gaming addiction rate is alarmingly growing each year

is a manifestation that this phenomenon needs to be dealt with. To prove this,

according to the World Health Organization, there were 1.9 billion gamers in 2015;

2.81 billion gamers are expected to exist in 2021; and 3 billion gamers are expected to

exist in 2023, demonstrating that gaming is becoming more and more prominent. This

suggests that the number of gamers who suffer from gaming disorders will rise year

after year. That is why the researchers want to dwell on this problem, examine it in a

different light, and concentrate on how online games affect students' behavior.

Researchers believe that one way of investigating this issue is by learning how such a

phenomenon alters students' behavior and eventually interferes with their ability to

learn. Researchers can conceive of workable approaches to being responsible for

online gaming, such as proper time management, choosing the right games to play,

setting boundaries while gaming, building healthy connections online, and so on, by

understanding the impact of online games on student behavior. In this way, students

can develop their behavior and equally excel in their performance not only in school

but generally in their daily lives.

Theoretical Background
 This study is anchored on the "Negative Effects of Online Games on

Students," which is a blog written by Bassey James (2022) and posted on the

StayInformedGroup.com website.

In the blog post stated, it was claimed that some pupils' performance is

directly impacted by the negative effects of playing online video games. The

academic performance of video game-addicted students was typically worse than that

of their non-addicted classmates. Moreover, the article in the blog stated that there are

visible negative effects of video games on students, but that doesn’t mean that there

aren’t any positive effects.

There are four main positive effects of video games on students that the article

focused on. First, it improves cognitive functions, whereby online gaming can help

people develop their cognitive abilities. The neuronal circuits in the brain are

strengthened by the interaction of neurotransmitter waves and concentration. Second,

it helps in precision and decision-making, wherein players that play online can make

decisions quickly. Playing online games teaches the brain to make decisions quickly

without sacrificing accuracy. You may undoubtedly use these games to make snap

judgments. Third, it also improves hand and eye function. This goes without saying

that internet gamers use their best hand-eye coordination when playing their games.

Players need to utilize their hands and eyes in order for every online game to be

effective. Lastly, it improves teamwork, wherein online cooperative games enhance

player cooperation. To win the game for their team, players will mostly use their

skills. Teamwork is a skill that players must acquire. These premises are valid since

they provide the researchers with the view that there are also positive impacts of

online games; however, many people are reluctant to acknowledge that playing online
games can have positive effects because the negative effects seem more pronounced

and serious.

That is why the article introduced a number of negative effects of the said

online games to students. First is the lack of time for more important activities like

studying or playing outdoor games. One of the bad consequences of online video

games for anyone is that when students spend a lot of time playing video games

online, they have little time for other activities. When a great clash is scheduled for

the evening, even college homework becomes less important. As a result, there are

academic issues and low marks. Additionally, because they sit in front of screens,

these pupils don't walk about and wear out their bodies. Second is addiction, which is

one of the most dangerous issues connected to internet gaming. People lose touch

with reality, get obsessed with the virtual world, and spend all of their time playing.

The article stated that online casinos account for the majority of these, but simulations

and other games can also be risky. A person is significantly more likely to develop an

addiction if they are easily swayed. More importantly, addiction must be addressed as

a significant psychological issue, and it must be detected early. Third is aggressive

behavior, wherein many students who engage in online gaming are so affected by the

games they play that they carry their fictional personas into reality. They have now

become accustomed to solving issues like their villainous video game heroes, and this

combative behavior is a result of the game. These aggressive outbursts need to be

stopped right away, or they risk becoming a habit. Next is the habit of isolating

oneself from society. Online gaming will give students with learning disabilities a

sense of freedom. They become so absorbed in the game that they lose touch with

reality and isolate themselves from other people. This results in a lack of genuine

human friendships and the inability to be authentic and deal with genuine issues.
Lastly, is online gaming having a harmful impact on your health? The article

highlighted the fact that playing online games is bad for students' health as one of the

negative effects. Long periods of time spent staring at a computer, tablet, or

smartphone screen are very bad for kids' health. First, the view, which is constantly

tense, has a detrimental effect. Sometimes it's necessary to use headphones all the

time to put pressure on the ears. The second is how the body is positioned. If not

routinely altered, a sitting or lying position can have an adverse effect on the back and

neck and result in health issues.

In correlation with our study, which examines how online games affect

students' behavior, the article aids researchers in learning new information by

introducing the notion that there are notable positive effects that such online gaming

might have on individuals in addition to the negative ones. Although the article’s

main focus is the explanation of its negative impacts, it doesn’t neglect its positive

ones.

This study is also anchored on the research article entitled "Underlying Factors

of Problematic Online Gaming Behavior '' by Emin Sendurur and Polat Sendurur from

Ondokuz Mayis University.

In their research article, they highlighted the idea of factors affecting excessive

game playing. They stated that being extraverted is one factor that predicts longer

gameplay. However, violence, loneliness, and social withdrawal are also connected to

compulsive game-playing behaviors. Additionally, online video games may also

become a reflection of people's offline conduct. In other words, a person might be

useful in a video game just because it fits his or her personality. In the same way that

it can define an online self-identity, how a player acts in a virtual environment can
reflect his online mood, including whether he enjoys it and makes an effort to fulfill

tasks online. The research article also stated that one of the main causes of

problematic gameplay is the type of game. Studies have shown a connection between

a game's genre and problem gaming, notwithstanding the difficulty of establishing

direct cause-and-effect relationships. Gamers who spend a lot of time playing role-

playing or real-time strategy games, for instance, may be more prone to developing

impulsive or addictive tendencies (Azizi, Stainer, & Abel, 2018; Lee & Kim, 2017).

Problematic gaming behaviors are not always linked to all game genres. While

players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) exhibit

Internet gaming disorder patterns, players of action and adventure games typically

exhibit gaming disorder patterns in addition to psychopathological patterns (Laconi et

al., 2017).

In conclusion, the correlation of each of the supporting articles is that again,

the blog entitled "Negative Effects of Online Games to Students" sheds light on the

bigger picture of the problem; it looked at it in a wider scope wherein it also

considered positive impacts that online games can give to their users. This may be

helpful to the researchers in looking at their problem with much more inclusivity and

not only considering the negative impacts of such phenomena. The second

article/study, entitled "Underlying Factors of Problematic Online Gaming Behavior"

by Emin Sendurur and Polat Sendurur, correlates with our study in a way that it gives

the researchers the factors to consider as to why such excessive game playing exists.

Thus, the information that the articles provide can be a solid foundation that the

researchers should evaluate and set goals to fully comprehend more about this

important matter. Moreover, the researchers can get a general idea of the components

of our study and its limitations through the articles. In order for us to draw
conclusions and find solutions for our own research, the articles also assist in

identifying the areas that require more investigation, clarity, and understanding.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to determine the effects of online games on the behavior of

SHS students in this new normal education at ACT-Bulacao in the month of October

during the midterm of the 1st semester of SY 2022-2023.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

I. What is the profile of the SHS students in terms of:

1.1 grade level;

1.2 strand;

1.3 type of games played;

1.4 type of connection used;

1.5 number of hours spent playing;

1.6 number of hours spent resting;

1.7 type of device used; and

1.8 morality of the games played?

II. What is the description of the behavior of the SHS students in terms of:

2.1 classroom behavior;

2.2 classroom engagement;

2.3 efficiency of passing their schoolworks on time; and

2.4 social behavior (behavior outside the school)?

III. What are the effects of online games on the behavior of SHS students in this

new normal education?

IV. What gadget policies can be implemented based on the study's findings?
Scope and Limitations

This study shall focus on finding the effects of playing online games on the

behavior of the students. Our study's major goal is to identify the consequences of

online gaming and assess whether doing so has any impact on participants' behavior.

Only SHS students at the ACT Bulacao Campus are included in this study. Given that

the researchers are merely students with constrained money and time, the chosen

respondents must be located on the ACT Bulacao Campus. The researchers can more

easily go to these locations. Online questionnaires made with Google Forms software

will be utilized as the means for gathering the data needed for the study. The study

only looks at how the behavior of the chosen students is affected by online games.

Since the researchers intend to determine how such behavior(s) can ultimately impair

one's performance in school, they also take into account the idea of how online games

affect academic achievement, but will not look so much into it. This research may

offer remedies to the issue as well as point out methods for progressively ending and

avoiding this addiction. In this regard, it would be able to address the influence of

online gaming on some students' behavior by utilizing the knowledge gathered.

Significance of the Study

A significant addition to the body of knowledge would be the generalization of

this work. The following, in particular, could benefit greatly from important study

findings:

Students. This study will give the students apprehension, more particularly

about how this issue affects their behavior inside their classroom, in their studies, and

how they deal with their environment in general. More importantly, this study can
provide students with gadget policies that they will abide by so that they become

responsible and display proper behavior at all times.

Parents. This study will provide the parents with enlightenment regarding the

behavior of their children, including how they are behaving inside the classroom, if

they participate well in class discussions, pass their assignments on time, and know

the level of interest of their children towards their studies. More importantly, it can

help the parents look after their children at home and monitor their behavior when it

comes to their online gaming.

Teachers. This study will give the teachers an overall view of the behavioral

changes of their students inside the classroom as a result of playing online games.

With this in mind, they can utilize such a view to look for ways on how they can

create a healthy atmosphere in their classroom where students can engage more in

their discussions and be more focused on their studies and not merely on playing

online games excessively, which results in detrimental effects on their behavior. More

importantly, in this way, it will strengthen the teachers’ work ethic.

Guidance Counselors. Guidance Counselors keep an eye on students'

progress and provide them with the assistance they require. Simply put, they help the

students with their issues and diminish factors that may hinder the students from their

studies. Hence, this study can help them as it gives them the idea of the consequences

of online games towards the behavior of students. With this, they may fabricate some

preventive measures to help aid students struggling in their academics because of

online games’ impact on students’ behavior.

Society. This study will help society be vigilant about the issue of online

games. People will be able to recognize the effects of online games on a person's
behavior and how greatly it can affect people, especially students, not only in how

they function in their studies but how they deal with people outside the school

environment as well. The society will be more conscious about playing online games,

and instead of the people experiencing its negative effects, the society will be irrigated

with the positive effects of online games on their behavior that will help them display

good manners and conduct.

Future Researchers. This study will aid future researchers with new

knowledge about the issue of online games. Future researchers will be able to identify

new difficulties as a result of reading and comprehending this study, and these

problems may serve as the starting point for a new branch of research on this subject

that was inspired by a problem that was discovered during our investigation.

Definition of Terms

The following concepts are theoretically or operationally defined to help with

comprehension of the various terminologies used in the study:

Mobile Game Addiction. It is a condition characterized by severely reduced control

over gaming habits, resulting in negative consequences in many aspects of your life,

including self-care, relationships, school, and work.

Mobile Games. It is also referred to as a smartphone game, and is defined as a video

game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that

are played on any portable device.

Behavior. This refers to the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially

toward others.
Technology. This refers to the methods, systems, and devices that are the result of

scientific knowledge being used for practical purposes.

References:

Sethe. “Man in Cebu Suffers Mental Disorder Over Excessive Play of Online Game.”

Philippine News, 31 Aug. 2021, philnews.ph/2021/08/31/man-in-cebu-suffers-

mental-disorder-over-excessive-play-of-online-game.

“Gaming for Nation-building | Cebu Daily News.” INQUIRER.net, 9 Dec. 2017,

cebudailynews.inquirer.net/156866/gaming-nation-building.

Adair, Cam. “Video Game Addiction Statistics 2022 - How Many Addicted Gamers

Are There?” Game Quitters, 1 July 2021, gamequitters.com/video-game-addiction-

statistics.

“THE HISTORY OF ONLINE GAMING AND ITS ADVANCEMENT TODAY.”

THE HISTORY OF ONLINE GAMING AND ITS ADVANCEMENT TODAY,

thriveglobal.com/stories/the-history-of-online-gaming-and-its-advancement-today.

Accessed 25 Oct. 2022.

Şendurur, P., & Şendurur, E. (2018). Underlying Factors of Problematic Online

Gaming Behavior: Age, Intensity, and Genre. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on

Addictions, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.15805/addicta.2018.5.4.0023

Bassey, J. (2021, July 15). Negative Effects of Online Games to students. Stay

Informed Group. https://stayinformedgroup.com/negative-effects-of-online-games-to-

students/

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