COMPUTER GAMING: AN ADDICTION OR A COMPETITIVE

ADVANTAGE TO STUDENTS IN TABOK NATIONAL HIGH

SCHOOL
RESEARCHERS;
Bayona, Jullia - 9
Cabahug, Melecio - 9
Gromia, Mariel (Leader)
Jumao-as, James - 7
Niere, Francis - 10
Potot, Mary - 9
Suday, Rochel - 9
Tangub, Chleofe - 9
Punzal, Carl Jason - 8

Review of Related Literature

Foreign
Ahmadi (1998) Isfahan researchers looked on how computer games affect young
people there. His research’s objective was to determine whether video games have any
social consequences. According to the findings, pupils who played these games shown
more anger and violence than those who did not. Also, there was little social interaction
among kids who were playing video games.
The first factor noticed in most studies as well as the present study is the disorder in
general health of players. Various studies show that playing too much computer games
causes physical damages and increases anxiety and depression in players. Many
studies show that most adolescents who are addicted to computer games have high
heart beat and blood pressure due to too much excitement and stress. Most of those
who involve in these games do not notice the time passing and even forget to eat. It
seems that creating a cause & effect relationship between computer games and
physical health or more generally speaking, cause and effect relationship between
addiction to computer games and mental and physical health is simplification of the
subject. There are various causes for correlation between addiction to computer games
and physical health, anxiety and depression. First, addiction to computer games can
cause disorder in physical health, increase anxiety and depression. Second, it is
possible that disorder in physical and mental health cause people to get attracted to
computer games. Third way is that both addiction to computer games and disorder in
physical and mental health are created due to the effects of other factors.
Considering associations between playing computer games and physical and mental
disorders, the negative effects of these games are basically related to the games and
their nature. Therefore, some computer games can be constructive, while others can
have damaging effects on children’s body and mind. Therefore, we should accept
anyway that computer games like many other phenomenon of technology age have
found their way to our children’s and our lives. If we want to ignore them and deprive
our children playing them, we make them more eager to access them and if they cannot
play games at home, they will go to their friends, if they cannot play there, they will go to
Internet café and places they can find computer games.
On the other hand, if we want to leave our children on their own in this field, mental,
psychological and physical risks threat them. So, parents and authorities in cultural and
educational fields should have appropriate plans to provide proper involvement of
children in these games and in this regards, we should produce games which are based
on our culture. Moreover, it is important to prevent import of damaging and harmful
games to the country, which is a responsibility of authorities. Also, serious supervision
on children’s involvement with computer is needed at home; especially their
involvement with computer games and parents should teach their children the proper
culture of playing games. In fact, one of main worries about computer games,
considering their wide usage among adolescents is that these games may create a
more attractive environment compared to school works and interfere with school and
educational performance of children. It is obvious that if children spend all their time out
of school to computer games and neglects other activities which may be useful from the
social viewpoint or for their thinking, it will not be favorable. In addition, the newness of
this phenomenon demands lots of curiosities and researches. Investigating the negative
effects of computer games on educational achievement is recommended for further
studies.

In spite of more than 20 years studies on computer and video games and their
outcomes and effects in the world, in Iran where a great portion of population is youth
and adolescents and there is a significant prevalence of computer games, there are few
studies on this topic, which suggest the need for further studies.
Once an important part of social skills is acquired through playing games in childhood,
nowadays, despite improving technology, we can observe the advent of modern
phenomenon in the children’s new game world which is a milestone in the structure and
content of the children’s games. Children and adolescents in the current world are
extremely affected by the mentioned games. And considering the importance of
computer games in the social life of this age range, computer games have inevitably
allocated the major part of socialization of children and adolescents to itself. The
attractiveness of computer games for children and adolescents have caused them to be
more acceptable among other playing instruments. For example, in a study performed
by Griffiths et al (1998), adolescents were asked to explain the advantage and
disadvantage of computer games. In that study, individuals described their eagerness to
computer games as having fun, excitement and challenges. A few percentages of the
players mentioned the benefits of computer games as improving mental-dynamic skills.
One third of the subjects believed that the disadvantage of these games was due to
game addiction.
Computer games represent the first digital media technology which is applied for
socialization of a generation in a large scale and often most of the teenagers in other
countries are using these games. But on the other hand, excessiveness in playing these
games has caused some concerns about the possible side-effects they have on the
players. Major concerns about these games are due to two main factors; first, the
amount of time children spend and second, the nature of these games, particularly,
when children spend their time playing to compensate for ignoring other educational-
social activities and leisure time. They are potentially harmful, because computer games
may be replaced by other activities such as homework, free reading or exercising. It has
been observed that children addicted to computer games tend to play more and avoid
social relationships. Recent studies indicated the significant statistics about the
excessive use and addiction to games. However, the figures are various; for example, in
the United State, one out of 10 is addicted to computer games. They may also be used
as means to satisfy psychological needs of players who play games in an excessive
way. As Wan and Chiou mentioned in their study, these needs are mentioned as need
for fun, entertainment and recreation, overcoming psychological mechanisms, running
away from reality, mutual social interactions, need for arousal and competition and need
for feeling powerful expressions10, like those who seek computer games in order to
satisfy their social interaction because they would experience anxiety and distress
facing the real world’s social situations. The players may practically prefer all the social
interactions and relations occurring in the virtual environment to the real world, and they
provide the need for stabilizing the social situation and sense of belonging through
interaction with other playmates in the game. Moreover, recent studies showed that
excessive use of computer games (more than 20 hours a week) would lead to negative
impact on health, negative moods, depressive syndrome and weak social interactions.
On the whole, currently, by progressing mass media and electronic entertainment we
are facing one of its aspects which is computer games; besides, the premier and main
users are children and teens. Therefore, we are all aware that adolescence is one of the
most sensitive, decisive and determinant stages in human life. So, it is necessary to
emphasize more on the effects and consequences of addiction to computer games on
children and adolescents and their world.
Local
Despite the fact that the government's Department of Education (DepEd) emphasizes
how online computer gaming helps sharpen the young generation into highly adept
persons in new technologies and digital trends. However, many studies also argued that
computer games pose disadvantages to student`s academic performance. Several
studies have documented negative correlations between computer game use and
school performance for children, adolescents, and college students. Quality of
education and school performance of students are measured by different factors. In a
study by Angeles (2004, 28-29), several determinants of school performance in the
primary and secondary levels were identified. Income, foregone income, school quality,
and health are the factors that affect the demand for education. These factors have a
positive relationship with student`s performance, which means that higher/ better values
of the factors lead to higher demand for education. On the other hand, factors that affect
the supply of education are proximity to school, accessibility to schooling, infrastructure
and teacher-pupil ratio. All mentioned determinants, except teacher-pupil ratio,
positively affect school performance. With the emerging technological advancements,
there are new factors that may affect the quality of educated population (Oliveros and
Sapio, 2007, 17-18).

Several studies were conducted to find out the relationship between technological
advancements, specifically computers and computer games, and students` school
performance. Studies indicate that children who play computer games can improve
visual intelligence skills. Parents believed that computer use is related to better
academic performance of the children. It was found that high school students who used
educational software at home scored significantly higher on computer literacy tests than
other students. Computer use at home is also associated with improvements in general
academic performance. On the other hand, a study done in Taiwan by Chuang and
Chen (2007, 30) investigated and discovered that digital games improve children`s
cognitive achievement and can facilitate student`s cognitive learning process. School
performance is affected by several factors, however, for the purpose of the study; the
factors. School factors such as class size, number of books and number of teachers
affect students` performance. However, number of teachers and books positively affect
students` performance. Holding all other variables constant, students with higher IQ
level tend to perform better than others. Students from high-income families are more
capable of buying school supplies, paying tuition fees, and attending review and/or
advance classes that may help them perform well in class, resulting in higher grades.
Parent`s education also affects students` performance. Time spent on playing computer
games largely affect students` scholastic performance. As a student spend more time
playing, lesser hours are devoted for homework, reviews, and other school-related
activities. Longer hours of computer gaming might have a negative impact on school
grades. Proximity of computer shops to student`s house is another determinant of
school performance. If a computer shop is located near a student`s house, there is a
greater tendency to play computer games rather than do school tasks. Several studies
have shown that the probability of male students to engage in computer gaming is
higher than females. Many studies have shown that the number of siblings is also a
determinant in playing computer games. Frequent players are usually those who belong
to a small family with 1-2 children, especially if of opposite sex considered are limited to
school factors, family factors and factors affecting computer gaming, and IQ level.
(Cortes, Maria Daisy S.; Alcalde, Jhoana V. &Camacho, Jose V.Jr., 2012)

The excessive popularity of video games has spurred significant interest in how video
games may alter human brain and human behaviour. According to ASEAN Institute,
Filipino school children are computer literate as almost( 74%) has access to internet. A
recent statistic showed that 95.8 per cent of internet users in the age of 16 above
played video games. These numbers make the Philippines the number one country in
the world when it comes to the sheer number of gamers.
Castillo and Dumrique (2017) stated that online games can be a stress reliever,
challenge and competition, relaxation, enjoyment, social interaction, and even mentally
escaping from the real world. In contrary, inappropriate use of online games leads to
problems such as distraction and addiction. Internet games addiction is characterized
by cognitive and emotional deficits.
According to video game addiction statistics, a growing number of teens are addicted to
gaming. Early indicators or warning signs of video game addiction include spending
most or all available hours playing a video game, diminished job and/or educational
productivity, choosing to play video games rather than socialize and/or sleep, lying or
being secretive about video game use, and avoiding or no longer participating in other
activities in order to spend more time playing video games (Daniel & Mark, 2013).

However, many psychologists and scientists also believe that playing video games
offers some benefits, particularly by teaching higher-level and abstract thinking skills.
Playing video games changes the brain’s physical structure, similar to the way the brain
changes when a person learns to play the piano or read a map. The brain is a muscle
and can be built up with exercise. The combination of concentration and
neurotransmitter surges when playing games helps to strengthen neural circuits, giving
the brain a real workout.
Furthermore, computer gaming can be both advantageous and disadvantageous to a
students in their lives. It all depends ultimately on how students control their themselves
to use computer games. It can help them to gain more knowledge and widen their
thinking. However, it also may negatively impact on their life because some games
result in bad behaviors such as aggressive and violence.
Review of Related Studies
Foreign
Computer games have grown in many directions. Many studies and systems deal with
different elements such as” Fun” and” pleasure” in the game structure to improve a
learner motivation in the field of educational learning. In this paper, we will explain
different theoretical support for the benefit of using game in education and learning. We
will also demonstrate the difference among those methods such as, Game Base
Learning (GBL), educational game and Gamification in education. A clear description
among these new terms with explanation of the possible impact on teaching and
learning will be presented. Games can make learning concept more enjoyable for
students and provide a platform for their creative thought. Games will of-ten act as
learning triggers inducing lively discussion on learning concepts amongst students
following game play. A couple of new ways of teaching like Game Based Learning and
Gamification can be applied to enhance the learning procedure of students in various
age levels. (Rula Al-Azawi et. Al, 2016)
The aim of the current work Is to assess the challenges that gamification in education
are facing nowadays. Benefits and disadvantages of using gamification in classroom
are both discussed to offer a clearer view on the impact of using gamification within
learning process. Exploratory study cases are provided to investigate the relation
between motivation and engagement of the students and gamification in training.
Following this idea, a survey was conducted to assess how students’ behavior and
motivation is affected by introducing a single, specific gamification element during a
semester learning process. To stimulate competition among students, a ranking type
plugin was introduced within the university learning management system used for
extramural education. The results prove that motivation decreases by comparison to the
previous semester. (Iulian Furdu et. Al 2017)
The aim of this study Is to assess the relationship between video gaming habits and
elementary school students’ academic performance. More specifically, we seek to
examine the usefulness of a distinction between addiction and high engagement and
assess the predictive validity of these concepts in the context of scholastic
achievement. Three hundred thirty-three children ages 8 to 12 years from two primary
schools in Singapore were selected to participate in this study. A survey utilizing
Danforth’s Engagement-Addiction (II) scale and questions from DSM-IV was used to
collect information from the schoolchildren, while their grades were obtained directly
from their teachers. The findings indicate that addiction tendencies are consistently
negatively related to scholastic performance, while no such relationship is found for
either time spent playing games or for video game engagement. The implications of
these findings are discussed. (Marko M Skoric et. Al, 2019)
Nowadays, obtaining the competitive advantage of global, a foreign language,
especially English, has great importance. Prior studies have noted that many English
learning materials were presented in the form of papers, digital games and digital
animation, lacking of efficient interaction and emotional connection. For this reason, this
study incorporated the features of Augmented Reality and mobile devices to develop a
mobile augmented reality game in preschool English-vocabulary learning. To evaluate
the effectiveness of this system, an experiment has been conducted in northern Taiwan
to examine the students’ performance in term of learning achievements, learning
interests and cognition load. As measuring tools, a pre-test, a post-test and a
questionnaire were used. From the experimental results, it is found that even the
students who learn with the mobile AR interaction game have similar learning
achievements with those who learn with the traditional physical cards approach, the
situational interaction gaming approach could significantly improve the students’
learning interest and decrease cognition load. (Mei Pu, Zheng Zhong, 2018)
Virtual reality has shown to have great potential as an educational tool when it comes to
new learning methods. With the growth and dissemination of this technology, there is a
massive opportunity for teachers to add this technology to their methods of teaching a
second/foreign language, since students keep showing a growing interest in new
technologies. This systematic review of empirical research aims at understanding
whether the use of gaming strategies in virtual reality is beneficial for the learning of a
second/foreign language or not. Results show that more than half of the articles proved
that virtual reality technologies with gaming strategies can be used to learn a foreign
language. It was also found that “learning” was the most evaluated dependent variable
among the chosen records, augmented reality was the leading technology used,
primary education and lower secondary was the most researched school stages, and
the most used language to evaluate the use of gamified technology was by far the
English language. Given the lack of directed investigation, it is recommended to use
these technologies to support second language learning and not entirely replace
traditional approaches. A research agenda is also proposed by the authors. (Rafael
Darque et. Al, 2021)
The use of Virtual Reality in education has been highly prevalent in recent years. In
nearly every domain of education, integration of Virtual Reality has been ongoing
including foreign language teaching and learning. There is a huge shift in teaching and
learning facilities from conventional classrooms to interactive ones. What makes Virtual
Reality special in comparison to other technologies are immersion, interaction and
involvement properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the studies
on foreign language learning and teaching through virtual reality technology and to
highlight the current trends on this topic, thus propose some suggestions for future
researchers of this field. Document analysis method was used in this study. Like other
analytical methods in a qualitative research, document analysis requires that data be
examined and interpreted in order to elicit meaning, gain understanding, and develop
empirical knowledge. 40 research papers published between the years 1995 and 2015
were scanned in terms of data collection tools, research design, sample, sample size,
data analysis method, and the topic of the paper. The results of the study revealed that
document analysis was in the first place in terms of data collection tool and half of the
studies were qualitative. In addition, undergraduate population was primarily the focus
of attention. As from sample size, 101-300 size was primarily used. Moreover,
effectiveness of virtual reality and game-based learning were the two outstanding topics
of these studies. (Ekrem Solak, Gamze Erdem, 2015).
Due to globalization growth, learning a second language is a necessity to develop in an
increasingly demanding multicultural environment. However, at present we still find that
some traditional methodologies are still being applied for teaching, which represents a
problem for current students, also called digital natives, because these methodologies
should adapt to this digital age of technology and knowledge. To solve this problem, a
digital resource for foreign language learning was developed taking into account
competitiveness and gamification as bases to motivate students and engage them into
the course. The objective of this tool is to improve the processing of theoretical
information obtained making use of a virtual environment which has competitive
activities and gamification elements such as: obtaining medals for completing tasks,
user’s progress bar and ranking according to the scores obtained, so that students are
motivated and improve their learning. This research seeks to analyze the effects of
applying competitiveness and gamification in a virtual environment aimed at foreign
language learning. It was found that 81.03% of students are more inclined to use
gamified digital tools and also 82.76% of students feel more motivated to learn a second
language using this methodology. (Norman Harvey Arce, Ana Cuadros Valdivia, 2020)
This study was based on the flow theory of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. A cross sectional
study was performed to examine flow experience in computer game playing among
university students and to identify behavior that led to positive consequences and
addictive behavior. Multi-stage sampling was conducted to select a sample of 478
university students aged 18–24 years who usually played computer games. Data were
collected using the assessment instruments of computer game addictive behavior and
perception of the consequences from game playing. (Supat Sanjamsai et. Al, 2018)

Local
World Health Organization recognizes online game addiction as a mental health
condition. The rise of excessive online gaming is emerging in the Philippines, with 29.9
million gamers recorded in the country. The incidence of depression is also increasing in
the country. The current correlational analysis evaluated the association between online
game addiction and depression in Filipino adolescents. Studies have shown the
following estimates and results of Internet and video games usage: 59 percent of all
Americans play video games (Ipsos MediaCT, 2014); an average of 48 percent of
Europeans have played video games (Ipsos MediaCT, 2012); 56 percent of young adult
Norwegians (aged 16–40 years) play; and 98 percent of Australian children aged 15–17
years are Internet users and 98 percent of adolescents play electronic games (Rikkers
et al., 2016). In this modern world of computerization where transactions in government
and in all aspects are made through the internet, connectivity for people seems to rely
on the usefulness of computers. Its purpose is sensible and positive when used
appropriately. However, other computer users used it extensively and beyond time limits
that become hazardous to their health. Because according to the American Addiction
Centers (2022), anything that is being used without control is harmful and disastrous to
human’s health like overeating, drinking, smoking, gambling and other similar vices.
In the 2000s, according to Kuss (2013), online games became popular and the studies
of Internet gaming addiction emerged showing many negative risk factors. Internet
gaming became a booming market and many have accessed it. Kuss’ research showed
that in 2012, there were more than 1 billion individuals that played computer games,
which spurred the 8 percent growth of the computer gaming industry in that same year.
In the Philippines alone, based on the statistics written by Elliot (2020), 43 million
gamers spent 572 million dollars on computer games last year. This makes the
Philippines the world’s 25th biggest market by game revenues, as well as a key driver of
Southeast Asia’s overall games market. For the majority of gamers in the Philippines—
and across Southeast Asia in general— mobile device is their platform of choice.
Nevertheless, PC games—and to a lesser extent—console games are also popular.
The following percentage of devices used applies: 74 percent of the Philippines’ online
population plays games on mobile devices; 65 percent plays PC games; and 45 percent
plays console games.
The market for computer games is very profitable and the earning potential in this
industry is magnanimous. Not only people buy the games but also the devices to
engage in it. It is pricey and the cost is high. Still, people are being drawn to it. Thus, in
understanding the appeal of Internet gaming, the context it covers, and its
neurobiological correlates can we determine and fight the phenomenon of Internet
gaming addiction (Kuss, 2013).
Garnada (2020) noted that in the recent years that has passed, the research pertaining
to Internet gaming addiction has amplified both in its quantity and in its quality. In the
South-East Asian countries, the negative impacts of Internet gaming addiction have
aroused interest in the governments and the different health care providers to take its
spectrum and the problems it brings to be seriously tackled and discussed to strategize
series of different initiatives to curb, fight and alleviate the various problems this
addiction is bringing to our society. The Internet has an endless number of things to
keep people entertained and one of them is through computer games. Playing computer
games can be extremely fun, gratifying, and a great escape. Unfortunately, computer
gaming, especially online games, can be very addictive, and many are designed to keep
you playing as long as possible. Computer addiction is a condition that occurs when
someone's life is consumed being on the computer. Computer addiction is a growing
health problem that is often treated through setting limits, therapy, and support groups
(Computer Hope, 2021). Computer addiction is becoming increasingly common as more
and more people have access to personal computers. Personal computers do not have
to be the standard desktop or laptop computer; it could include tablets, smart phones,
gaming consoles and even televisions (i.e., Smart TV) as they have a similar
functionality and could be just as addicting as a standard computer (Luigi, 2021).

Synthesis
In spite of more than 20 years studies on computer and video games and their
outcomes and effects in the world, in Iran where a great portion of population is youth
and adolescents and there is a significant prevalence of computer games, there are few
studies on this topic, which suggest the need for further studies.
And considering the importance of computer games in the social life of this age range,
computer games have inevitably allocated the major part of socialization of children and
adolescents to itself.

The attractiveness of computer games for children and adolescents have caused them
to be more acceptable among other playing instruments.
Studies have shown the following estimates and results of Internet and video games
usage: 59 percent of all Americans play video games (Ipsos MediaCT, 2014); an
average of 48 percent of Europeans have played video games (Ipsos MediaCT, 2012);
56 percent of young adult Norwegians (aged 16–40 years) play; and 98 percent of
Australian children aged 15–17 years are Internet users and 98 percent of adolescents
play electronic games (Rikkers et al., 2016).
 References
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Malicdem, D. C. (2020). Online Game Addiction and the Level of Depression Among
Adolescents in Manila, Philippines. Central Asian Journal of Global Health, 9

Cortes, M. D. S., Alcalde, J. V., & Camacho, J. V. (2012). Osipp 030 075.pdf - title
effects of computer gaming on high school students performance in Los Baños Laguna
Philippines author S Cortes Maria - ECONMISC: Course hero. Osipp 030 075.pdf - Title
Effects Of Computer Gaming On High School Students Performance In Los Baños
Laguna Philippines Author S Cortes Maria - ECONMISC | Course Hero. Retrieved April
7, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/file/43960338/osipp-030-075pdf/

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