The Academic Performance of Senior High Computer Gamers in St. Paul University Dumaguete

In the previous few decades, interactive electronic media has grown from virtual non-existence to one of the primary means of entertainment for today’s students. In more recent years, the Internet has completely changed the landscape of electronic media from something individual and static into something with the potential to be interactive and social.^[1]

Indeed, computers have become the method to everything – from simple arithmetic calculations to complex scientific simulations of thermodynamics. Opening the eyes of everyone to the power of 1s and 0s of a transistor in a microscopic level. All of which contributes to the undeniable fact that computers are dominating every human in the planet. Computers are so dominant that people use it to spend their time playing computer-aided games as a daily basis that it can be considered “addiction”. In which the term “computer gaming” was derived. The addiction to the rivalry and excitement brought by the computer game made it the most well-known recreational programs for today's young people. Challenging with the obstacles and reaching a higher level in the game, make the players excited and losing the game make them anxious.^[2]

The evolution of computer games began in 1972 with Pang, a computer tennis game, and then developed in hardware and software systems. Changes of value and assortment of games progressively spread it in the general public particularly adolescences.^[3] It is believed that computer games like watching TV gives chances to visual learning. Particularly because these computer games are more interactive compared to watching TV, they are considered as more compelling.^[4] Since these games are known as the second entertainment after TV, opponents of these games emphasize on their negative effects such as stimulating anger and violence, costing a lot of money and having negative effects of physical and mental health, which are much higher than the positive effects of the games such as increasing the coordination of eyes and hands.^[5] As Klein and Keepers mentioned in their research reports in 1990, students who prefer computer games to other entertainments have more behavioral problems that other students (cited from Patton).^[6]

Currently in the Philippines especially in St. Paul University Dumaguete, a great part of students’ leisure time out of school is spent on computer games, not to mention the infamous “Defense of the Ancients 2” (DotA 2) – a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena video game.^[7] The reason behind adolescents' fascination in these games include being excited and easily accessible while authorities and families do not have any proper plan for students' leisure time and there are not many options for their entertainments. Occasional playing of computer games to some degree can be helpful in most logical situations, yet long-term playing prompts to different physical and mental intricacies.^[8] The reasons for playing these games among boys were excitements and challenges and they insisted to win. Moreover, sport and violent games were more attractive for boys.^[9]

Development of electronic and computer games are a great threat for youth and adolescents and can lead to psychological disorders and depression in these groups. In previous times, kids were involved playing “Tayukok”, “Dampa”, “Chinese Garter”, and “Shatong” among others with other children, but children of today spend most of their time on computer games as soon as they understand and acquainted with them, while these games cannot create any emotional and human relationship.^[10]

Children's and adolescents’ attractions to the computer games cause numerous mental, physical and social issues for them. These effects are empowering outrage and savagery, corpulence, epilepsy because of computer games, social confinement, among other physical and mental harms. Numerous clinicians and psychological wellness experts have focused on the impacts of these games.^[11]

Such that we can conclude that most students who play computer games have experienced significant decrease in their academic remarks.

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