Impact of Online Video Games on AMA Computer College Students

Playing is important because it is how people nowadays specially youths of todays’ generation to find leisure. According to the Anthropological studies done by Gosso, playing is a way for human to learn their world and culture. Through playing, youths do not learn only future adult skill but also gender identification courage, trust among friend and cooperation (Gosso 2005). Groos and Piaget say that humans use play to prepare their adult life (Groos 1908; Piaget & Inhelder 1969). Hall also say that play is used by humans to identify their world. Through play human interacts with their physical and social world to establish their mentality (Hall 1916). For example, children playing in a group make them aware of their capabilities, physical and mental strengths and weaknesses in every manner, cooperation benefit and leadership that may benefit them in acquiring skills to develop their morality.

Playing games also benefits every youths in developing communication and creativity. It also teaches proper decorum and etiquette towards others. But one thing that caught attention to every individual, are the online and offline video games which is a chronic issue especially for students. In AMA Computer College, General Santos City Campus, as per everyday chores, a lot of students are very much concerned in their plays; for both cellphones and computers, as they play while at rest during day time at school. Some of the students also play even late at night due to the online rank games that is indeed a battle for whom is the best among the gamers in the campus. This issue has become a part of everyday lives of a student which makes them all busy per se.

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Closely related with this phenomenon, a study on the cause and effect of online video game consumption among student is urgent to carry out. This is due to the anxiety of many parties concerning the online video games impacts in decreasing student creativities, fitness and other forms of social skills. In online video games, all equipment, rules and play forms are created by their creator. This make students feel that they do not need to be creative in playing the games. Online video games also cause their players wasting or using up a lot of their time sitting in front of the computer screens or playing with their cellular android phones. This activity could in turn make students losing their physical fitness and social skill because they will never notice their physical and social surroundings. The condition will eventually bring various fatal effects for their physical and mental developments (Van Rooij et al. 2011; Mehroof & Griffiths 2010; Przybylski et al. 2010).

Video games according to Bogdanowicz et al. (2010), is defined as “an electronic or computerized game played by manipulating images on a video display or television screen”. Online video games are popular among students and they used them as a means for them to be accepted by their peers. Peer pressures according to Erikson have great impact on the life of an adolescent. Erikson said that in adolescence phase, person is required to seek self-identity and independence (Erikson 1968). When they try to get free from all adult influence and protection, they become closer and more dependent on peer acceptance. Peer acceptance brings out pressure that in turn can make the adolescence vulnerable to youth behavioral problems (Allen et al. 2006; Van Rooij et al. 2011; Porter et al. 2010). Another reason that makes online video games becoming popular among students is because these games are sophisticatedly designed to amaze and evoke the players’ curiosity. To amaze the players, video games usually presents attractive game plays, realistic images and sounds. Virtual worlds in video games are created by inspiration of real life location. This is intended to provide sensation as if the player is visiting a real site location so they are not easy to get bored and the games also make players becoming familiar and easy to memorize the location. Bogost and Poremba also and that many video games are also popular because their storyline are based on actual events or movie storylines. Some games even exploit documentary styles to add the authenticity. “The Matrix” movie, allied forces landing in Normandy, and the assassination of John Frank Kennedy (JFK) are used by video game creators to make the player enable to imagine becoming the main character of the film or feel that they have a central role in an important world event. Movie storylines and real events are also proposed to familiarize players with the goal of the mission (Bogost & Poremba 2008).

According to Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, video game addiction is described as an impulse control disorder, which does not involve use of an intoxicating drug and is very similar to pathological gambling. Video game addiction has also been referred to as video game overuse, pathological or compulsive/excessive use of computer games and/or video games.

Similar to other addictions, individuals suffering from video game addiction use the virtual fantasy world to connect with real people through the Internet, as a substitution for real-life human connection, which they are unable to attain normally. Some suffering from video game addiction may develop an emotional attachment to online friends and activities they create on their computer screens or even in their cellular android devices. Those suffering from video game addiction may enjoy aspects of the online games that allow them to meet, socialize, and exchange ideas through games. Because some games requires a large number of players to log on simultaneously, for long durations of time, to accomplish a game’s task, players may feel an obligation and loyalty to other players. This may further the individual’s justification of their use and sense of relationship with other players, that are otherwise strangers.

Some are the signs of video addiction of the students as per stated in the study from Illinois Institute for Addiction (“Virtual Addiction' David N. Greenfield, Ph.D.):

• Preoccupation with the Game. (Thoughts about previous on-line activity or anticipation of the next on-line session.)
• Use of the Game in increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction.
• Repeated, unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop Game use.
• Feelings of restlessness, moodiness, depression, or irritability when attempting to cut down use of the Game.
• Gaming longer than originally intended.
• Jeopardized or risked loss of significant relationships, job, educational or career opportunities because of Game use.
• Lies to family members, friends, therapists, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with the Game.
• Use of the Game is a way to escape from problems or to relieve a dysphonic mood. (E.g. feelings of hopelessness, guilt, anxiety, depression.)

In these manners, student may seek attention for them to be relieved in their lives and find pleasure as they may be able to entertain themselves in playing video games.

The Effects of Online Video Games

Kücklich says that there are two kinds of video game in the world. The first is “casual game” or video game that is only played for killing time and the second is “serious game”, a video game which makes players always curious and force to spend a lot of time to play it (Kücklich 2005). From these two types, the “serious games” is considered more dangerous, because it can make players become a slave of the game which is commonly called “playgoer”. In a line with Kuklich, Hjorth uses term of “hardcore game” to refer to the serious game. This game is called “hardcore” for its potential to make players spending a lot of time and energy to finish the game (Hjorth 2011).

In online video games, people play in virtual world using avatar (virtual body). Even though the virtual world are a fun but all human beings must always go back to the real world. No matter how great a player might play in the virtual world, his physical body will feel hungry, thirsty and fatigue. So, he should always come back to real life to get a meal, drink and maintain his physical fitness. Human behaviors are shaped by their experience. The danger of online video games will appears if the experience gained in virtual world affects the real life. Herbs says that many experiences gained during online video playing cannot be applied for real life. For example, death in real life is a final event of a person. Contrary, in video games there are no limit how many death player can experience. If an avatar die, players can turn it back to life unconditionally to continue playing. Of course this experience will become a danger if it is applied in real life (Herbst 2008). One kind of video game that can bring a serious dangerous for students is violence games. In violence games such as war games, players are required to kill all enemies. Death, explosions, screams and gun shoot constantly and repeatedly happen. War games are more bloody and sadistic than any kind of action film. In war game, players do not have time to think. He must kill all enemy without thinking of grief. There are no smell of blood, smoke and gun powder. There are no time of silence to think about the tragedy of the murders. In war game, players are built like a machines, and responding quickly all the action of the game. War game is designed not to create a feeling of love, compassion or sentimental feeling in the players, Klimt et al. (2008) said that violence game are enjoyable especially for male players because the culture is idealized hyper-masculine gender ideal. Violence is perceived as manly. Hyper-male ideology believes in socio evolutionary theory says that only the strong will survive. Destruction on virtual world can be beneficial if it is used properly like a channel to safely release anger and aggression. There will be no one harmed because blood, fire and debris in online video games are only pixel worked, and all experiences are simulated and virtual. The negative thing will occur if a player apply violent experience in virtual world to the reality. In this case Klimt suggests that heavy users of violent video games should possess a higher cognitive ‘preparedness’ for overriding moral concerns as well as for avoiding violent behaviors in real life.

This research is conducted in AMA Computer College, General Santos City Campus. Interviews are done through the help of some students as informants. The informants are selected through purposive gaming methods.

Conclusion

Addictions especially in online gaming habits result in physical, moral, mental, emotional, family, academic, financial, and occupational problems that are really existential in each and every lives. Impairment of real life cases, which also results to disrupted relationship between partners and families. People especially students in this article, who suffered from that addiction mostly spend their time in solitary seclusion, spend less time with the real people in their lives, and are often viewed as socially awkward. Arguments may result due to the volume of time spent playing. They may take an attempt to hide the amount of time spent playing, which results in dishonesty and the disturbance of quality in one’s stable relationships. Additionally, gaming can become very costly, resulting in financial consequences.

I tried to play games because my friends asked me to try it. In school and in our society more and more of my friends played online games and these made me becoming more interested. There were a lot of my friends playing online video games so it became more exciting and I wanted to try it (interview with a student at AMACC – General Santos City Campus on the 6th of September 2019)

Peer pressures have a big deal of cause for student trying online video games. As the interviewed student said that there were sense of inferiority if they did not know how to play online video games. Students would be considered outdated as termed “makalumang tao” and coward if they resisted the challenge of friends to play such games.

That is why it is a need to educated oneself, and indulge thyself in proper way of handling time and finding leisure. Playing is not bad, and indeed a need for every individual has a right to leisure, but proper time management must be observed in order to not to stray from the path of one’s dreams and aspirations in life.

It is also a need to take an advice from the specialists if one has been indulged to the symptoms of the said chronic issue of todays’ generation of youth. Everything can be achieved and acquired thru proper handling of time, and of course the proper handling of peer pressure that is inclined to youths.

References

1. Eskasasnanda, I Dewa. (2017). KOMUNITAS: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE. 9. 191. 10.15294/komunitas.v9i2.9565.
2. 'Virtual Addiction' David N. Greenfield, Ph.D., 'Caught in the Net' Dr. Kimberly Young, Center for Internet Addiction Recovery, American Psychiatric Association, Online Gamers Anonymous ( http://www.olganon.org), Gentile, D.A. (2009). Pathological video game use among youth 8 to 18: a national study. Psychological Science, 20, 594-602.