I.

INTRODUCTION

Background and Rationale

Socialization among todays youth has evolved. Face-to-face communication

has been replaced with email, social networks and other online tools. The internet
has provided opportunities to enhance, create and rediscover social ties that make
a difference in the lives of mankind. As compared to traditional communications, the
internet lowers constraints like cost geography and time, and it basically supports
the type of open information sharing which brings people together. Everything is
easy, fast, and can be achieved through one click.
Wikipedia defines social networking as an online service, platform or site
that focuses on building and reflecting of social network or social relations among
people who share interests or activities. Social networking sites such as Facebook,
Twitter, Friendster and the likes are gaining popularity these days with its market
among the students. Involvement to this sites has become trendy and engaging.
Studies show that engagement to social networking sites fosters friendship, boosts
self-confidence and promotes connection.
Social networking sites are now the focus of investigation by numerous social
science researchers and an increasing number of academic commentators because
of their extensive impact to personal and academic lives of students using them.
Asides from social networking sites, online gaming provides addictive means
in which the individual craves social interaction. Defined as, a game played over
1

some form of computer network, it can be in form of shooter games, real-time

strategy games, browser games or massively multiplayer online games. Online
gaming is being patronized just as much as social networking sites. It is a new world
where time, space and distance are non-issues and cultural barriers are broken
down. There is a strong sense of community where friendships are made and
enemies are trashed.
The youth has become too attached to online gaming that it has become an
addiction, which makes it hard to step away.
The research aims to provide a connection between social networking and
online gaming to the academic performance of BS Nursing students.
The target population for the research was defined as the students who form
the major chunk of users of the internet in terms of social networking site and online
gaming. This was done to have better insight into the research as the target
population was one of the most avid users of the internet and is expected to provide
exceptional responses. It is expected that understanding the questionnaire would be
easy for them as they are familiar with these and are quite clear about the reasons
they use it and for the various problems that they now face because of the effects
of addiction to social networking sites and gaming.

Objectives of the Study

General Objective
The objective of the study is to determine the effect of social networking and online
gaming on the academic performance of RTRMF 2nd year BS Nursing students 2011.
2

Specific Objective
Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of the students in terms of:
A. Age of Students
B. Gender of Students
C. Time Spent in Social Networking Sites
D. Time Spent in Online Gaming
2. Is there a significant difference between Social Networking Involvement and
Academic Performance of 2nd year BS Nursing students?
3. Is there a significant difference between Exposure to Online Gaming and
Academic Performance of 2nd year BS Nursing students?
4. Is there a significant difference between Social Networking Involvement and
Exposure to Online Gaming of 2nd year BS Nursing students?
5. Which among the two factors affect the students academic performance the
most?

Hypothesis

The hypotheses to be tested throughout the course of the study are:

1. There is no significant relationship between Social Networking Involvement
and Academic Performance of 2nd year BS Nursing students.
2. There is no significant relationship between Exposure to Online Gaming and
Academic Performance of 2nd year BS Nursing students.
3. There is no significant difference between Social Networking Involvement and
Exposure to Online Gaming of 2nd year BS Nursing students

Significance of the Study

3

The findings of the study are deemed significant to:

The students to gain extensive information on the social networking
and online gaming that they may apply these knowledge to their advantage. That
they may be able to learn both the positive and negative impact of internet usage
to their lives, and hopefully lead to a realization of their own standing in terms of
addiction to social networking and online gaming.
The Family, with sufficient know-how, they may be able to provide
effective intervention to influence their childs social networking and/or gaming
habits. Further, that they may be able to sustain the socialization needs of their
child and provide guidance in the use of internet.
The Community that they may have a thorough understanding of
the attention and intervention that must be given to our youth to address unmet
basic, social needs. That they may form a strong coalition to solidify the support on
controlling the use of internet thus reducing the risk of assimilating such activities.
Future researchers that they may be able to do in-depth
research on the effect of social networking sites and online gaming to the youth.

Scope and Limitations

The study is a descriptive study on the effect of social networking sites

and online gaming on the academic performance of 2 nd year nursing studies. This
4

study, however, does not attempt to explain in-depth how these two factors affect a
students scholastic rating.
The study will be conducted within a time frame of one semester to one
hundred 2nd year nursing students. The underlying assumption is that the survey
conducted in limited area represents the general psyche of the users of the social
networking site and gaming.
The academic standing will be based on their grade on one subject alone.
It shall not consider the flexible grading system employed by instructors for
evaluating students academic performance based on general point average.
The study is limited to identifying the association of the two variables to
academic performance. It is set on natural environment and shall not in any way,
attempt to influence the behaviour of its respondents. The level of engagement to
social networking sites and online gaming is set, but not explored. The potential
explanatory factors for the students excessive indulgence in social networking and
online gaming is not examined, nor its reasons.
For purposes of limitation, the respondents are limited to 2 nd year BS
Nursing students of RTRMF. Another limitation was the availability of respondents
since there are different schedules among different year levels. The researchers also
apprehend the cooperation of the respondents to answer the questionnaires
truthfully and completely.

Definition of Terms
5

Social networking sites- are social network services that focus on building online
communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested
in exploring the interests and activities of others.

Academic performance-refers to how students deal with their studies and how they
cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers.

Online Games- games that are played through the internet.

II.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Review of Related Studies

6

A. Social Networking

A study was conducted by Whittemore School of Business and

Economics students to determine the relationship between online social media
usage and grades of college students. Results shows that there is no correlation
between the amount of time students spend using social media and their grades.
The most popular online network was Facebook with 96 percent of all university
students saying they use it on a typical day. Further, there was no correlation
between grades and the social media platform used. Almost the same number of
heavy and light users of both Facebook and YouTube received the same category of
high and low grades. On a typical weekend day, 41 per cent of students increase
their usage of the social media networks, five percent of those significantly
increase.

Majority of students use these networks for social reasons and

entertainment.

Don Tapscott, author of Grown Up Digital says in an article that there

is not a shred evidence that Facebook is bad for young people. On the contrary, it is
a wonderful thing that with balance, helps them grow, helps their mental abilities
develop and it should be encouraged.

Another study tells a different side. According to Arya Karprinskis study

of about 219 students, 148 Facebook users had a full grade point lower than those
who do not have Facebook. People that did not use Facebook reported that they
study about 11-15 hours and those who had Facebook only studies 1-5 hours per
7

week. The Ohio report shows that students who used Facebook had a significantly
lower grade point average-the marking system used in US universities-than those
who did not use this site.

A team of researchers from Harvard and University of California, Los

Angeles are monitoring the Facebook profile of an entire class of students at one
college. Their goal is to study how personal tastes, habits and values affect the
formation of social relationships and how social relationships affect tastes, habits
and values.

According to a research presented at the American Educational Research

Association 2009 annual conference in San Diego, California, US, college students
who use Internet social networking sites study less and have lower grades.

S. Shyam Sundar, a professor and founder of the Media Effects Research

Laboratory at Penn State, has led students in several Facebook studies exploring
identity. One involved the creation of mock Facebook profiles. Researchers learned
that while people perceive someone who has a high number of friends as popular,
attractive and self-confident, people who accumulate too many friends (about 800)
or more are seen as insecure.

In Hargittais study, he said no evidence was found that Facebook use

correlates with lower academic achievement. He further added that basic Facebook
use simply does not have generalizable consequences for grades. According to his
study, the doubts about the use of social networking sites vis-a-vis students are
8

reminiscent to those cast on earlier new media, including TV and motion pictures,
and their effect on children. He emphasized however that if students are spending
excessive time on Facebook at the expense of studying, their academic
performance may suffer.

Students are using social networking sites more than many school
administrators may realize. Despite the fact that most schools block access to such
sites via school computers, 9-17 year olds spend as much time using the Internet
for social activities as they spend watching television-about 9 hours a week,
according to a 2007 study by the Alexandria, VA-based NSBA. The study of more
than 1,200 students found that 96 % of those with online access had used social
networking technology-including text messaging- and 81 % said they had visited a
social networking website at least once within the 3 months before the study was
conducted.

B. Online Gaming

In a study of the impact of online-game playing on life satisfaction of

gamers on different personality dimensions, Chen et al found that neuroticism in
gamers had a negative influence on life satisfaction. Neuroticism also has a
significant negative influence on subjective well being in teen gamers. A negative
relationship between web surfing frequency and life satisfaction has also been
found.

In another study, Parker et al found that emotional intelligence was a

strong-to-moderate predictor of addiction-related behaviours like excessive Internet
use,

online

gaming

addiction

and

online

gambling

problems.;

youth

with

deficiencies in ability to read, express and elicit desired emotions may be more
prone to partake in online-addiction behaviours. Ko et al reached a similar
conclusion and found out that Internet addiction was related to problematic alcohol
use in a sample of Taiwanese high school students.
At the Syracuse University, Associate Professor of Psychology Joshua Smyth
has conducted one study to try to determine the negative and positive effects of
gambling. He assigned gamers to four groups: single-player console games, singleplayer PC games, single- player arcade games and fantasy themed MMORPG. For
the gamers of the MMORPG group, they reported a much lower level of overall
health and well-being than the other groups. They were also observed to not be
sleeping as well as they should and their quality and quantity of real-life
socialization and academic work saw a sharp decrease. It was theorized that
MMORPGs were so complex, so fantastical and alluring and so involved that the
gamers reported they had lost track of time while playing, had gone to bed late
and forgotten to eat. After only a few days of such activity, all the gamers of the
MMORPG group showed a dramatic decrease in all areas of health.
From the same study, Prof. Smyth found that the MMORPG gamers group
reported a much greater enjoyment and sense of reward from the game. They also
reported having a high interest of going back to the game to play some more at a
later time. One more surprising benefit found was the rise in the gaining of new
friends as compared with the single-player groups, and the level of cohesion that
often develops among players of MMORPGs.
10

However, although there are some positive effects that are possible from
computer game use there are mostly negative effects. Several professors conducted
a research project to determine the effect of gaming on academic performance.
According to the Australians Journal of Educational Technology: Gaming Frequency
and Academic Performance individuals who spend two or more hours playing
games on a daily basis score lower in every subject than their non-gaming
counterparts. By spending a high percentage of time on video games there is not
enough time left to spend in studying for classes. The study found out that there
was not a single positive correlation between gaming and academic performance.

Review of Related Literature

A. How Social Network Sites Work

Social networking sites are web-based services that allow individuals to

construct a public or a semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list
of other users whom they share a connection and view and traverse their list of
connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and
nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site.

For the past years, social networking has been very popular for people
worldwide. Social networking is a great form of entertainment. It allows users to
meet new people, reconcile with old friends, and find friends across the globe with
the same interests.

11

The term social network site is used to describe this phenomenon, and
is alternately used with social networking sites. The term networking
emphasizes relationship initiation, often between strangers. On most sites,
participants are not necessarily looking to meet new people, rather they are
primarily communicating with people who are already part of their extended social
network.

The main types of social networking services are those which contain
category divisions, (such as former classmates), means to connect with friends
(usually with self-description pages) and a recommendation system linked to trust.
Popular methods now combine many of these. Facebook is widely used worldwide.

The backbone of social network sites consists of visible profiles that

display an articulated list of friends who are also users of the system. Profiles are
unique pages where one can type itself into being. After joining a site, an individual
is asked to fill out forms containing a series of questions. The profile is generated
using the answers to these questions, which typically include descriptors such as
age, location, interests and an about me section. Most sites also encourage users
to upload a profile photo. Some sites allow users to enhance their profiles by adding
multimedia content or modifying their profiles look and feel. Other, such as
Facebook, allow users to add modules or applications that enhance their profile.

The visibility of a profile varies by site and according to user

discretion. By default, profiles on Orkut or hi5.com are crawled by search engines,
making them visible to anyone, regardless of whether or not the viewer has an
12

account. Alternatively, sites like MySpace allow users to choose whether they want
their profile to be public of Friends only. Facebook takes a different approach-by
default, users who are part of the same network can view each others profiles,
unless a profile owner has decided to deny permission to those in their network.
Structural variations around visibility and access are one of the primary ways that
social network sites differentiate themselves from each other.

After joining a social network site, users are prompted to identify others
in the system in which they have a relationship. The label for these relationships
differs depending on the site popular terms include Friends, Contacts and
Fans. Most social network sites require bi-directional confirmation for friendship,
but some do not. These one-directional ties are sometimes labelled as Fans or
Followers but many sites call these Friends as well. According to Boyd (2006),
the term Friends can be misleading, because the connection does not necessarily
mean friendship in the everyday vernacular sense, and the reasons people connect
are varied.

The public display of connections is a crucial component of social

network sites. The Friends list contains links to each Friends profile, enabling
viewers to traverse the network graph by clicking through the Friends list. On most
sites, the list of friends is visible to everyone who is permitted to view the profile,
although there are exceptions.

Most social network sites also provide a mechanism for users to leave
messages on their Friends profiles. This feature typically involves leaving
13

comments although sites employ various labels for this feature. In addition, social
network sites often have a private messaging feature similar to webmail. While both
private messages and comments are popular on most of the major social network
sites, they are not universally available.

Beyond profiles, Friends, comments and private messaging, these sites vary
greatly in their features and user base. Some have photo-sharing or video sharing
capabilities; others have built-in blogging and instant messaging technology.

While social network sites are often designed to be widely accessible, many
attract homogenous populations initially, so it is not uncommon to find groups using
sites to segregate themselves by nationality, age, educational level, or other factors
that typically segment society, even if that was not the intention of the designers.

b. Social Network Sites have favourable effects

A favorable aspect of social networking sites is their ability to connect people
of seemingly different culture, background and living location despite the glaring
distance in between, promoting intercultural relations and stronger ties. It also
increases the chance for single individuals to find their potential partners and with
such a vast array to choose from, nonetheless. But even with these obvious
advantages, there is still the looming threat of the misuse of these websites. A
pressing danger is those of internet sexual predators, who use these networking
14

sites to lure in potential victims, most of which are children ranging from nine to
seventeen years old, sometimes even younger.
Wikipedia reports that social networks are also being used by teachers and
students as a communication tool. Because many students are already using a
wide-range of social networking sites, teachers have begun to familiarize
themselves with this trend and are now using it to their advantage. Teachers and
professors are doing everything from creating chat-room forums and groups to
extend classroom discussion to posting assignments, tests and quizzes, to assisting
with homework outside of the classroom setting. Social networks are also being
used to foster teacher-parent communication. These sites make it possible and
more convenient for parents to ask questions and voice concerns without having to
meet face-to-face.
c. Social network sites have adverse effects
Dr. Himanshu Tyagi forwarded the idea that sites like Facebook and MySpace
could be harmful for the young people that frequent them. According to him, the
problem is that when teens begin to live their lives actively online, they may begin
to put less value on their own real lives.

Social networking in the middle and high school and even college can
become a detriment to education. Attention and popularity is the most important for
which most of them tend to misuse social networking sites and use them for
socializing and meeting new people instead of using it for educational purposes. It
tends to become a distraction to these kids; they tend to pay more attention to
these sites instead of the teachers.
15

Not only do social networking sites affect ones academic performance

negatively, they are also causes of damage in a students chance of being
successful in the future.

Tim Pychyl, an associate professor of psychology at Carleton University, says

the problem with using Facebook and other commercial social networking tools goes
beyond the privacy concerns. He argues that while discussion groups, chat, blogs,
and email can be valuable tools in the classroom, using commercial products such
as Facebook and Twitter can lead to distraction and procrastination. Because these
social networking tools can be used to follow friends and celebrities, view pictures,
chat and play games, they can create problems in the classroom.

The National School Boards Association (USA) in partnership with research

firm Grunwald Associates LLC and the support of Microsoft, Newscorp and Verizon
has just published a data-rich survey dissecting social and education related activity
patterns by American students. In about 1 in 5 (22%) of all students surveyed, and
about one in three tens (31 %) are nonconformists, students who report breaking
one or more online safety and behaviour rules, such as using inappropriate
language, posting inappropriate pictures, sharing personal information with
strangers of pretending to be someone they are not.

These nonconformists are significantly heavier users of social networking

sites than other students, participating in every single type of social networking

16

activity surveyed (28 in all) significantly more frequently than other students both
at home and at school-which likely means that they break school rules to do so.

B. Online Gaming

The existence of games as a source of interaction and individual

stimulation have always been linked to the technological availability of the time and
place. With the transition to a information-based society, computers and computer
games have evolved from monstrous room-sized computing machines to complex
multi-use personal computers. Much has been improved from the first computer in
game in 1962 called the Space War to the MMOPRG (Massively Multiplayer Role
Playing Games) which was introduced in 1997 and is taking up everyone by storm.
In MMOPR, countless number of people can interact and work together to create a
massive virtual representation of reality. This increase in virtual worlds have been
found out to instigate social interaction and communication.

Online gaming provides emotional escape and relief from high intervals of
stress and social interaction. Since college students continue to actively meet an
endless array of deadlines, stress becomes an innate aspect of college life. With the
simultaneous exposure of an intense social atmosphere, many students are fearful
to expose themselves as shy and vulnerable human beings. The games allow
people to protect themselves from the real world, both socially and emotionally,
while stimulating excitement. Thus, online gaming is a source of addiction.

17

It is important to stress that many people focus on the negative effects of

these games and fail to see the opportunity for learning and growth. According to
Raise Smart Kids: The Good and Bad Effects of Video Games there are several
positive effects that come from spending time playing video games. Most games do
not teach kids math, history and other subjects, however, they do provide students
indirect opportunities to learn principles that can help them in their academic
pursuits. Certain types of video games can help train kids to follow instructions as
well as help them develop their problem solving and logical thought processes.
These skills translate directly to the classroom as students are asked by teachers to
complete tasks and are presented problems that require them to use logical
problem solving skills. Kids can also learn inductive reasoning and hypothesis
testing.

Excessive

computer

game

playing

can

wreck

players

academic

performances, along with exacting steep tolls on their personal relationships.

Psychotherapist Hilarie Cash notes playing computer games can cause the brain to
increase the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that stimulates pleasure.
Excessive game playing conditions players to keep playing for the dopamine rush,
prompting these players to neglect all other aspects of their lives. Richard Ries, a
psychology professor at the University of Washington cautions that not enough
studies have been conducted on intensive playing to classify this behaviour as an
addiction, noting the medical profession tends to view excessive computer gaming
as compulsive behaviour.

18

In a 2008 bulletin for the American Medical Association, Dr. Ronald M. Davis
cited a Swiss study which found that every hour children spent playing on computer
games each day, the risk of obesity doubled. In addition to the effects of prolonged
sedentary activity, KidsHealth notes many computer games require repeated
motions from players that puts stress on joints, tendons and muscles, increasing
their risk for suffering reprtitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and
tendinitis. In their paper "Working with Gamers: Implications for Counselors," Gerra
W. Perkins and her co-authors note that computers games' flashing images can
trigger epileptic seizures, even in players with no prior history of convulsions.

The effects of violent games on players' behavior remains a controversial

topic among researchers. Writing in "Review of General Psychology," Christopher J.
Ferguson, Ph.D., noted that despite initial concerns over violent computer games,
researchers found children who grew up with video gaming didn't exhibit increased
aggression as a whole. Patrick Markey, Ph.D., cautions that violent games tend to
exacerbate aggressive tendencies in players with specific personality traits. Using
the Five-Factor Model of personality, Markey found that players who scored low in
agreeableness and conscientiousness, while registering high levels of neurosis, were
likely to exhibit increased aggression after playing games which rewarded violent
behavior. Dr. L. Rowell Huesmann of the University of Michigan postulates that
violent computer games can affect children more subtly, desensitizing them to
violence over time and influencing them to believe violence is an acceptable
problem-solving method.

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games often require substantial

19

time commitments from players to develop alter egos and progress through openended game worlds. Many players join guilds, collectives of players within a game,
and the relationships players develop online can take precedence over their realworld relationships and obligations. Cash notes young players may devote
themselves so much to playing they neglect coursework, sabotaging their academic
careers

and

job

prospects.

C. Performance

On the point of academic performance or excellence, Tuckman (1975) said that

performance is used to label the observable manifestation of knowledge, skills,
concepts, understanding and ideas. Thereby, performance is the application of a
learning product that at the end of the process provides mastery. It is the acquisition
of particular grades on examinations indicates candidates ability, mastery of the
content, skills in applying learned knowledge to particular situations. A students
success is generally judged on examination performance. Wiseman (1961) added
that success on examinations is a crucial indicator that a student has benefited from
a course of study.

In schools and other educational institutions, success is measured by

academic performance, or how well a student meets standards set out by local
government and the institution itself. As career competition grows ever fiercer in the
working world, the importance of students doing well in school has caught the
attention of parents, legislators and government education departments alike.
20

Therefore, when the term low is integrated with academic performance, it

is the inability to acquire particular grades on examinations that indicated the
individuals mastery of the content, and skills in applying learned knowledge to
specific circumstances.

III.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The research is a descriptive study to gauge the relationship between social

networking sites and online gaming to academic performance of 2 nd year BS Nursing
Students in RTRMF, 2011. The study is interested to determine what is the effect of
those two variables to the grades of students. This study utilized standardized
testing instrument, which was administered to respondents. Statistical tool has been
applied to check the dependency of one condition to the other.

Research Environment

21

This study was conducted

at

Remedios

Trinidad

Romualdez

Medical

Foundation (RTRMF) located at Tacloban City. RTRMF is a tertiary school which

specializes in courses related to medical and health science, particularly BS
Research Environment, BS Medical Technology, BS Physical Therapy, BS Medicine
and BS Nursing. The school is a non-stock, non-profit and non-sectarian institution
which was established in 1980 with the primary aim of solving the shortage of
doctors in Eastern Visayas and to make medical education accessible to students in
the region.
The school was chosen as the setting of the study for its advantage in terms
of accessibility and familiarity with the environment and the respondents.

Research Instrument

A survey was developed containing three sections of closed response (e.g

yes/no and Likert-type scaling) and open-responsive items. Section 1 of the
instrument asked respondents to provide demographic information (e.g name,
course, age, sex). Section 2 invited students to provide academic information (GWA,
number of hours spent studying, extracurricular activities). Section 3 asked about
computer and Internet usage (number of hours spent in the internet for social
network sites, and number of hours spent in the internet for computer games, social
network sites they visit, type of computer games they play). The fourth section
solicited information related to students perceptions of the impact of social network
sites on their own academic achievement. The fifth section gathered information on
22

the students perceptions on the impact of online games to their own academic
achievement. The test was administered for 10 minutes. We also interviewed the
respondents as to specific questions in the survey.

Research Instrument Validation

Validity

evidence

for

the

instrument

was

provided

by

reviewing

the

questionnaire for the following: (1) Clarity in wording, (2) relevance of the items, (3)
use of standard English, (4) absence of biased words and phrases, (5) formatting of
items, and (6) clarity of the instructions (Fowler, 2002). The team members used
these guidelines to review the instrument. Based on their comments, the instrument
was revised prior to administration.

Research Locale

The study will be conducted at RTRMF Tacloban City, with its concern on 2 nd
year BS Nursing students.

Respondent

Sixty students from the different section of 2 nd year BS Nursing enrolled at

RTRMF during 1st semester AY 2011-2012 will be the respondents of the study. These
respondents are composed of various individuals who differ in age, sex, preferences,
23

social status and the likes will be randomly chosen from the sections comprising the
2nd year level.

Data Gathering Procedure

Respondents were recruited by visiting classes and asking for volunteers to
complete surveys in the 2nd semester of 2011-2012. Permission from instructors was
obtained prior to visiting the classes. The sampling method began as a convenience
sample, which eventually developed into snowball sampling as students began
referring their friends who were willing to be respondents of the study. A script to
introduce the study, explain the consent process and recruit respondents was
followed. A description of the instructions was also included at the top of the study,
as well as an introduction of the group. The survey took approximately 15-20
minutes to complete. Students completed and returned the survey at the time of
recruitment.

Statistical Analysis

Data analysis was both quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data

(means, standard deviations, frequencies, percentages) were analyzed. Aside from
basic descriptive analyses, the main analytic technique implemented was an
analysis of variance (ANOVA) which was used to examine the relationship between
use of social networking sites and online gaming to academic performance.

24

IV.

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

I.

Demographic Profile

Table 1.1 Distribution of Respondents by Sex

Sex

Frequency

Percentage

Male

12

20%

Female

48

80%
25

TOTAL

60

100%

The results in Table 1.1 shows the distribution of sex of the respondents. Results
show that among the 60 respondents, 80% are female, while the remaining 20% are
male. The disparity in the equal distribution of gender can have an effect on the
results of the study.
Table 1.2 Distribution of Respondents by Age
Age

Frequency

Percentage

16-17

15

25%

18-19

33

55%

20-above

12

20%

TOTAL

60

100

Shown in Table 1.2 is the Distribution of Respondents by Age. Since the respondents
came from a class of 2nd year nursing students, another way to describe them would
be to group them by age. Based on the results, majority of our respondents are
aged from 18-19, followed by 20-above age group. The mean and mode age is 18.

II.

Academic Information

Table 2 :GWA for 1st Semester of the Respondents

GWA

Frequency

Percentage

1.6-2.0

15%

2.1-2.5

27

45%
26

2.6-3.0

24

40%

TOTAL

60

100%

One of the variables of the study was the academic performance of the
students. This is a constant factor that will be the basis of determining if their
gaming and social networking pattern has an impact on their grades. For purposes
of this research, we shall use the General Weighted Average for 1 st semester of our
respondents. The highest GWA is 1.96, while the lowest is 2.89. The mean GWA of
our respondents is 2.380.
The results show that 45% of our respondents GWA fall within the 2.1 to
2.5 range. The other 40% belonged to the 2.6 to 3.0 range, while the remaining
15% form part of the 1.6-2.0 range.
It should be stressed however that there could be other factors which
could have affected the GWA of the students which includes study habits, the
technicality of the course, pressures from family/peer and others.
Figure 1: How many hours do you spend studying in a day?

27

Figure 1: Hours Spent Studying in a Day

1 hour and below

2-4 hours
5-beyond

As part of the academic information of the respondents, we asked as to

how long they study in a day. Majority of them 58% said they spend 2-4 hours of
study in a day while 42% said consume 1 hour of study. None of them respond that
they study 5 hours and beyond.

Figure 2: Extra-curricular activities involvement

18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Theater Arts

Literature

Sports

Club

None

28

The research also inquired on extra-curricular activities the respondents were

involved in. Results are presented in Figure 2. The majority of the are involved in
sports, followed by literature, club and theatre arts. Only 10% claim not to be
involved in any extra-curricular activities. Those belonging to this group said they
felt pressured by their lessons thus they need to focus on their studies. The others
said playing online games is the only thing that takes up their time when they are
not studying.
We talked to those who are involved in extra-curricular activities and they
said that it is important for them to have a life outside social networking sites so
they can update their status with whatever it is that is happening in their daily lives.

III.

Assessment of the Gaming Behaviour

Table 3.1 Time Spent on Online Gaming (per day) of the Respondents
Time

Spent

on

Frequency

Percentage

1 minute-1 hour

44

73%

2-5 hours

11

18%

5-9 hours

8%

10 hours-beyond

TOTAL

60

100%

Online Gaming

In order to establish the pattern of online gaming behaviour, we asked the

respondents how long do they usually engage in online gaming on a daily basis.
29

Results of the study showed that 73% said that they spend up to an hour of online
gaming daily, while 18% claimed that they can go from 2-5 hours of online playing
each day. Notably, 8% are heavy online gamers.
However, it is essential to note that the said figure is only a modest
estimate of their game time in a day. Some students said they play up to 8 hours
especially on a weekend. But on weekdays, they only devote 1-2 hours to play.
Among those who said they play 5-9 hours, they said that they only play
at night-time but they still attend their classes. Those who were engaged in online
games were observed to be thrill seekers. They play computer games because they
are after the friendly competition they have with their peers, and the challenge and
excitement of winning.
However, there were some who claimed they have moved out of their
heavy online gaming habit. One of them said I was into heavy gaming in high
school but when I entered college my priorities changed. My course (BS Nursing) is
a demanding course that requires lots of time to study and attend to school
requirements.

Table 3.2 Type of Computer Games Played

Type of Computer
Games Played

Frequency

Percentage

Facebook Games

29

48%

MMORPG

6.67%

First-person shooter
games

13%

30

Adult/gambling/erot
ic games

Puzzle/strategy
games

10

16.67%

Racing/stimulation
games

5%

*Facebook games &

MMORPG

6.67%

*Facebook
games,MMORPG &
shooter games

3%

TOTAL

60

100%

Playing online gaming is a widely-used leisure activity by students,

male and female alike. We wanted to determine what type of online games our
respondents are addicted to and how certain students perceive each game genre.
As shown in Table 2.2, majority of the respondents are into Facebook
games. The social networking sites known as Facebook features more than a way to
connect with friends-it is also known for a myriad of activities and Facebook games
for various age groups. It offers simulation games, card games and board games.
Cityville and Farmville, are the most popular Facebook games. These features a
wide array of virtual world application, similar to simulation games. Users are into
these games due to great graphics and a low yearning curve. The results show that
48% of the population are engaged in Facebook games.
A female respondent said although she does not play Farmville for an
hour or more, she visits her farm multiple times daily. She said she like the game
because it puts her in a virtual world she can brag and compare with her friends.

31

Puzzle/strategy games make up for 16.67% of our respondents. The

most common one are online Sudoku and Tetris. These type of games stimulate the
mind by presenting challenges and puzzles to the player. Students dig this game
type because it keeps the mind active and alert. Others claim these games are
relaxing and soothing.
First-person shooter games are also popular among our respondents,
as 13% of them are into this genre. The most common shooter games are
Counterstrike, Special Force and Call of Duty. Respondents say they prefer shooter
games because they are easy to understand and to play. It gives them a high
entertainment value.
Five percent of the population prefer racing games respectively. Racing
games are those in which a player partake in a racing competition with any type of
land, air or sea vehicles. One of the most common racing game is Gran Turismo.
The remaining 6.67% are into MMORPG. This is another genre of
computer game, where the players role play animated characters while interacting
with many other users online simultaneously. The World of Warcraft (WOW) is one of
the more famous MMORPG games due to its widespread popularity. One of the
respondents said, Many people perceive it as an addicting game which leads to
lack of sleep and poor health. For me, playing Warcraft gives me greater enjoyment
and sense of reward from the game.
An interesting response came out of the survey and thus we were
forced to make two additional categories. 6.67 percent of the population said they
play both Facebook games and MMORPG while 3% play Facebook games, MMORPG
and shooter games altogether.
32

In summary, majority of the respondents are average online gamers who

prefer Facebook games. They log-in to their Facebook account both to check their
status updates and play games. One respondent says she only spend a few minutes
on the site, but she checks it frequently. Collectively, she could have spent a lot of
time in it.
Not one of the respondent said that they are into adult, gambling or any
erotic game. They said that is only for mature audience and that they perceive
themselves to be too young to engage in such.

Figure 3 Which do you do more, surf the net for schoolwork or play online games?

Surf the net for school

work
Play online games

To determine the behaviour of the respondents, the researcher asked if they

are more inclined to surf the internet for schoolwork or to play online games. The
results are presented in Figure 3:Which do you do more, surf the net for schoolwork
33

or play computer games? Results showed that 60% of the students would rather
play games with the computer rather than use it for school-related activities. One
respondent offered an explanation, We use the computer to relax and entertain,
but rarely for schoolwork. Most of our lessons are in the textbook anyway, so if I
would want to study, I would just read my books rather than surf the net for
schoolwork. I would not be able to resist playing online games and that would just
divide my time and attention.
However, the remaining 40% who answered that they would rather surf
the net for schoolwork says they use the internet to gain additional information on
their lessons. They say some medical terms require further reading and the internet
has a huge library for them to research on.

34

Still, the results show that students are more inclined to play online games than do
research

on

the

internet.

Figure 4:Do online games affect your academic performance negatively?

Yes
No

The researchers were interested to get the perception of the respondents as

to whether online gaming affect their academic performance negatively. Figure 4
showed that majority of the students claim that online gaming has no adverse effect
35

on their performance. These students claim that they are in control of their studies
and their gaming behaviour. One respondent even added, It will only affect your
grades negatively if you let it be. Discipline and time management is very
important. On hectic schedules and on examinations, I refrain myself from playing.
Those in the 30% who attest that online gaming has affected their academic
performance negatively said that it is because their attention and their time for
their studies has been divided.

Figure 5: Have you experienced circumstances where you play computer games when you are supposed to be studying?

Yes
No

In another situational question, the respondents were asked if they have

experienced circumstances where they play computer games when they are
supposed to be studying. Figure 5 presents the results where 60% of the students
said Yes.

36

It is hard to focus on studies when you keep thinking about your character or your
farm. Its so tempting to just sit beside the computer and play, confirmed one
respondent.
The remaining 40% suggested that it is only a matter of priority setting.
Though they admit to have the urge play, they said they try to resist it.

Figure 6: Compare your grades before you become engaged in computer games and after you have become involved. Do you see a drop in academic performance?

Yes
No

As for the question, Compare your grades before you have become
engaged in computer games and after you have become involved. Do you see a
drop in academic performance?, and as shown in Figure 6, most of the students
responded No. These respondents believe that playing computer games does not
have significant effect to their studies, and as further mentioned, if there is a
decrease in their academic performance, it could be due to other factors, but not
solely because of online gaming.

37

For the remaining 30% who said that involvement in computer games
have resulted to a drop in academic performance, they attributed this cause to poor
time management and lack of priority setting on their part, mainly because they
were engrossed in computer games.

Figure 7: Do you think you are addicted to online games?

Yes
No

The respondents were asked their insight as to whether they think

they are addicted to online games. The results were astonishing. As presented in
Figure 7, 80% of the respondents say they perceive themselves not addicted to
online games. One respondent said, I may play a lot of Facebook games but it is
only for fun. So far, I have not yet neglected any of my school obligations because
of it. Wikipedia defines computer addiction as excessive use of computers to the
extent that it interferes with daily life. Excessive use may explain problems in social
interaction, mood, personality, work ethic, relationship, thought processes, or sleep
deprivation.

38

Whereas, only 20% said they believe they are already addicted to
computer games. A male respondent offered an explanation. He said, I think I am
addicted to computer and online games because I play it every day and I think I
cannot live without it.

Figure 8: Do you think your time for studying is reduced because of the time you spent for online gaming?

Yes
No

As for the question, Do you think your time for studying is reduced
because of the time you spent for online gaming?, we got mixed response, as 52%
claimed that their time for studying has indeed been reduced while the remaining
48% says the opposite.
Among the 52% of respondents who said their time for study has been
reduced also reported that playing games has caused them to stay up late and get
less sleep.

39

Those who said their time for studying has been reduced further stressed
that although their time for studies has been reduced, their grades have not been
affected.

IV.

Assessment of Social Networking Pattern

Socializing via the Internet has become an important part of young adult
life. Related literature shows that adolescents and young adults are the heaviest
computer and internet users, primary using it social network sites. The research
looked into the behaviour of the respondent in terms of Internet use for social
network sites.

Table 4.1 Time Spent on Social Networking Sites of Respondents

Time Spent on
Social
Networking Sites

Frequency

Percentage

1 minute-1 hour

46

76.67%

2-5 hours

11

18%

5-9 hours

5%

10 hours-beyond

TOTAL

60

100%
40

The researchers were interested to know the time spent on social

networking sites of our respondents. Youth and students use social networking sites
as a means of interaction, socializing and for purely entertainment purposes.
Table 3.1 presents the results. Majority of the respondents or 76.67% consume an
average of one hour internet usage on social networking sites per day while 18%
extend up to 5 hours. The remaining 5% are heavy users of social networking sites.
One respondent said that she frequently checks her social networking account to
check for any updates. According to Facebook statistics, an average Facebook user
spends more than 55 minutes a day on the site, thus most of our respondents fall
under the average user group. As evidenced above, social network sites is
undoubtedly a popular time-consuming activity for most of our respondents.

Table 4.2 Type of Social Networking Sites Frequently Visited

Social
Networking Sites

Frequency

Percentage

Facebook

55

91.67%

Twitter

1.67%

Others

6.67%

TOTAL

60

100%

Social networking sites are being patronized for increasing connection between
strangers and friends, and the other features it offers.
41

The most common social networking site is Facebook, with 91.67% of our population
are users of this site. The site was created by Mark Zuckerberg to help residential
college and university students identify students in other residence halls. It is
described as an online directory that connects people to social networks at colleges
and universities. Currently, there are more than 350 million active users of the site.
Meanwhile, the remaining 6.67% are into other social networking sites not specified
in the survey, while 1.67% is into Twitter.
One respondent confessed, Browsing through my Facebook account is very
entertaining. You would not notice that time has passed by. I update my status from
time to time, check on my friends updates and chat with my online friends. It is a
great way to relax.

Figure 9: Which do you do more; surf the net for school work or for entertainment?

School work
Entertainment

42

In reference to the discussion above in computer games, we also asked the students
if they are more inclined to use the internet for school work or for entertainment. As
presented in Figure 9, 60% of the students said they use it for social network sites
while only 40% claim to use it for school work. One student shared, Actually, I do
both. I do my research on the internet for school and check into my Facebook
account at the same time. I have practiced the habit of multi-tasking. In that way, I
can do two things at a time.
Related studies define multi-tasking as the simultaneous execution of two or more
processing activities at the same time. The current generation has through practice
developed the ability to quickly switch between different tasks or different media.
However, this does not mean that

Figure 10: Social Networking Sites Affect Academic Performance Adversely

40
35
30
Social Networking Sites
Affect Academic
Performance

25
20
15
10
5
0
Positively

Negatively

Uncertain

We also asked the respondents their perception as to whether they

think social networking sites affect academic performance. The results show that
52% of the respondents said that being hooked to social networking sites affected
43

their performance negatively. In addition, these students reported that they feel not
being in complete control of their Internet use and that it has hurt their time for
schoolwork. They said they have spent more hours online than necessary and that
they are more likely to stay up late and get less sleep.
Meanwhile, 46% percent said that social networking site has no effect
on their academic performance. These students claim that leisure and study are two
different activities and they are in total control of the time they devote for the two
activities. During interviews, participants reported they keep the website open in a
browser almost all of the time they are using the computer to study. They said they
would sometimes take a peek on the site just to check if there are new updates but
they would immediately go back to studying after. For this students, the use of
Facebook and other sites is not a separate activity, but rather, something that the
students carry our while studying or during lectures.

Figure 11: Do you find it hard to concentrate on schoolwork knowing that you can log in to your Facebook account?

Yes
No

44

The research also wanted to know if students can maintain their

addiction to social network sites. Thus, we asked, Do you find it hard to
concentrate on schoolwork knowing that you can log in to your Facebook account?
and the results are interpreted in Figure 11. Based on the graph, 76% said that they
have no problem maintaining their focus on their studies even if they know that
they can visit Facebook if they want to. These students introduced to us the concept
of multi-tasking. They reported that they check Facebook and study at the same
time without losing their focus or feeling interrupted. One student said, I enjoy this
kind of scheme because I do not feel burdened with my lessons if I can check
Facebook once in awhile while I am reading my book.
Another student shed light, If I am cramming for an exam or a
deadline, I see to it that I do not get disturbed by Facebook.
The remaining 24% said that if they would not be able to open Facebook,
they would not feel at ease that is why they have made a compromise with
themselves that they will open the site but they will still study.

45

Figure 12: Comparison of grades before engaging in social networking sites

Yes
No

Another survey question on social network site was: Compare your

grades before you become engaged in social networking sites and after you became
involved. Did you see a drop in your academic performance? (Please consider even
the slightest bit of slip).
The responses of the students were analyzed and presented in Figure 12.
As shown, 66% of the student maintained that engaging in Facebook and other
social network site has not affected their grades in anyway, while only 34% claimed
that their grades have lowered due to social network sites.

46

Figure 13: Do you think you are addicted to social networking sites?

Yes
No

The researchers asked the respondents if they think they are

addicted to social networking sites. The results are interpreted in Fig. 9: Do you
think you are addicted to social networking sites. Majority of the students or 68%
(34) responded No while only 32 (16%) responded Yes.
A respondent shared her thought, Although we frequently log-in to
social networking sites, we still do not think our behaviour is addictive. We think of
Facebook only as a way to spend our leisure time, but we still prioritize our studies
and school projects over it.
It can therefore be implied that social networking sites are only
addictive to people who cannot control themselves into constantly using these sites,
prioritize entertainment over schoolwork and gives too much attention to social
acceptance and affiliation.

47

Another respondent added, My Facebook status is important to me,

but my relationships with my friends and family are more essential. I try to spend
more time with them than by going online. Besides, what can I put into my account
if I do not have a social life outside of Facebook?
In the same light, it is interesting to note that the respondents value interpersonal
relationships and face-to-face conversations over their connections in the internet.

Figure 14: Perception on reduced time for studying due to social networking sites

Yes
No

Figure 10 presents the students response to the question Do you think your
time for studying is reduced because of the time you spent logging in to social
networking sites?. The results show that 54% (27) of the students perceive that
their time for studying has been reduced due to engagement to social networking
sites, while

46% (23) think otherwise. We therefore conclude that time

management is very important. Social networking sites can only affect academic
performance adversely if the students excessively engage in such activities instead
of managing his/her time wisely.
48

Such that, according to the result of this research, 100% of Facebook users
accessed their account daily, usually checking it several times to see if they had
received new messages and updates from their friends and other contacts, or to
play online games. The amount of time spent on Facebook at each log-in varied only
from just a few minutes to more than an hour. The time devoted into checking their
accounts is taken from the time for studying. This decline on the studying hours of a
student may result to poorer performances in exams, recitations, class discussions
and other academic activities. The time which could be spent reading, studying,
taking rests are spent playing, gaming, chatting, socializing and keeping up with
friends which may be done after they have finished their school requirements. This
shows that a lot of students have difficulty in prioritizing the most important things.
In the same manner, students also show the act of procrastination and
cramming because of social networking sites that exist in the present day. We
talked to our respondents and found out that the everyday habit of procrastination
and regular cramming of homeworks and studying of lessons have been the most
tremendous factor of acquiring substandard scores, the cause of which is the
excessive usage of social networking sites.
Table 5: Analysis of Variance
Source
of
variation

DF

SS

MS

Interpretati
on

Decision

Factor
I:Social
Network
Site

0.036

0.018

0.31538

<.1

Not
Significant

Accepte
d

49

Factor
II:Online
Gaming

0.0667

0.0667

1.16865
7

<.1

Not
Significant

Accepte
d

Interacti
on

0.0653

0.03265

0.57206
4

<.1

Not
Significant

Accepte
d

Within

54

3.082

0.05707
4

Total

59

3.25

To test and verify the hypotheses made in the study, the F values for
Factor 1 (social network sites), Factor 2 (online gaming) and the interaction of these
two factors should be compared to the corresponding probability values of F (P
column). For social network sites, F value of 0.31538 is less than 2.404 at 10% level
of significance, with degrees of freedom set at (2/54). This means that the students
perceive that engagement to social networking sites has no significant effect on
academic performance. Factor 2 (online gaming) shows the same result. For online
gaming, 1.168657 F value is less than the 2.801 based on 10% significance level,
with degrees of freedom set at (1/54). Therefore, online gaming provides no direct
and significant effect on academic performance of students. The interaction of both
social network sites and online gaming does not affect academic performance. This
is only logical because the two factors do not have a separate main effect on the
independent variable. Based on Table on Analysis of Variance, F value of 0.52064 is
less than the P value 2.404 at 10% significant level, with degrees of freedom 2/54.
For that reason, the interaction of the dependent variables of the study has no
significant effect on the independent variable.
Therefore the entire null hypothesis that were formulated are accepted:

50

1. There is no significant relationship between indulgence in social networking

sites and academic performance of 2nd year BS Nursing students. (ACCEPTED)
2. There is no significant relationship between online gaming and academic
performance of 2nd year BS Nursing students (ACCEPTED)
3. There is no significant relationship between engagement in social networking
sites and online gaming on academic performance of 2 nd year BS Nursing
students. (ACCEPTED)

V.

SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary
Social networking sites and online gaming are two popular recreational
activities students and youth engage in. Related literature suggests that these
factors, separately, may have an adverse effect on academic performance,
however, others say it has no effect.
The main objective of the research was to determine the relationship
between indulgence in social networking sites and online gaming and its effect on
academic performance. The study focuses on individual and combined relationship
among engagement in social networking sites, online gaming and academic
performance on 2nd year BS Nursing students. Specifically, it aims to answer the
following:

51

1. Is there a significant difference between social networking involvement and

academic performance of 2nd year BS Nursing students?
2. Is there a significant difference between exposure to online gaming and
academic performance of 2nd year BS Nursing students?
3. Which of the two factors affect the students the most?
The following hypothesis were tested.
4. There is no significant relationship between Social Networking Involvement
and Academic Performance of 2nd year BS Nursing students.
5. There is no significant relationship between Exposure to Online Gaming and
Academic Performance of 2nd year BS Nursing students.
6. There is no significant difference between Social Networking Involvement and
Exposure to Online Gaming of 2nd year BS Nursing students.
A total of 60 BS Nursing students were chosen as respondents from the total
population enrolled during the 1 st semester of school year 2011-2012. The
respondents were chosen through convenience sampling.
A survey was developed to assess the perception of students. The questionnaire
was properly validated and were used to gather the data needed in the study.
Basis for academic performance is the General Weighted Average of the students as
deemed most relevant to the researchers. Analysis of variance was used in
interpretation of data.

Findings

52

The purpose of the research was to determine whether online gaming and social
network sites have an impact on the academic performance of 2 nd year BSN
students in RTRMF.
It has been reported that the respondents are more addicted to social network sites
than to online games. This can be attributed to the fact that majority of the
respondents are female.
The findings of the study reported that moderate and heavy users of social network
sites and those who frequent online gaming spends fewer hours per week studying
than average and mild users.
Further, mild and moderate users reported comparable average daily use of social
network sites and game play. Also, majority of these users claimed to use their
accounts daily and multiple time per day, with many saying they spend between 45
minutes to one hour per day.
The researchers would like to reiterate however, that the results of the study are
solely based on self-reports of the student and that the respondents were not
subjected in an experimental setting to measure the number of times they devote
for internet use and online gaming.
Based on the result of the statistical method applied, the following findings were
derived:
1. There is no significant relationship between indulgence in social network sites
and academic performance.
2. There is no significant relationship between students online gaming habit
and academic performance.
53

3. There is no significant relationship between indulgence in social networking

sites and online gaming on academic performance.
It should be noted that the students reported a decrease in their study time
because of these two recreational activities but its impact on academic performance
was not established.

Conclusion
Based on the findings there is no relationship among the three factors studied,
social networking site indulgence, online gaming and academic performance.
Meaning, being addicted to social networking site and online games does not
necessarily translate to impaired grades.
However, the researchers feel that there were so many factors left unaddressed and
that it is not enough to make a conclusion at this point. We would also like to stress
that there might be other factors that could affect academic performance, as well as
use of social networking sites and online gaming.
For example, certain personalities are more inclined to use social networking sites
and online games. Also, time could be a factor. It could be that some students are
too busy with their academic lives to engage in and be active with their online social
profile or that playing games is not a priority. This is a topic that could use specific
future research.
Further, we have made additional conclusions on the internet-use of students:

54

1. Students are indeed capable of playing with technology, but they are not
using it efficiently. With the current technological trends, it may make it
easier to engage in multiple activities while trying to study.
2. Quantity is not as important as quality when it comes to technology use and
student achievement. When the quality of technology use is not closely
monitored or ensured, computer use may do more harm than good to student
achievement in school. Further, too much recreational internet use can lead
to impaired academic performance because the student losses focus and
time in studying.
3. Time management and setting of priorities is very important so that our
students will not be robbed of their time to study because they are already
hooked to social networking sites. Interruptions has been found out to result
to higher workload, more stress, higher frustration, more time pressure and
effort.
Finally, the study also yielded some interesting qualitative results:
1. First, majority of those who use social networking sites or play online games
reported that it did not impact their academic performance to not using these
sites or play online games for such an effect to occur. They also emphasized
that academics was a priority for them.
2. For those who reported a negative impact, the majority relate it to
procrastination behaviour on their party. These students reported having poor
time management skills and that using social network sites or playing online
allows them to put off studying while not giving them the feeling that they
are not working, evidenced by their statements that these is also beneficial to
their learning.

55

3. Clearly, they place the locus of control of their social network use and online
gaming and its effect outside of these two factors and in their own
personalities.

Recommendation
After

interpretation

and

analysis

of

data

gathered,

we

these

are

our

recommendations:
1. Parents should encourage the educational use of technology to improve
academic achievement.
2. It is necessary that the results of the study be re-analyzed and presented in
another paper. The overall consensus of the researchers is that more
research needs to be done and that questioned relationship between social
networking sites, online gaming and academic performance remains largely
unanswered.
3. The use of internet for social networking sites and online gaming is a multifaceted phenomenon where there are many factors that can influence each
other. This research only exposes the top of the iceberg, but as with all
icebergs-though we cannot see what is under the tip, we know it is there and
we know that it can cause damage if not heeded.

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Chowdhry, A. (2009, April 14). Ohio State Researcher Aryn Karpinski Conducts Study
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Davis, M.R. (2008, June 9). Friend or Foe? Balancing the Good and Bad of SocialNetworkingSites. Retrieved October 12, 2011 from
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59

ANNEX A: LETTER REQUEST TO CONDUCT STUDY

60

ANNEX B: COVER LETTER TO RESPONDENTS

ANNEX C: QUESTIONNAIRE

61

Section I:
Name: ______________

Year Level/Section:_______

Age:________

Gender:___________

Section 2:
1. Please provide us with your General Weighted Average (GWA) for the 1 st
semester AY 2011-2012: _____________
2. How many hours do you spend studying in a day?
o 1 hour and below
o 2-4 hours
o 5 hours and beyond
3. What extracurricular activities are you engaged in?
o Theatre Arts (acting, singing, dancing)
o Literature-related (reading and writing)
o Sports
o Club participations
None
Section 3:
1. At an average, how many hours do you spend on social networking sites per
day?
o 10 hours and beyond
o 5-9 hours
o 2-5 hours
o 1 hour and below
2. At an average, how many hours do you spend on online gaming per day?
o 10 hours and beyond
o 5-9 hours
o 2-5 hours
o 1 hour and below
3. Which social networking site do you visit frequently?
o Facebook
o Twitter
o Others ______
4. What kind of computer games do you subscribe to?
o Facebook games (Farmville, Cityville, Restaurant City, Sims Social etc)
o Massive Multiplayer Role Playing Games (Warcraft)
o First-person shooter games (Counterstrike)
o Adult/gambling/erotic games (Poker Online)
o Puzzle Games (Tetris)
o Racing games (Need for Speed, Gran Turismo)

62

Section 4:
1. Which do you do more?
o Surf the net for schoolwork
o Surf for entertainment
2. Do social networking sites affect your academic performance?
o Positively
o Negatively
3. Have you experienced circumstances where you attend to these social
networking sites when you are supposed to be studying?
o Yes
o No
4. Do you find it hard to concentrate on your schoolwork knowing that you can
log in to your Facebook account?
o Yes
o No
5. Compare your grades before you become engaged in social networking sites
and after you have become involved. Do you see a drop in your academic
performance?
o Yes
o No
6. Do you think you are addicted to social networking sites?
o Yes
o No
7. Do you think your time for studying is reduced because of the time you spent
for social networking sites?
o Yes
o No

Section 5:
1. Which do you do more?
o Surf the net for schoolwork
o Play computer games
2. Does online games affect your academic performance?
o Positively
o Negatively
3. Have you experienced circumstances where you play computer games when
you are supposed to be studying?
o Yes
o No
4. Do you find it hard to concentrate on your schoolwork knowing that you can
play computer games?
o Yes
o No
63

5. Compare your grades before you become engaged in computer games and
after you have become involved. Do you see a drop in your academic
performance?
o Yes
o No
6. Do you think you are addicted to computer games?
o Yes
o No
7. Do you think your time for studying is reduced because of the time you spent
for online games?
o Yes
o No

ANNEX D: COMPUTATIONS

A2

B2

(High
SNS, High
Gaming)

C
(Low
SNS,
High
Gamin
g

(Moderate
SNS, High
Gaming)

C2

D
(Low
Gami
ng,Hi
gh
SNS)

D2

(Low
gaming,
moderat
e SNS)

Low
gaming,
low SNS

2.7

7.29

2.4

5.76

2.9

8.41

2.5

6.25

2.6

6.76

2.9

8.41

2.7

7.29

2.6

6.76

2.5

6.25

2.5

6.25

2.2

4.84

2.8

7.84

2.9

8.41

2.8

7.84

2.8

7.84

2.6

6.76

2.8

7.84

2.6

6.76

2.8

7.84

64

2.9

8.41

2.8

7.84

2.9

8.41

2.9

8.41

2.7

7.29

2.8

7.84

2.8

7.84

2.6

6.76

2.7

7.29

2.9

8.41

2.5

6.25

2.7

7.29

2.8

7.84

2.8

7.84

2.7

7.29

2.8

7.84

2.7

7.29

2.6

6.76

2.5

6.25

2.8

7.84

2.4

5.76

2.8

7.84

2.8

7.84

2.9

8.41

2.6

6.76

27.1

73.87
8.20777
8

26.5

71.67

27.9

27.9

78.21

27.7

77.07

5.9725

9.3

78.23
3.129
2

27.9

2.208333

77.95
25.983
33

1.116

3.1284

1.108

3.0828

3.011111
734.41

165

702.25

778.41

1.116
778.4
1

27225

544.5

A+D

55

3025

A+B+C

81.5

B+E

54.4

2959.36

D+E+F

83.5

C+F

55.6

3091.36

SUM

778.41

767.29

457

SUM

9075.72

6642.
25
6972.
25
1361
4.5
567.2
708

567.2325

mputing for SSt

457

- (X)2
N
-

(165)2
60

3.25

mputing for SSw

457

(A2+B2+C2+D2+E2+F2)
- n
- (27.1)2 + (26.5)2 + (27.9)2 +(27.9)2 +(27.7)2
65

10

S
=

3.082

mputing for SSc:

Sc

(A+D)2 + (B+E)2 +(C+F)2

= n*2

Sc

(27.1+27.9)2 + (26.5+27.9)2
(27.9+27.7)2
= 10*2

Sc

(X)2
N
-

(165)2
60

0.036

mputing for SSr

Sr

(A+B+C)2 + (D+E+F)2
= n*3

Sr

(27.1+26.5+27.9)2
+(27.9+27.9+27.7)2
=
30

Sr

(x)2
N
-

(165)2
60

0.0667

mputing for SSc-r

c-

= SSt-SSw-SSc-SSr

c-

= 3.25-3.082-0.036-0.0667

c-

0.0653
66

67