The Negative Effects of DotA 2 Online Game Addiction

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

In senior high school level, the technology and gadgets are one of the things that included

on their hobbies. As for their hobbies, they have chosen for playing the video games for make

them not bored. The video games that they have played has the two categories: the offline games

and the online games. The online games, a video game which is or can be played over a computer

network (now usually the Internet); especially one enabling two or more players to participate

simultaneously from different locations, while on offline games, it is a game not controlled by or

directly connected to a computer or the internet (Oxford Dictionaries, 2017). Mostly of the

students, they played the online games so that they can play with other peers on the use of internet

and WLAN connectivity. One of the famous online games that include to the teenagers’ choice is

the “Defense of the Ancient 2” as commonly known as DotA 2 (Steam.com). This game is one of

the most famous game in the world that most students played on it.

This chapter introduce what is DotA 2, the information about on this game and what are

the things for hot to play this online. This chapter also presents the background of the study,

conceptual framework, significance of the study, statement of the problem, definition of terms,

and scope and limitation of the study. It is contain about the negative effect of online gaming

addiction which is the DotA 2 among Grade 11 male students in STI College Surigao.
 The Negative Effects of DotA 2 Online Game Addiction

Background of the Study

The Defense of the Ancient 2 also known as DotA 2 was the most trending game. This

online game was adopted from the previous games, Worlds of Warcraft: The Reign of Chaos and

Worlds of Warcraft: the Frozen Throne. This game became well-known and everybody used as a

legal gambling and included as one of the electronic-sports nowadays (Gutierrez, 2015).

The DotA 2 is the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game, played in matches

with 10 players, grouped into 2 teams (the Radiant team and the Dire team), and each team

composed with 5 players. The players must have critical thinking in order to make the character

powerful. The players can choose only one “Hero” (character) among 112 given “Heroes” that has

different skills and categories, then focuses on levelling up, collecting gold, acquiring items and

fighting against the other team in order to achieve victory. The main objective to win on this game

is to destroy the enemy-defended stronghold which called “the Ancient”. It is needed for the

players to have focus on the game in order to improve the performance’s character in the certain

game. This game uses much of the players’ tactical and critical thinking for better to the higher

priority on the game.

There are things considered as this game to be addicted one, such as controlling the

characters and the graphical performances of this game. Just like the article from Young (2017),

the addiction process begins with a preoccupation with gaming. Gamer will think about the game

when offline and often fantasize about playing the game when they should be concentrating on

other things. Instead of thinking about the paper that needs to be completed for school, or going to

class, or studying at the library, the gamer becomes completely focused on playing the game.

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 The Negative Effects of DotA 2 Online Game Addiction

Gamer start to miss deadlines, neglect work or social activities as being online and playing the

game becomes their main priority.

That is why, the students give much focus on the game more than to their studies. The

students play this online game during vacant time or even on class hours. They making their unable

to do their assignment supposedly at home, instead, go to internet cafe and play DotA 2. They

spent too much time and money and for playing this and turned out to lack of concentration for

their next topic or lessons in school. Sometimes, they do cutting their classes just only to play

DotA 2. On that matters, the students did not give any importance regarding to their academic

performances in order to pass and achieve the academic excellence. If the addiction cannot prevent,

it can make the gamers or students fail the subjects and get failure marks. If this would happen,

the students will be drop and retake again the same senior grade.

In this study, the researchers focused on the impact of addiction of certain online game

which is the DotA 2 and what the things that include on the performance tasks to be affected and

inadequately for controlling themselves.

Conceptual Framework

Negative Effect of
Addiction in Online
Independent Dependent variable
Game
variable
Academic Performance
Poor grades
DOTA 2 of
Behavior
Grade 11 Male Students
Attitude
Financial Problem
Physical performance

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 The Negative Effects of DotA 2 Online Game Addiction

Statement of the Problem

Many students get easily attracted and being addicted to electronic devices especially

nowadays are technological-based teaching method which they used those modern devices for

delivering their lessons. As the students redundant learned for using the electronic devices, it is

redundant for them to operate gadgets and after find themselves learned on it and can search such

things.

This study will be conducted to investigate the negative effects of DotA 2 among the

academic performance of Grade 11 male students in STI College Surigao. To satisfy the purpose

of this study, the following questions were proposed:

1. Is DotA 2 online game really gives negative effect of addiction to the students;

2. What are the factors that DotA 2 can influence students and the youth about on this game;

3. Is this game can give bad effects on the behavior and attitude of the gamer/students;

4. Why are the reasons why students always play this game even they know it is addicted;

5. What are the other impacts of DotA 2 that can affect the physical and mental well-being of

Grade 11 students;

Definition of Terms

DotA 2 – also known as Defense of the Ancient 2; it is an online multiplayer game that

accessed via internet.

Gamer - the one who play online or offline games.

Hero/es – the character/s used in DotA 2 that has different skills and categories.

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 The Negative Effects of DotA 2 Online Game Addiction

Stronghold – defensible and durable structure

WLAN – wireless local area network;

Importance of the Study

The effects of so much addiction in DotA 2 online game has a greater potential duration of

bad effect to one’s student. This study will be conducted as a wake-up call about the said issue and

may help the following:

Parents - the result of this study can help the parents to know the reasons why their children

always play online games, got failed grades in random subjects, and always

stress from school regarding to their physical and mental aspects. This will also

help them to give knowledge for how to make their children lessen to play DotA

2 with the use of their strictly advice and console.

Students – to know the other way for how to control or stop them from playing DotA 2.

This study also help them to give alarm for the effect of so much addictive to

DotA 2 and start focus on their study and never to play this game.

Teachers - to give advice to their students who are addicted in DotA 2 online game to

lessen for playing on it; also help them expand their knowledge about the effects

of so much addiction of DotA 2.

School – to monitor the students for what are the things to be consider in order to lessen

the addiction of DotA 2. This will also help to give information about why the

students got failure marks on random subjects.

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 The Negative Effects of DotA 2 Online Game Addiction

Scope and Limitation of the Study

To fully disseminate this study about the negativze effects of addiction to online game

DotA 2, the researchers decided to spread their study on the following:

Focus- This study will be focusing on the possible negative effects of addiction to DotA 2

to its user’s health, mental well-being, and academic performances, and to lessen

the vulnerability of the gamers/students. It is important for them to be aware of

those things since it can affect to them and will be a hindrance to healthiness and

could ruin their physical and mental well-being.

Respondents- The researchers will be conducting interviews in each strand at STI College

Surigao - Senior High School with 50 Grade 11 male students. The researchers will

interviewing the students for those who knows how to play DotA 2 and who are

addicted on it. The researchers will able to know on any information that it has to

know. This study is limited only in information dissemination to the Senior High

Student of STI College Surigao which helps the researchers in gathering

information. The researchers will not include female respondents in this study.