CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The advert of modern technology has made a great impact on the lives of the

people.

Now, anywhere in the Philippines have internet cafes which children, teenagers

and even adults often visit. They visit those internet cafes to rent and use computers.

Agoo is one of the towns of Province of La Union here in Philippines. It has 5

college schools; one of these is DMMMSU-SLUC. It is located in the barangay of

Consolacion Agoo, La Union, near from Lourdes Grotto. Internet cafes like Biznis,

Curved internet café, Chateau, Rumros, JAVAMAZE internet shop and café, skype

techxonic computer café and many more are around the school. Students always visit

those computer cafes and serve as their rendezvous and hangouts during their free time.

For that matter, students tend to be addicted in computer, they stay longer and some are

cut and skip there class to be at the internet cafe to play computer games.

FarmVille is a real-time farm simulation game develops by Zynga, available as an

application on the social networking website FACEBOOK. The game allows member of

Facebook to manage a virtual farm by planting, growing and harvesting virtual crops,

trees, and livestock. Since its launch in June 2009, Farmville has become the most

popular game application on facebook with 72,015,037 active users on December 11,

2009. (www.answers.com/topic/farmville-facebook)

But how these game play? On beginning a farm, the player first creates a

customizable avatar. There are six plots of land, four which are in the process of growing

and two (eggplant and strawberry) which are fully grown.

 The game is based on the market, where item can be purchased: seeds, trees,

animals, buildings decorations, vesicles, and more land using coins, the generic money of

Farmville which is earned by selling crops, or cash which the player earned at a rate of

one dollar per experience level. (www.gamezebo.com/features/social-games/farmville)

Many people who used facebook and play FarmVille is thinking whether learning

how to play FarmVille is GOOD or BAD. Some says playing FarmVille on facebook is

good because it is a non-violent and educational computer game which played mainly by

the adult, but it is also a great computer game for the kids. They feel like they are giving

a go because it is a popular among adults and so they like “grown-ups”. Farmville on

facebook is a game you can let your teens and pre-teens with no worries. It is also a great

alternative to the violent and mindless computer games on line that kids and teenagers

like to play. A good example is the story of one mom, were she stated that, when her two

boys got interested in FarmVille, their passion for the violent computer game is replace.

She is happy to see her two boys merrily planting, and reaping, buying produces and

seeds, expanding their farms and generally become proficient virtual farmer. But other

says playing Farmville on facebook is not good, that is because they think the game is

boring, have a horrible graphics (it’s like these game is from the 80’s) and if you get too

addicted, you could, get caught spending your money and time in a game that are not

going to give you anything in return. Like spending real money to buy game money,

weapons, and other thing that help you in the game. Also they think that the game had no

objective, it is pointless. Probably facebook did not make an objective because once that

objective is reach the game is over and you can not play it anymore.
(www.gameolosophy.com/games/farmville-facebook-game-alternative-to-violent-

computer-games-for-kids/)

Statement of the Problem

The main objective of this study is to determine the effect of Farmville on

the academic performance of College of Sciences students in Don Mariano Marcos

Memorial State University- South La Union Campus, Agoo, La Union. Specifically, it

aims to answer the following question:

1. What is the personal profile of the participants as to:

a. Age

b. Civil Status

c. Course

d. Gender

e. Year Level

f. Weekly Family Income

g. Time spent in playing FarmVille

2. What is the academic performance of the College of Sciences students in DMMMSU-

SLUC, Agoo, La Union?

3. What is the relationship between the profile and academic performance of the

students?

4. Is there a significant relationship between the effect of playing FarmVille (good and

bad) and academic performance of the College of Sciences students of DMMMSU-

SLUC, Agoo, La Union?

5. What is the effect of FarmVille on the academic performance of College of Sciences

students in Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University- South La Union Campus,

Agoo, La Union?

Importance of the Study

For the students – this study hope to enlighten the effect of FarmVille to their

academic performance in school.

For the Parents – for the parents to guide their children in the entire thing they

do and to make sure that their children used their time wisely.

For the Councilors – they may use the result of this study as a basic for their

counseling, if they are encountering same problem in a student.

For the teachers – For them to became more vigilant in disciplining their

students for using their vacant time.

Scope and Delimitation

The researcher is focus only on the respondents who enrolled in SY 2009-2010 of

Don Mariano Marcos State University- South La Campus, particularly CS students who

is playing FarmVille. It analyzed the effect of FarmVille on the academic performance of

the CS students of DMMMSU-SLUC.

Definition of Terms

Academic performance – refers to the process by which the CS students

acquire knowledge and skills in attending the different subjects.

 Age- Refers to the number of years of the student as living since birth.

Civil status - It refers to the student whether they are single, married, widow

and separated.

Course – refers to the student course whether BS- Mathematics, BS- Biology or

BS- Psychology.

Gender – refers to the student sex whether male or female.

Respondent – refers to the student who chosen as a participant in the study.

Weekly family income – the money income that their family have in a week.

Year level - refers to the student year level whether first year, second year, third

year or fourth year.

Conceptual Framework

Technology is developed so much that it is almost crucial to have electronic

devices at home. Our life has gotten so used to have technology around us that we can not

imagine our lives without them. However, while having electronic devices at home could

be comfortable and handy at time, it could also have a negative effect on children’s,

especially teenagers. Parents usually buy computers for their children’s education

resource. But teenagers, who always seek fun activities around them, used computer to

play games, chat with friends and to catch up with the latest gossip on celebrities. And

before they know it, they are addicted to computer. Computer can cause teenagers to be

physically, and mentally ill. And the more the child spends more time on computer, the

more he or she loses time to focus on academics, and to talk to their family

(http://www.peerpapers.com/essays/Causes-Of-Computer-Addiction-Cause-

And/193324.html)
 Every time that I go to a computer cafe, I always saw users of computer playing

computer games. Usually computer used is for the education resource. But teenagers used

computer for playing games. One game that I always see playing by many teenagers

since it is launch on June 19, 2009 is FarmVille. FarmVille is a real-time farm

simulation game develops by Zynga, available as an application on the social networking

website FACEBOOK. The game allows member of Facebook to manage a virtual farm

by planting, growing and harvesting virtual crops, trees, and livestock. Since its launch in

June 2009, FarmVille has become the most popular game application on Facebook with

72,015,037 active users on December 11, 2009. (www.answers.com/topic/farmville-

facebook)

FarmVille is a fun and addicting game found on Facebook

(www.mahalo.com/farmville). Yes, it is an addicting and fun game because, I my self is

addicted to that game. I enjoy planting seed, and wait the seeds until they grow into crops

which I harvest to earn coins. I also perchance animals, trees and decorations to earn

more coin and make my farm beautiful.

Many things can do in playing FarmVille that may bring you to enjoy the game.

But as you enjoy the game you tend to be addicted also to that game until such the time

that you spend more time playing that game and lose more time to focus on your

academic performance.
Conceptual Paradigm

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Profile
Age Academic Performance
Civil Status of the College of
Course Sciences students in
Gender DMMMSU-SLUC
Year Level
Weekly Family Income
Time spent in playing
FarmVille

Effect of FarmVille

Figure 1: A Paradigm showing the interplay of variable of the study.

 CHAPTER 2

Review of Literature

Today almost all of us have electronic devices at home for us to be comfortable

and handy at times. But it also has a negative effect on children, especially teenagers.

Parents usually buy computers for their children educational resource. But teenagers who

always seek to fun activities around them use computer to play games, chat with their

friends and to catch up with the latest gossip on celebrities. And before they know it they

are already addicted to computer. Computer can cause teenagers to be physically, and

mentally ill, and the more the child spends more time on the computer, the more he or she

loses time to focus on academics, and to talk to their family.

Computers, video games, and the internet have become entrenched features of

our daily lives. Computer use has reached beyond work and is now a major source of fun

and entertainment for many people. For most people, computer use and video game play

integrated into their lives in a balanced healthy manner. For other time spent on the

computer or video game is out of balance, and has displaced work, school, friends, and

even family. (www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_gameaddiction.shtml)

When time spent on the computer, playing computer games or cruising the

internet reaches a point that is harm a child’s or adult’s family and social relationships, or

disrupt school or work life, that person may be caught in a circle of addiction. Like other

addiction, the computer or video game has replaced friends and family as a source of

person’s emotional life. Increasingly, to feel good, the addicted person spends more time

playing video games or searching the internet. Time away from the computer or game
causes moodiness or withdrawal. (www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?

showtopic=19726)

Every time that I go to a computer café, I always see many users of computer

playing computer games. Computer is created for educational purposes. But teenagers

use computer to play computer games. One game that I always see playing by many

teenagers is FARMVILLE. FarmVille is a real-time farm simulation game. Farmville is

the most popular game application on facebook with 72,015,037 active users on

December 11, 2009. (www.answers.com/topic/farmville-facebook)

FarmVille is a real-time farm simulation game develops by Zynga, available as

an application on the social networking website FACEBOOK. The game allows member

of Facebook to manage a virtual farm by planting, growing and harvesting virtual crops,

trees, and livestock. Since its launch in June 2009, FarmVille has become the most

popular game application on Facebook with 72,015,037 active users on December 11,

2009. (www.answers.com/topic/farmville-facebook)

It becomes one of the most popular applications on facebook generally 10

million users in less than a month. In FarmVille, players grow crops, Raise animals, put

buildings, and visit other player’s environments, while earning coins to unlock items that

help them advance. Coins and cash can also be purchased through PayPal, credit card and

mobile. (www.mahalo.com/farmville)

FarmVille ran on this way. In the beginning of the game, the player first creates

a customized avatar. There are six plots of land, four which are in the process of growing

and two (eggplant and strawberry) which are fully grown. (www.mahalo.com/farmville)
 The game is base around the market, where item can be purchased: seeds, trees,

animals, buildings, decorations, vehicles, and more land using ”coins”, the generic

money of Farmville which earned by selling crops, or “cash” which the player earn at a

rate of one dollar per experience level. A player can also choose to buy FarmVille coin or

cash from Zynga or get free bonuses by completing an offer from an advertisement. The

player earns experience points (XP) by purchasing items, and regular task as plowing,

planting and harvesting. Earning XP increases the player level, unlocking more items.

Most items can bought with coins, although some must be purchased with “cash”

(www.mahalo.com/farmville).

FarmVille is a popular game. Like Anna Leach on November 26, 2009 said,

Farmville is a Facebook application that let you sow, grow and harvest crops. It is

farming game and recently it became the most popular computer game in the world. Yes:

the world. You get a virtual patch of earth; earn money by farming with the option to buy

seeds, tools and ornaments if you want.