What is it about?

This study investigates how excessive mobile gaming influences the academic performance of senior high school students in a Philippine public school. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the research combined survey data from 58 students with in-depth interviews involving 10 frequent mobile gamers to better understand both the statistical relationship and the personal experiences behind gaming behavior. The findings revealed that students who spent more time gaming and reported higher levels of gaming addiction generally achieved lower academic performance. Interviews showed that many students experienced sleep deprivation, physical fatigue, reduced concentration, procrastination, and difficulty managing school responsibilities despite recognizing the negative effects of excessive gaming. The study suggests that the relationship between gaming and academic performance is not simply a matter of time spent playing but is also influenced by self-regulation difficulties, cognitive fatigue, and reinforcement-driven gaming habits. These findings provide evidence that schools, teachers, parents, and guidance counselors can use to design interventions promoting healthier digital habits and stronger academic self-regulation among adolescents.

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Why is it important?

Mobile gaming has become one of the most common leisure activities among adolescents, yet many schools and families struggle to understand why some students continue gaming even when they know it negatively affects their studies. This research moves beyond simply showing that gaming and academic performance are related. By integrating quantitative evidence with students' lived experiences, it explains the behavioral and psychological processes that sustain excessive gaming, including sleep loss, cognitive fatigue, reinforcement mechanisms, and failures in self-regulation. The study also contributes evidence from a Philippine public school context, where relatively few mixed-methods investigations have been conducted. These findings can help educators, parents, policymakers, and researchers develop more effective educational programs, digital well-being initiatives, and school-based interventions that encourage responsible technology use while supporting student learning and academic success.

Perspectives

This study demonstrates that excessive mobile gaming should not be viewed solely as a recreational habit or a simple issue of poor time management. Instead, it represents a complex educational challenge involving motivation, cognitive load, sleep quality, behavioral reinforcement, and self-regulation. Addressing these issues requires collaboration among students, teachers, parents, school administrators, and guidance counselors rather than relying only on disciplinary measures or restricting technology use. Future research involving larger and more diverse student populations, longitudinal designs, and intervention studies can further strengthen understanding of how healthy digital habits can improve learning outcomes while allowing students to benefit from technology in balanced and responsible ways.

Mhel Cedric Bendo

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This page is a summary of: Mobile Game Addiction and Academic Achievement among Senior High School Students: A Convergent Mixed-Methods Study in a Philippine Public School, Journal of Research Innovation and Strategies for Education (RISE), August 2026, Malaysian Educational Technology and Innovation Organization,
DOI: 10.70148/rise.v3i4.4.
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