Abstract

This study aimed to know the Online Gaming influenced on academic performance of criminology student at bestlink college of the philippines. the research design, study respondents, sampling technique, instrument used in the study, construction of the questionnaire, validation of the instrument, administration and retrieval of the questionnaires, and statistical treatment of data. The study on the influence of online gaming on the academic performance of Criminology students at Bestlink College of the Philippines reveals that most respondents were aged 17–21 years (58%), male (56%), and single (90%), while the least represented groups were those aged 33–38 and legally separated (0%) and LGBTQ+ (9%). Findings show that students strongly agree that online gaming negatively affects academic performance (WM = 3.32), while also acknowledging its mixed effects on behavioral aspects (WM = 2.58) and cognitive skills (WM = 2.90), recognizing both benefits and risks; they further agree that gaming impacts physical health (WM = 3.20) and psychological well-being (WM = 3.12). Statistical analysis indicates that the null hypothesis was rejected across all variables, as computed t-values for academic performance (10.264), behavioral aspect (8.264), cognitive skills (11.339), physical health (9.147), and psychological effect (12.348) exceeded the critical value of 3.41 at the 0.05 level of significance, confirming significant differences in all tested dimensions. The primary problem identified was difficulty in accurately assessing the time students spend on online gaming (74%), while the least cited concern had 40%. To address these issues, respondents most strongly recommended conducting seminars or workshops on proper time management (90%), while strengthening school-parent collaboration received the lowest support (58%). the study concludes that online gaming significantly influences various aspects of criminology students’ lives at Bestlink College of the Philippines. While gaming can offer cognitive and recreational benefits, excessive or poorly managed gaming may negatively affect academic performance, health, and psychological well being. Therefore, structured guidance and institutional support particularly in time management are essential in promoting a healthy balance between gaming and academic success.