For as long as I can remember, I have pretty much never been without a controller in my hand. My first memory stems from when I was very young and my parents surprised me with my first handheld console, the Nintendo Gameboy Advance. 15 years later, my connection with the digital world is bigger than I ever expected.
Over the years we have seen so much stigma built around the obsession of video games and why we become so addicted. Some claim video games damage brain cells, distract us from our surroundings and isolate us from the real world, and this is a subject which I will continue to argue until the day I die. Because ultimately, my obsession and my addiction to the digital world has saved my life.
Video games have created communities among millions of enthusiastic gamers around the world. I believe that video games can provide people with a sense of worth, and a sense of pride and this is something specifically targeted towards RPG, MMORPGs, and Co-op titles. I invest a lot of my time into playing my favorite games with friends online, and it has impacted my mental health issues dramatically. I believe that building a social profile in the digital world can help you to develop on the outside. Video games have enabled me to develop leadership skills and development skills, specifically when playing role playing games such as Skyrim, The Witcher and Fallout. Games such as this provide you with a platform to develop, become stronger and be awarded for your efforts, and this is something people also strive for in the real world. However sometimes, reality isn’t so nice.
‘You could be outside, playing with friends, socialising’.
That sentence stills resonates with me after so many years and admittedly, a part of me does regret not spending more time making friends, because this is something I still struggle in dealing with. I was a very quite student in school and I know a lot of people who can relate to my behaviour during my time in education. Bullying is one of the worst things that impacted my life and it still does today, and of course bullying affects everyone at some point in their life. I always like to ask people about their happy place, the place where they can escape to and feel safe, and I know a lot of gamers out there can relate to this. I believe finding a place where you can feel safe is important, and if playing video games makes you happy then that is okay. You should never let anyone tell you otherwise. This is partly one of the reasons why I wanted to express my thoughts on this controversial subject.
I have spoken to a number of individuals about this topic and every single one of them has had a different story to tell. My younger brother has always told me that sometimes, all he wants to do is escape the real world. He craves an adventure and video games provide him with that. Also in relation to my comments, he also feels a sense of achievement whenever he plays video games, and it has affected his self esteem in a very positive manner throughout his teenage years. A close friend of mine also discussed how much women in video games have helped her to deal with difficult situations in her life. Characters such as Lara Croft and Sonya Blade each play a role which is ever-changing and empowering, which I think is seriously important and a crucial thing to portray.
Many people are quick to downplay video games as a waste of time, and believe more time should be spent in the real world, and yes I do spend the majority of my time working, paying bills, spending time with family, and generally living a normal, happy life. But video games have helped me to reach this point in my life where I am content with my surroundings, the people I spend time with and how I present myself to others. My family and friends have always supported me, of course. However, every now and again we need that escape, that chance to escape the stresses of life every once in a while.
Video games will always be my escape.
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