Video Games: A Safe Haven and a Lesson Generator

Video games: a mechanism that defines the whims of childhood, teenagehood, and adulthood. Whether you’re thinking of Mario Kart, Pokemon, or the Persona series, video games have defined many pleasant memories for all different types of people. For some, it is a good source of entertainment. For others, playing video games may intrigue them for its structural logic and prompting of critical thinking. Most importantly, gaming is designated for the fun and satisfaction of everyone who plays it.  How do video games impact people’s individual lives? Although gaming has been perceived in the past as a negative influence that taints the minds of children, in some cases, it has the opposite effect. People often confide in video games for several different reasons, albeit some of them being more personal than others. Video games provide different types of people different types of messages: moral action, intellectual, strategizing, philosophy. All in all, video games are the essence that may push people to go beyond what life has already provided for them. From my own experience as both a gamer and an introvert, I find it comforting to have the opportunity to experience the digital and fictional worlds available to me. Sometimes I play with friends, other times I play alone. The first time in which I started opening up to others and learning about myself started when I had received my first Mario game. It wasn’t anything necessarily special nor was it appealing, but I still anticipated finding an opportunity to play it. The time in which I spent playing those mini-games in the presence of my fellow gamers, familiar or not so familiar. No matter how many times I replay that same exact game with those same exact people, my enjoyment never fades.