Video games: They’re an integral part of life today. It’s something little boys and girls pick up from such a young age, even if it’s just Pokemon. I was no different, except video games became more than just a form of entertainment to play every now and then. It became something important to me. As I grew older, I realized that the person I am today was forged by the video games I played — and not in the way that the media occasionally suggests.
Contrary to some beliefs, I actually don’t feel more violent than usual because I played "Grand Theft Auto 5."
Instead, I believe that playing video games changed me and helped me be better each and every day. Here are three main reasons why.
1. They made me more creative.
As someone who thrives on creativity, video games became that inspiration. There are games like "Bastion," "Final Fantasy" and "Skyrim" that make you realize just how beautiful a game can be. It can be art, not only in its appearance but in the storylines as well (seriously, "Legend of Zelda: The Majora’s Mask" will blow your mind). Even their soundtracks inspire musicians all over the world. They inspire you to be and create any character you like, or to create any world you can think of like in "Minecraft." A lot of the ideas I have, especially when drawing or writing, come from inspiration sparked by a video game I played.
2. They challenged my mind.
Video games aren’t just first-person shooters or sword slashing. In fact, a lot of games actually challenge your mind. Puzzle games like "Portal" and "Braid" exercise your mind by providing difficult puzzles to solve in order to proceed, as well as providing fascinating stories to keep me interested. Games like "Sid Meier's Civilization" and "StarCraft" made me think strategically, like any modern day chess player would. It also taught me team work and tactics, especially for objective games in "Halo" or "Call of Duty." In short, video games made me think, and a lot of times in unconventional ways.
3. They made me more social.
This one may come as a surprise, but playing video games didn’t make me a recluse who sits inside and does nothing but play video games. Instead, I made friends because of my interest. Not only was it an easy topic to bring up as an ice breaker at a party, but it became a shared hobby among my group of friends. As someone who grew up generally shy, video games became a way for me to interact with my friends while enjoying a video game we all loved. On top of that, video games brought me to conventions where I met dozens and dozens of new, interesting people who shared the same interests as me. Video games taught me to come out of my safety bubble and to meet new people while providing me with the weapons to do so.
Video games as a whole have a very special place in my heart, for more reasons than I can list. They’re full of vibrant artwork, beautiful soundtracks and enthralling story lines. More importantly, they are a shared interests that millions of people share throughout the globe, and because of of that, they’ve made me feel just a little more connected.
