[Closed] Competition!! How has gaming evolved you?

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  • Hyglott's Avatar
    Level 5
    I have been interested in gaming for as long as I can remember. It started when I was a young child and one of the things I loved the most was hanging out at my friends' places because their parents let them game as much as they wanted while my parents did not. We never had any gaming console at home until me and my younger sister together chose to sell items like books and papers around Christmas to get a Nintendo Wii, which was all we both wanted around that time.

    Then as I got older, gaming was my way of coping with some heavy stuff going on in my life. For example, when my parents went through a rough divorce about the only thing that let me completely take my mind off all the bad was watching my favorite youtubers. It was the only time when I could fully relax, laugh and just have fun.


    When I was in high school, my grandfather (who was always very tech interested too) gave me his old computer. This was the first time I had a "gaming machine" on my own, although it could barely run things from 10 years ago. Hovever, it was mine and I loved it.


    That was both the start of my interest in programming, as well as a tool for me to keep in touch with my friends who didn't live nearby. During times when it felt like life and the world was crushing down on me, gaming helped me stay afloat. Gaming helped me improve my focus, made me learn the skill of grinding and never giving up in order to achieve the goals I set up for myself. Gaming taught me how to be happy, even in defeat.

    Now I'm doing my Masters at university, in the 4th year on my way to a degree in applied physics and electrical engineering with focus on AI and Machine learning. My previous experience and knowledge of computers thanks to gaming has helped me immensely. I finally have a laptop of my own, compared to my best friend who got a gaming one from his parents during middle school. Mine still can't game that well, but at least it plays 10 year old games smoothly.

    My dream is to build myself a powerful gaming rig, with all the newest stuff and to play all the games I couldn't along my way to get here. I want to get into VR as well, and also maybe program some games of my own (already started on that within the scope of programming courses at Uni).

    So in conclusion, it might not be about how gaming evolved med, but rather about how all my life I have evolved with gaming always at my side. And I have a feeling that thanks to gaming, I will never stop evolving in the future either.
  • Fyysinen's Avatar
    Level 1
    I've been playing video games since I was little; I remember leading countries in Sid Meier's Civilization from when I was 7 years old. But back then, I perhaps didn't even know how big of an effect gaming actually has in my life. My dad has always been a big critic of video games and tried to restrict my gaming. Being conservative person, his wild estimate is that 70% of gamers are addicted, and was afraid that I will become too if I play too much.

    However, I'm happy to say that I wouldn't be the person I'm without video games. It introduced me to the digital world in a society where IT skills are starting to be even more crucial than hand writing. It's not rare that my dad nowadays needs my help with electronics. Gaming also has tremendous effect in decision making, both strategic and under pressure –– something like Civilization will make you think about so many different concepts, weight them, and then make thorough decision. While games like CoD or Counter-strike will put you under tremendous pressure, learning the crucial skill of making quick decisions in those environments. Furthermore, gaming was the first things to enlarge my English vocabulary; and to be honest if you ask most teenagers about what has influenced their English skills the most, they will probably say either video games or movies. I haven't even mentioned other, perhaps more physical, benefits such as hand-eye coordination or fastening reaction time I've gotten. Nevertheless, I'm confident to say that perhaps video games have taught me even more things than all these years of academics have.
  • Wexteen's Avatar
    Level 1
    Gaming has helped me cope with a serious illness. Earlier it helped me raise my kid, teach him data security and other skills. And as a research scientist, gaming opened a new research field for me. And finally, as a kid, gaming helped me build my identity and confidence.
  • SaIaisuus's Avatar
    Level 1
    If anything gaming has improved my eye to hand coordination like now I can catch stuff a lot faster like if I drop something I can catch it before it hits the floor.
  • jontness's Avatar
    Level 1
    Gaming has helped me A LOT in my English skills since I don' have English as my first language.
  • Cynixal's Avatar
    Level 1
    Gaming inspired me largely on a creative level, pushing me into concept design, writing stories, musically and eventually made me pick up streaming! Its where i go when im looking for inspiration for anything when im stuck and out of ideas.
  • NordicDragon's Avatar
    Level 1
    It hs made me more creative and helps to fight anxiety and loneliness.
  • Jarle's Avatar
    Level 2
    Gaming have improved my language skills and given me a Great way to escape reality and relax
  • pyradice's Avatar
    Level 1
    Gaming has gotten me many friends and also taught me how to speak english more than school ever did. Playing with people from all over the world also taught me alot about other cultures wich we never got to learn at school.
  • Dansku's Avatar
    Level 1
    Ever since I was a kid, I'd spend much of my freetime playing videogames with my brother. These days gaming is a hobby for me, I could even say, maybe a passion. Gaming also allows me to make new friends and spend time with my friends. It has also really improved my social skills and I have learned so much about people in general. In short, it's a good way to connect to the outside world while doing an activity and trying your hardest to be good at it. Especially after having to quit my IRL hobby, gaming has been a good replacement for the joy of doing something you enjoy.