Video Game Stereotypes

In the last ten years, video games have made the transition from hobby to way of life in a fashion few other things have. A decade ago, it was almost frowned upon to spend more than a few hours a day playing a game. Today, there are a dozen different careers an enterprising player can make out of those hours, from instructional or entertaining videos to playing on a professional level, and almost all of it is being pioneered by people under the age of twenty-five. Children aren't the only ones playing video games, but they are certainly the majority. And this isn't a bad thing. Video games are an excellent way for children who are socially awkward to socialize. It's much easier to make and interact with friends without the anxiety of having to meet them face to face. In the same vein, you can play with people you'd never get a chance to interact with otherwise. There are an estimated 160 million people who play video games in the United States alone, and there are many more outside the US. Within ten minutes of logging onto a game, …show more content…
Which they do, but they help with much more than that. They encourage children to not only think on their feet, but also to find ways to optimize doing things, skills easily applied in situations such as driving or medical emergencies. One might think sitting in a chair for six hours a day would leave your mind sluggish, but the exact opposite is true. Few things require as much brain power as playing a video game well, and the more a child plays the game, the faster and better they become at using skills such as group communication and reacting and responding to stressful situations. This is where I derive most of my enjoyment from playing games, from learning and using these complex skills. Playing a game where I perform well in a high stress situation is one of the most exhilirating experiences I can