Kelly Coons ’22 | Assistant Opinions Editor
The things you are introduced to as a child can set the trajectory for the rest of your life. While I’m not sure that I would introduce a child to video games at age 5, as I had been, nothing has set the trajectory of my life more than video games. My twin brother and I started playing video games at age 5. For two years, we only had one game: “Mario Party 5.” We also only had one video game console for those two years — one video game console, with one game, for two children.
Video games taught me how to share.
Soon, though, my twin brother and I wanted more video games. At age 7, we were introduced to the concept of a video game store. Our parents told us we could buy one game each. We were thrilled. My twin brother bought a “Phineas and Ferb” game. I bought a Build-A-Bear game.
The Build-A-Bear game was the worst video game ever. I cried to my mother. This game was bad! I wanted a different game! Well, my mother explained, I had picked my one game. I was angry, but then, that anger transformed into steely resolve. I promised myself that I would never subject myself to such a terrible video game ever again.
Video games taught me the value of thoughtful consumption.
I turned to the burgeoning Internet to learn about good video games, but all of the websites said different things, and the top result each time said it had been paid by the makers of the video game it was reviewing.
Video games taught me to analyze the world around me.
But I think, by now, all of you know how to do these things. I haven’t yet told you the most important thing that video games taught me though.
As a child, I had difficulty making friends. Despite all of the “Mario parties” my twin brother and I had, there was rarely anyone else with us. At school, I felt uncomfortable around my fellow students. I felt like I didn’t belong.
Then, I mentioned video games. People started to talk to me. I started to talk to them. Soon, when I came into the cafeteria, I had a table to sit at. For the first time, I enjoyed lunchtime.
While I can’t guarantee that video games will change your life the way they changed mine, I can wholeheartedly recommend that you try them, even if they’re new to you. Smith College is a great place for video games and the people who love them. There is the Gaming Lab in Hillyer, free to all Smith students, with all of the current generation consoles and several gaming computers, and the Smith Gaming Club hosts gaming events of all kinds. Don’t worry; they won’t subject you to “Build-a-Bear Workshop” for the Nintendo DS.
