Gaming has always been looked down upon and is considered something that is a complete waste of time, especially here in the UAE. Most parents argue that their children can always find a better alternative to gaming, something that is more productive or useful in their life. However, I completely disagree with this train of thought.
As a gamer, I can completely relate to this, as a lot of people have said that I am just wasting my time and youth. The truth is that I have been a gamer for most of my life, and I consider it a lifestyle. I have learned numerous traits and habits from gaming.
Gamers are not ready to give up — we can replay the same level over and over again, just to achieve a goal or attain a better score. We tend to go the extra mile just so we can finish what we have started. Gamers are usually stuck in dilemmas where they have to make a choice, hence, to make the most of their experience, we have to make an educated decision based on game knowledge. This kind of resilient mind-set, decision-making and the willingness to complete my objectives has really helped me at work and in my everyday life.
Gamers usually play video games for two reasons - enjoyment and competitiveness. Hence, that forces many gamers to really step it up to get a little competitive edge over one another. Most modern games are in the display or keyboard platform, which forces gamers to work on their hand-eye coordination and reflexes to excel. This is something that benefits everyone, as most jobs are related to it, and is something that will help one’s efficiency on a computer.
I was mainly into online gaming, which is the largest sector of gaming in today’s world. In my experience, most of the gamers I came across were great team players, as in we were ready to trust one another, although we were complete strangers with a common objective in mind. Although, most would argue that it is not the same to talk to people on the internet as it is in person. However, this so called ‘gaming confidence’ has really helped me open up in real life and become a more charismatic person in general.
We are compulsive beings, so we tend to get addicted to something we enjoy doing. Gaming is one of those things, but then again, we could just as easily get addicted to anything and everything. Everything in moderation is bliss.
— The reader is a Canadian entrepreneur based in Sharjah
