That was a good video. Thanks for sharing.
I learned about how meaningful video-games can be many years ago when I met someone who would end up being my best friend. He had Cystic Fibrosis. Because of his physical problems, he'd spent a lot of time in hospitals as a kid, and later, since he couldn't go to school, he spent almost all of his time alone at home. For him, MMOs were where he could socialize, where he could meet friends and form social groups without his limitations coming into play. He had so many friends, too, across different games, people he talked with over internet-voice programs or instant messaging. It's amazing how someone who rarely left their house could be so popular, but he always had a conversation going with someone.
When I would come online he'd be there waiting, telling me that he'd found a new game to play. Half the time, he'd already made friends there, or joined a guild. He was really good at MMOs, too. His multi-tasking ability was legendary. In one MMO, he had multiple accounts and would often grind with two characters at once.
Gaming was his lifeline. It was more than just a way to kill time, it was a means for him to have fun and build some self-worth, rather than just wasting away in an empty room without human interaction. He died at the age of nineteen but he had so many friends, a staggering amount of people who knew him, or knew of him. He gained a legacy through gaming and I like to think he had a blast doing it. Even all the drama he used to get into from knowing so many people, that was a part of living.
That's why it infuriates me when someone suggests that gaming can't have any benefits. I know for a fact that it can. My friend got two Make-A-Wish grants during his lifetime and for both he asked for a new gaming PC. That's how important and meaningful it was to him.
Because of that, just because of that if nothing else, I am eternally grateful that video-games exist. If someone wants to tell me that video-games have no positive potential in this world then they can bloody well expect a fight.
