Let me start by saying that whoever would decide to make fun of me for playing video games, I'd just flip them the finger with a nasty look and walk away. They know nothing of the rich world of gaming.
I started playing video games from an early age with the standard gaming consoles of the time and a Nintendo 64. I mostly played with my sister and the memories will stay with me forever.
Gaming in general to me is something that has helped me in various aspects. It let me explore new worlds and even cultures, it made me feel like I could walk in the shoes or lack thereof of an adventurer. As I moved to online gaming , that only helped me grow further as a person. It allowed me to meet new people from all over the world, thanks to gaming, I was able to communicate and practice, as well as perfect my knowledge of the English language. It allowed me to grow from a shy person to someone who opens up a bit more and it allowed me to many times escape reality when I needed to. Anyone who plays games can learn a lot by doing so. There are many games with historical settings and events that a person can study from. Certain games teach you how to be responsible (i.e. pet simulators, even sims) Through gaming, I've been able to meet many people who have remained my close friends even today(lookin at you Dashie), I even met the love of my life in a game. All in all, games have been a big part of my life and so it shall remain until I no longer have the will to play. I think nobody should be denied the opportunity to play games if they wish to do so and I believe that it's not the games that make some people do crazy/violent things, but rather, it's the lack of good upbringing from the parents.
I guess I should end this rant here o3o