When I was younger, I lived in Bronx, New York. Growing up there we weren’t the most wealthy, so you can imagine my surprise when I got a Nintendo Wii for Christmas. I remember specifically it was the one I really wanted, with motion calibration inside, making it better than the original. Inside was the console with Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort as a bonus for buying it. The first thing I did when I got home was plugging it in to my TV and playing it for days. Over time we got newer games for it. Just Dance 3, Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Super Mario Bros. Wii. I beat all these games, multiple times over and over again, simply because it was fun, and I felt normal.

In New York, my Dad lived with us, but he worked night, and slept when he was home, so I didn’t see him much. And with my mom being pregnant with my little brother, things were constantly stressful or on alert. And having video games, it kept me calm, it took me somewhere where everything was ok. Where people needed me, where people needed help or saving. Or just somewhere I could go for fun. I personally think my vast appreciation for different types of music came from Just Dance 3, and I appreciate it considering my playlist is full of completely different songs. What I’m trying to say is, video games, not just educational, can help you with problems in your life or just relieve stress, but only a healthy amount of course.