Very early on in my childhood, I was introduced to the amazing and epic stories that are told through video games. At first, it seemed like just harmless, dumb fun. Shooting bad guys, stomping on enemies heads, just another way to waste time and have fun with my friends. However, at a certain point, I realized that there was more to these games than what they show you on the surface level. I realized that these experiences were shaping the way I saw the world, the stories and messages from these games inspired me to always push further, to never give up. The medium of video games touched me in a way other media has failed to, it truly made me feel like I was an actor in my life, that I am the one with ultimate control with what I can do.
These feelings came to me when playing through “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess”. When I finally came to the end of the story, I realized how much of an effect my character (Link) had in the story, the friends he had made along the way, the lessons he had learned, the emotional moments he had; they were all mine as well, it felt like I was having all these experiences with him. I felt like I had also changed with the character. The lesson I learned was that of courage; sometimes, you need to be brave and go straight into the unknown, facing challenges head on. You need to be the actor in your life, you need to be the one making decisions, because if you don’t, noone else will for you. The sword has no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage
This childhood experience has effects on my life even to this day. I now have even started to form a career in video games, playing competiviely, using media to promote my image, and constantly trying to push myself beyond my limits. I push myself to become the best in the world in the game, even though now it seems like an extremely long and tough journey. The character I use in the game (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) is the same one I connected with early on in my childhood, Link from “The Legend of Zelda”. We continue to grow together and push our way to the top even today!
Every time I am nervous of my next match, or exam, or doing something I have never done before, I know to push forward and take on the challenge, despite it’s potential difficulty, because I know on the other end lies great new fun experiences for me, as well as new lessons to learn that will help me grow as a person. This is why I love the media that is video games.
“Courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten”.
Why I Heart My Media 