“VICTORY!” Flashing yellow letters on a red banner fade to the match end screen, displaying my MVP score and gold medal. The victory screen from my favorite video game never fails to give me the adrenaline and mood boost to get me through the day while also being the thing that captivates me the most. Regarding video games, everyone has their own idea of what they constitute. Maybe they’re just silly concepts and time wasters housed inside electronic devices. Or perhaps they’re an escape from reality where you can control all the outcomes and make decisions without physical consequences. I have personally always seen them as a mixture of both. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to join an amateur esports team. I didn’t expect much from it. After all, what meaningful lessons could be learned from playing a video game with some friends who barely know anything about the competitive scene? To my surprise, I learned about how to work under pressure with a team, communicating issues as they came up and problem-solving constantly. In that professional environment, I learned how to take and give constructive criticism and worked on improving my flaws both in and out of the game. I also met a variety of people from different backgrounds along the journey, helping me learn about new cultures and perspectives. Playing video games regularly helped me refine my reaction and coordination skills; I’ve also been able to tap into my yearning for creativity and adventure since there are endless ways of designing avatars and profiles with many game modes to choose from. As I discover more mechanics and elements, I turn to my friends to learn more about the little details and how to implement them to enhance myself and my gameplay. This desire can lead me to play for hours and lose track of time: a habit reflected in my everyday life as well. Once I set my mind on something, my stubbornness and drive will do everything in their power to get it done. I have extremely high standards for myself, and I dislike settling for less when I know I can do more. Because of my aspiration to improve in everything I do, video games constitute most of my free time after my clubs, homework, and time with friends. Video games always draw me back since they are my way of bonding and provide a shared interest as a backup when conversations get awkward. Video games have also given me some of the most valuable lessons and friendships I have ever experienced. I’ve also learned about safety, defending myself, and handling toxic relationships. Generally, people on video games aren’t very pleasant. It was a rough eye-opener when I first experienced being trash-talked at the age of 11. While it would be normal for a child to get upset by mean words, as I grew up, the insults evolved, becoming more ruthless and targeted because of my gender and race. These constant experiences helped me understand that not everyone has good intentions and to be more careful with the people I trust. Video game interactions have helped me obtain valuable wisdom from my older peers in a comfortable way. Because I was able to learn about the harsh realities of life in a familiar environment, it makes it easier to apply principles such as being empathetic towards people I don’t know and being open to advice in my daily life, while not allowing rude comments to destroy my self-perception. My captivation of video games has shaped who I am today. Video games have been my source of happiness and hope at the darkest moments of my life, and I’ve met people who have helped me in ways I would’ve never imagined. I’ve become a more compassionate person, and my desire for improvement in games also reflects in my personal life. On top of the major influences on my character, video games were there for me to take a breather from the errands of life, and gave me company when I was alone with no one to turn to. Until, of course, I have to turn off the screen to start studying for my biology quiz tomorrow.