7 reasons why "gaming" can also mean "learning"

Many parents today hate it when their children invest more time on the computer. Well, of course there are disadvantages of using the computer too often; poor eyesight, fake information, explicit videos, and the promotion of laziness. There's no doubt that excessive computer gaming can lead to these bad influences.

But to tell you frankly, I have lived my life literally "living" on the internet and computer gaming. It's even because of too much computer gaming that I have very poor eyesight. I started using glasses on 2nd grade. I started being addicted to computer gaming at 1st grade. What games did I play, you ask? ALOT. I did Barbie games (cause I'm a girl), Need for Speed, Sonic, Grand Theft Auto, Counter Strike; you name it. We even had a Play Station back then and I played numerous versus games with my younger brothers.

But that did not stop me from learning.

To all the teenagers out there, wanting to learn through their gaming experience, it's not impossible. I have learned a lot from my gaming. And since I'm soon-to-be an English teacher, I tell you that learning English through gaming is very much possible and even authentic. Here are 7 reasons why I say "gaming" can also mean "learning". Be warned, all these statements are self-inspired. Your own opinion is always valid. Hopefully you're also open-minded with mine.

1. Gaming helps you be more exposed to the English language. This, my friends, is literally a fact. Because of online gaming, I made friends with so many different people from different parts of the world. Surely, teenagers today who have been online gaming have experienced the same thing. And we all know that English is the universal language. Although there are inevitable circumstances where you encounter people in the chat room that have poor English, you are more exposed to people who are good speakers of the language. Gamers are so eager to communicate with their teammates even if they're not of the same country. That's why they speak English mostly on their chats. Because of that, gamers get to practice their English. How convenient, right?

2. Gaming teaches strategy. Oh, c'mon. We all know a good gamer knows good strategy. If you're someone who uses cheats on games, then you're not really a true gamer. Let's say you're playing Warcraft. That game seriously needs strategic planning and decision making. Although it's a game, it helps individuals to be more firm on decisions. It even helps them practice their problem-solving skills. One good thing about gamers is that they're fast. So if you want something done, they will find a way to finish it quicker than you expected.

3. Gaming helps you be more collaborative. In most computer games; specifically online games, it requires teamwork. I have played a lot of games that require a lot of teamwork. Inside the classroom, even students are asked to work with their classmates in groups. In computer gaming, it was never different. In order to win, a real gamer knows how to work with his team. And working with your team makes you a person who promotes unity and collaboration. 

4. Gaming keeps you from giving up. Now this might not be applicable to some gamers but to most gamers, it is. A real gamer knows that giving up is never an option. This means that being a computer gamer teaches an individual perseverance and continuity. This kind of behavior can be applied to the individual's life outside of the gaming world. A person can have more faith in himself/herself because that individual knows the thrill of succeeding. Gaming reminds an individual that you can be a winner if you just work on it hard enough.

5. Gaming helps you understand that failure doesn't mean 'the end'. This is one character I believe all gamers have. Losing a game doesn't mean it's over, it means you can start again and re-think the mistakes you made before and improve your decisions the second or third time around. This should teach an individual that even if they fail in life, that only means they can start again and learn from their mistakes. Failure means new beginnings. 

6. Gaming helps you be more creative. Creativity starts with experience. Without experiencing something, you can't really have something to rely on to manipulate new ideas. This is my favorite thing about computer gaming. I have learned so much from it that it also helps me have originality and confidence. Some gamers may not realized this yet, but they should be encouraged because they really can be more creative than they think they are. Their minds are already more active than others. They just to use their 'active minds' in ways that can help them in the real world.

7. Gaming is fun. Once you start gaming, you thirst for it. Yes, I agree that addiction can be dangerous. This is just because for gamers who like things to be active and fun, they find things that don't require multi-tasking to be very boring. This is also why schools should consider that millennials today require their classes to be active and not passive. "Fun" is the essence of learning. Without an individual considering something to be fun, they might never learn from it. At least, that's why I believe.

Truth be told, there are a lot of teenagers and grade-schoolers out there that have failed in their classes and have stopped studying due to their excessive playing on computer games. Students, parents/guardians, and schools today think that because computer gaming exists, learners are more pron to being illiterate. And that is so not true. 

Not to brag, but I have lived my whole life on computer gaming. And I am currently in my 4th year of college with talents and skills. Why? Because my parents and my school diverted my problem to be something that can be of use. My parents even bought games for me and at the same time, taught me that the computer can be of use not just for gaming. My grade school has computer games on it that teaches kids about vocabulary, grammar, typing and technical skills. This is something schools today fail to recognize; that there are hundreds of gaming applications for the computer that actually teach the things learned in the classroom. 

Trust me when I say this that "gaming" doesn't mean an individual has closed the doors for learning. If only gamers realize the potential they have because of their ability to be good at computer games, then they wouldn't be so different as the other people who think gamers are lazy-ass losers. And if only parents and teachers alike realize that individuals who do a lot of computer games are more than what they think they are and use their hobby as a way to improve their teaching and methods of discipline, then gamers would not be shamed as they are today.

We are living in a world where the young generation are flooding themselves with technology. We, as the generation before them, should recognize this is as opportunity rather than a disgrace.