If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably already familiar with The Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations, but what you might not realize is the real impact of what gaming can bring to kids. This blog won’t be about a study, but about real perspectives on how gaming has impacted myself, and many others (industry professionals and general gamers alike). 

I was born in 2002, raised like a hybrid of a Millennial and Gen Z kid. I grew up playing in the mud all summer, and hitting the books during the school year. But I also grew up with games. I remember the many days of us kids huddled around a Wii playing Wii Sports or Mario, or the endless hours we spent building our own worlds on the original Minecraft Pocket Edition. It was a new way for us to connect, and for kids like myself that grew up with anxiety, it was sometimes the easiest way for us to relate to our peers. 

It didn’t stop there, by high school I got my first console (outside of the Wii). I remember getting into playing Fortnite with my sister, it was a great way for us to bond as we hadn’t grown up together and lived far from each other, six years later she’s become one of my closest friends and my number one gaming duo.
Gaming didn’t just help me to build stronger relationships with those I already knew, it opened the door for me to meet hundreds of new unique individuals. I began building a real community for myself in 2020 after the hit of the pandemic. One gamer I met during that time, Daggeran, said “Gaming has opened me up to friendships I wouldn't have otherwise had, and those friendships are ones I hold dear to me.” Myself, along with thousands of others, picked up streaming on Twitch as a way to lift each other up, and feel a little less alone during isolation, and it worked. Gamers became each other’s support system. We grew communities from the ground up. One particular community really stuck for me, and it grew into a family. Our group has formed a bond as strong as steel. 

Gaming even led to me getting a degree. I met a friend of mine on Valorant, one day we got to talking and he was telling me about his awesome school- Full Sail University. The next thing I knew I had applied and been accepted. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and moved away from home for two years. I asked one of my teachers from Full Sail if she would be willing to share her experience, “Gaming is my haven - it rescues me when I need an escape, when I want a challenge, when I want a community. It was never just games - it is a space that allowed me to safely explore and express who I am,” Bec Godsey stated. Those two years changed my life, I made even more friends in person, worked major and minor events, and created memories that will last a lifetime. And without the self confidence and social comfortability I had developed through gaming, I don’t think I could have done it. 

Everyone’s experience with gaming will vary, but when given the opportunity it can lead to deep connections, amazing experiences, and endless opportunities. Mouse_Princess shared a part of her experience in gaming too, “Gaming has impacted my life in many ways. To name a few, I met my fiancé through gaming, I was able to start streaming and have become a part of amazing communities, including creating one of my own. I’m thankful that I started gaming because I wouldn't have the friends I do without it.” 

Remember, NASEF is here to continue providing tools to you, helping you elevate students through gaming, and want to see students thrive in and out of the classroom. 

 Sky Gorland, NASEF Marketing Specialist, is a life long gamer who has taken her love for gaming and turned it into her professional career. Sky, an alumni of Full Sail University's Game Business and Esports B.S., took part as the President of Full Sail Armada, was a Varsity Shout Caster, and worked hard as part of the Full Sail Student Event Crew to bring major live gaming events to life.