Quarantine through a screen: The quickly growing gaming trends

As the coronavirus keeps our high school community stuck inside, students have become quick to adapt to circumstances during this confusing time. Hawks are finding the best ways to study, spending time with family, and taking advantage of free moments to practice hobbies; specifically gaming.

Video games have become more and more popular over the past years, and especially as quarantine causes a transition to virtual media, the popularity of video games has only continued to rise.

“Even though I’m not addicted to gaming, I’ve seen people spend way more time gaming over quarantine,” said Nia Kumar, freshman.

Many popular games like Among Us, Valorant, Minecraft, and more have become a good way to stay in touch with friends. Socially distancing doesn’t mean there has to be a lack of social interaction online, and students have found a fun way to wind down from the stress of the world around us.

The connection between others is no doubt important. What’s most important is making real life a priority, and some aspects of gaming actually help contribute to a sense of accomplishment outside the computer screen.

Many games include ways of leveling up or gaining bonuses after performing a task or winning rounds. These rewards can feel just as real as if they happened in real life, and just as gratifying, although many can become addicted to online gaming because of these elements.

However, with so much time dedicated to the digital world in class and outside, it raises the question: Can gaming be detrimental to grades and real-world tasks?

“I still get good grades in general, so I wouldn’t really say it causes me to get bad grades,” said Haresh Sankar, freshman. “It never has really distracted me, as I’ve always found a way to get good grades and play video games.”

With all this taken into consideration, it’s easy to see how people can get hooked on video games and why it’s been such a popular form of entertainment.

“Overall, I’ve had a positive experience with games throughout my time playing them, and in quarantine,” said Sankar.

Whichever stance you take on gaming, it’s evident that it’s here to stay, and it’s had a profound effect on students.