If Video Games Have Taught Me Anything…
“…video games are for everyone.”
Awkwafina
ACTOR/COMEDIAN/RAPPER/WRITER – Crazy Rich Asians, Raya and the Last Dragon, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Akwafina is Nora from Queens
A bit more about this great takeaway from Awkwafina: “I don’t think that they’re specifically a male thing. A lot of the people I play with, and all the people that are really good, are mostly women.”
Video games have amazing potential to unite us, to allow us to focus on something we have in common, rather than what is different. They can be enjoyed at any age, in any country, and at any skill level.
Video games are like laughter. Both can be a powerful way to connect us, and can be used as a way to deal with difficult situations in life. When Nora was just 4 years old, she lost her mother. Raised in Queens, New York, by her father and his mother (her Grandmother), Nora discovered the joy of making others laugh. Nora also has something else that is very important: role models. Comedian Margaret Cho and actress Lucy Liu both provided inspiration for Nora about what was possible. Because of their examples, we all can enjoy the fun, quirky comedy of Akwafina, delivered in her trademark, low raspy voice. And while Cho and Liu opened Nora’s mind to possibility, it was her Grandmother who provided the most sage, confidence-boosting advice: “Don’t ever be ashamed of what makes you weird, because that is why I love you, and that’s what makes you special.”
A Nintendo fan from an early age, Awkwafina loved Donkey Kong Country as a kid, even remembering it as “…the first game that I was actually good at.”
When talking about the Nintendo Switch, and how you can connect games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons online, she recalls how important video games were to her. “It played a big role in my childhood, and to see how the games have evolved and to see how it as a technology has evolved to where it is now, that makes it accessible for me to play with (others virtually). It’s just really cool that in my adult life I’m still playing.”
Video games offer a tremendous opportunity for individuals to connect, and to meet others who share a common love for the game. As I hope my upcoming book is able to demonstrate, video games are a hobby that transcends age, gender, nationality, or any other way you can think about people – video games can unite. It’s not to say that video games are without controversy, but their potential is tremendous.
And, yes, video games are for everyone.
What is a life lesson you have learned from a video game?
If Video Games Have Taught Me Anything…games are for EVERYONE!
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