“I believe it was eight months… It was a long time”. This is what Nan Bauroth of Charlotte, North Carolina said regarding how long she was parted from her mother, who was luckily able to say goodbye to her before she passed away. This is something that would have been experienced by many in Charlotte and the world as the pandemic has had several devastating effects on people and businesses. It is not a stretch to say that this period was completely unprecedented and brought with it several hardships that afflicted even the toughest of people. Fortunately, many had ways that they could deal with this tumultuous time.
During the pandemic, lockdowns were introduced all over the world to stop the spread of the virus. This meant that the only entertainment people could experience is what was accessible from home such as online gambling at sites like casinogenie.org, though many more would have turned towards gaming to get by. There is no doubt that gaming is one of the most popular pastimes in the world, and this meant that by the time lockdown hit, most people in Charlotte already had a video game console or gaming fierce PC in their homes.
The impact of gaming cannot be understated as it was able to help many through this period of isolation. One way in which people used gaming for their benefit was as a means of escape. Having a method to just switch off from the world around and become immersed in something is vital to maintain good mental health and is something that everyone should have access to. When it comes to video games, there is no better form of escapism. This is because they are purely interactive; while movies tell audience stories, games let people live inside these stories and guide them based on their actions. Marry this with the fact that these can be living, breathing worlds, and the result is the ultimate escape from reality. It is exactly this that would have helped residents of Charlotte and indeed the world deal with the hardships faced during the pandemic.
As many had to isolate themselves in their homes, friends and family could no longer be easily visited. While this would not have affected families that lived together, people who lived alone would have been massively impacted. Fortunately, video games allow the opportunity for people to come together online and play with each other. The fact that people could easily connect with friends and maintain those relationships meant that the lockdowns were not as bad as they could have been, something that was only possible thanks to gaming. Additionally, online gaming also affords the opportunity to meet new people, an experience that would have been appreciated more than usual during this time.
When looking at what gaming gives to players, it becomes clear how useful it proved to be during the pandemic. Seeing as how even Hollywood was forced to stop production for a time, it is hard to find another source of entertainment that matched the usefulness of gaming.