PERSONAL NARRATIVE
Video Games:
The Good And The Bad for Aspies
By Alan D.D.
O
nce upon a time, there was a guy who didn’t
like to go outside. That guy was me.
Being outside scared me, not in the liter-
al sense of the phrase, but I did feel uneasy
when I wasn’t in my house. I had a good time
once in a while, but there were times when I
said, “That’s it, enough for me,” and then I went
back, took a bath, and sat down on the computer.
While I don’t consider myself a gamer, I certainly en-
joy playing video games, and if they’re in the tower
defense category, I can easily spend one or two hours
on it, maybe more. I’ve never thought seriously about
the subject, never gave it that much attention, but I’ve
been feeling better these days, resting more, feeling
better in the mornings, and having more appetite.
The reason? I’m playing video games a little more often.
Before I go further into this, I want to make it clear I’m
not an expert; I don’t study psychology, medicine, or
anything similar. Although I don’t believe a degree
makes a better person, I make a big exception when
it comes to medical terms. This is just my point of
view on something that has happened to me.
Being an Aspie makes me obsessive at times. I’ve fo-
cused on music, films, TV series, topics, even Wikipe-
dia, at certain times in my life. I love to feel in control,
that I can have a power of choice and make things
whatever I want them to be. It makes me sound vil-
lainous, I know, but that’s how I can describe it best.
Playing games allow me to use my whole mind, to
the point of feeling annoyed if I lose and like the king
of the world if I win—as if I were a five-year-old kid.
To live in a digital world offers me an escape, a brief
rest from my daily life and duties.
Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 74 |
23