1 minute read
Video games in quarantine
Art by Cambell Kirk
friends were playing. I saw all their islands, and the game looked fun to me, so I decided to get it,” Castro said.
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As time went on, he realized the connection he made with the game was much more profound than a mere tool to help him pass the time.
“It’s been great having it because my friends and I can go to each other’s islands and hang out when we can’t phys-
Games that involve strategy and thinking stimulate the Prefrontal Cortex. When you play Fortnite, for example, this region works to help you formulate a plan of action
ically be together,” Castro said. thing was pretty crazy.”
Like many teens, Castro utilized the Granic agrees that competitive games team-based concept of Animal Crossing are incredibly helpful. to help him cope with the lack of human “It’s a sort of background playground interaction quarantine imposed on him. for them to socialize while they hap-
There are still a plethora of other pen to have a joystick in their hands. options available for those who aren’t Competitive games have mental health interested in designing towns. benefits for young people, just as we’ve
Part of Nikita Yentus’s weekly routine known for offline sports as well,” Granic was meeting up with his friends to play said. basketball. They’d play a few games while As the pandemic shows no sign of discussing the current events of the ending anytime soon, companies conweek. tinue to push out new games. All over
When the quarantine order was the world, kids continue to use them to imposed on San Mateo County, Yentus connect with their friends as the world struggled to find ways to recreate his remains in uncertainty. weekly routine.
NBA 2K20 came to the rescue.
“Although it isn’t the same as face to face, the game helped me stay in contact with my friends,” Yentus said. “My daily routine became doing online school and then hopping on to talk to my friends and virtually play the sport I love. It helped me stay sane, even though every-
