Forum: Spent too much time on gaming until a teacher turned things around

As someone who used to be an avid gamer in my teens, the article “

Video games have become the main way boys socialise. Is that bad?

” (Oct 3) caught my attention.

Faced with various setbacks in my school life, I was increasingly drawn into video games in my secondary school years.

Many of the games I played involved cooperating with friends or other players to defeat opposing teams, much like a team sport. Thus, gaming gave me not only an escape from the challenges of life, but also a semblance of achievement and community.

It became a vicious circle: The more I felt unsuccessful in school, the more I played video games, which in turn affected my school work. At its height, I probably spent more than 20 hours a week gaming.

It was a highly dedicated mathematics teacher who helped turn things around for me. Besides being patient in explaining concepts to us students, she often said that marking our homework was her “hobby”.

If we submitted any piece of homework to her, she would invariably return the work the next day, fully marked and graded. If we needed a private consultation, she would grant it.

Thanks to her, maths went from being one of my weakest subjects to one of my strongest. She also helped me regain my confidence, and understand that I could improve my grades through dedication and hard work. It carried forward into other areas of education, as well as other areas of my life.

Although I did not stop gaming immediately, that teacher sowed the seeds that eventually led me to stop playing video games entirely once I entered university.

In hindsight, I wish that I had spent more time studying, gaining new skills and being involved in healthy activities rather than playing video games.

I hope my story sheds some light on the mindset of a teenage gamer, and gives encouragement to educators and other adults about the potential impact they can have on the lives of teens.

Sometimes, all a teenager needs is someone who believes in him, and who is dedicated to helping him succeed.

Darius Lee