How a Gameboy Changed Me
Having grown up with the rise of the internet and digital technology, I can easily say that many different technologies have affected my life. My first laptop or phone would be the most likely answer considering I have had both since I was around 11 or 12 years old, but everyone is influenced by those devices. All of us in Gen Z have become normalized with the idea that technology is a part of life since we do not really know a life without it. I know that by having my phone and my own laptop that I have been influenced by them because if I did not have them I would most likely not be the same exact person that I am today.
However, while these devices have changed me, I do remember when I received my first ever piece of digital technology, my brother's old Nintendo Gameboy color. As a young child, it was the coolest thing I had ever owned. It was an awesome light blue color and since my brother had already had it for some time, it came with games too! I spent a lot of time with that Gameboy, and although I have not used it for as long as I have used my phone or laptop, I believe it has affected and changed me the most out of any device. It taught me valuable lessons that I still abide by today such as what it meant to be giving, how to care for my items, and how to value items. It feels odd to say that a video game device has affected me the most, but it feels wrong to say that it was a different device, because it did truly teach me a lot.
The Gameboy device itself was surreal for me to have as a child because technology meant something different to me then. Technology was large, bulky, and expensive and it did not seem likely that I would get my own device. I was young, around 7 years old, and neither of my siblings got any technology, like a Gameboy or a computer, until they were at least 12. However, they were born earlier than I was and technology was not as common as it was when they were my age. So, when I was given that little Gameboy that produced games in color, I was grateful. I also knew how lucky and privileged I was to even receive it in the first place. I knew I never would have received it if my brother did not want to give it to me, although I am sure my mom pushed him to do it since he got a PlayStation system, but it still taught me what it meant to give. While yes, I had received gifts before for my birthday and Christmas, but this was different. There was no special occasion, to me it was just niceness, and that really stuck with me. I loved that feeling of being thought of and being gifted just because. I grew up with a mindset of always wanting to be giving to people, and while I could not always buy things since I was young, I made gifts for everyone. I wanted everyone to feel loved and appreciated, so I would draw pictures, make bracelets, or give away toys that I no longer wanted. Giving has just become a part of who I am, and now I have no problem spending money if it’s for someone else, because I believe everyone deserves to be appreciated with even a small gift. However, if I am buying things for myself, it is different as I usually think I do not actually need it and I can just get it another time.
After I was given the Gameboy, I knew if I broke it in any way possible, it would not be replaced. So, as a result, I quickly learned how to value and take care of things. I used to cut my barbies hair off or take my Hot wheels through mud courses, which pretty much ruined them. They were changes I was not able to fully take back, but they were easily replaceable, so I did not care too much. The Barbies typically ended up looking like the picture below, so while not completely ruined, it was not exactly the right thing to do.
So, I realized I had to take care of my Gameboy if I wanted it to function correctly and keep using it. To me this meant that I could not bring it everywhere I went, I had to keep my hands clean, and I would not take it outside. None of these things were hard to do to keep it clean and undamaged, but I did learn that they were important. In a short amount of time, I taught myself how to properly take care of this device because I feared losing it if I did not. This need to keep things in good condition and undamaged has stuck with me. I have never cracked any of my phone screens, perhaps the screen protector, but never the actual screen. When I do break things, because of course, I am not perfect, I get genuinely upset because I feel as though I should have taken care of it better.
While it is good to learn how to take care of your belongings, the Gameboy also taught me how to value things. Cutting the hair off my barbies did not matter to me because I could always ask for more for my birthday, so they were easily replaceable. However, through taking care of my Gameboy and appreciating having it, I learned that even the “small” things held value. I started taking care of all my toys and no longer saw them as such easily replaceable items. This idea that items should not be commonly replaced has also followed with me. I try to keep my belongings, whether it be my backpack, purse, phone, or any other device, for as long as I can. (Doing this also helps to lower my carbon footprint, which is a benefit too.) I know many other people reduce their usage of items and most learn how to value items, but my experiences just happened to stem from the Gameboy.
To decide what device has affected or changed me the most was tough. I have grown up with so many different devices and pieces of technology that it was hard to pinpoint just one. I think though, that the difference between owning my first Gameboy compared to another device was that it was my first piece of technology. It taught me valuable lessons that have stuck with me throughout my life such as learning how to give, take care of things, and value my belongings. I have had other gaming systems, hand-held and consoles, but they did not change me in the same way. They have taught me other things, but not in the same ways that the Gameboy did. I was young and still had a lot to learn when I first got it, so I do believe it is the piece of technology that has had the biggest effect on me. It also differs in the way that it was not necessarily meant to help me, as phones, calculators, or GPS’ are meant to. It was just a device meant specifically for having fun, and in that way, it taught me how great technology can be.
There are a lot of negative views of the internet and technology out in the world today, especially against video games, but I believe they can make things better. Everything has some downsides, but there is always room for improvement.
