Everyone has something they were passionate about as a child. Whether it was watching a show, creating art, playing a game, or another activity, there are some notable things from a person’s childhood. My thing was playing Minecraft. While I still painted, watched Disney shows, etc, I spent practically every night building away. Looking back, I can credit Minecraft for the person I am today. That may seem tacky and weird but I’m sure a lot of people share the same experience.
Up until December of 2014, I had no idea what Minecraft was. All I knew was basically just my dolls. On Christmas morning, the last gift under the tree was a big box for both my sister and me. We had no idea what it could have been. After tearing the wrapping paper off, my sister and I were surprised to see a PlayStation 3. We had no idea what this was so my dad explained that this was a gaming console. He was excited to surprise us with this because he enjoyed playing video games when he was young, so he was making sure his kids had the same experience. My parents had bought some games to accompany the PlayStation. This included Little Big Planet, Lego Batman, Minecraft and more. While this was quite a variety of games, I enjoyed playing all of them, one a little more than the others. We plugged the PlayStation into the TV downstairs and that couch practically became my new home.
I absolutely loved playing Minecraft. I loved creating all kinds of worlds and building whatever my mind came up with. Because I was so invested in this game, I turned to the internet for more. I stumbled upon a ton of different Minecraft Youtubers with all sorts of different content. I absolutely loved watching their videos and series for inspiration and entertainment. I eventually created my main world where I built everything. While watching their videos, if they built something, I practically copied it into my own world. This included things like treehouses, a smoothie stand, a greenhouse, a dog park, a candy store, and so much more. That world is basically my most prized possession.
I played Minecraft every day. As soon as I got home from school, I would be booting up that PlayStation to spend countless hours building away. I was never really a survival mode type of person, so creative worlds were my jam. If I did create a survival world, I only really got as far as an iron sword. I enjoyed showing my worlds off to my friends who came over. Sometimes we even created worlds together to play on whenever we were hanging out. Whenever I went to my cousin’s house, we would play Minecraft on her Xbox, so I was versatile when it came to gaming consoles. For years all I focused on was Minecraft. While I haven’t touched that PlayStation in a couple of years, I still think about that world from time to time.
I think I enjoyed Minecraft so much because I could express endless creativity while playing the game. I was free to build whatever I came up with. Whether it was a giant castle or a small city of my own, I could craft anything. Minecraft is such a good game for anyone because it improves creativity and problem-solving skills, which are extremely beneficial. Building with someone else also promotes teamwork and communication. I think the game is extremely unique and educational and everyone can learn a thing or two from Minecraft.
While watching my Minecraft videos, I stumbled upon other corners of the internet. I started to watch other content and became really involved in pop culture. As of right now, being so in touch with pop culture is one of my only talents. It was really fun to explore what else was out there and happening in the world instead of being confined to one small circle. I moved from videos about Minecraft to videos about everything else. Whether it’s memes, celebrities, drama, music, or more, I probably know all about it. I watched all the classic videos and they just circulated around in my brain. I loved learning all about everything pop culture-related, especially discovering new bands through what was recommended to me. This was the start of me forming my very own music taste. My life basically revolves around music, so I’m glad I was able to find my hobby this way. While pop culture may be the most useless information anyone could know, it’s definitely the most entertaining. This connection between Minecraft and the internet is an odd one to make, but I think it shaped me into who I am today. So ultimately, I would like to thank Minecraft for leading me to the internet where I’ve found so many other things I’m passionate about. I don’t know where I’d be without the help.