Why I Became a Gamer Girl
At the age of 24, I picked up an Xbox controller for the first time.
This is a two-sided story. On the one side, there is the phrase “gamer girl”: Rife with history, rich with an underlying subtext, with haters and outcries and controversy.
On the other, there’s me: A proud non-gamer for twenty-four years who’s had a complicated history with the concept of gaming. And understanding both is necessary for understanding why I became a gamer girl.
The reason I wanted to start playing games was because of my boyfriend. We’ve lived together for three years, and in those years we’ve struggled to find evening hobbies that we can share.
Normally, our post-dinner time is spent doing what we call our “independent hangout time.” He pursues his hobbies, which tend to be gaming. I pursue mine, which tend to be reading or painting. But we do them companionably in each other’s company in the living room.
I wanted to do something actively together. It occurred to me that while it would be difficult to share a book or a painting project, it would be simple for me to start gaming. All we were lacking was a second controller. So I bought one, and my life as a gamer girl began.
