On our Christmas holiday we went to California with the whole family. My brother who is three years older than me saved up a lot of money to get the brand new Ipod Touch. On this road trip the three of us: my sister, brother and me were sitting in the back seat of the car. To kill the time we took turns on games like Subway Surfers, Temple Run and my personal favorite Fruit Ninja. My brother and sister were so much better than me. I didn’t get the chance to enjoy the game that much. However for me it wasn’t about the game, it was little moments of sibling bonding, shared excitement and friendly competition. When I talked to my friends I noticed that a lot of them had the same experience with one of their first digital memories. These games were an integral part of the childhood of Gen Z.
Other generations might have different memories of their first glimpse of the digital world. They might remember Tetris or Super Mario for example. As I reflect on these early experiences, I realize that they’re not just personal memories, they’re generational. Growing up in the early 2010s, these mobile games were some of the first introductions to the world of digital gaming for many of us in Gen Z. The accessibility of smartphones and tablets made these games widespread. You didn’t need a gaming console or fancy equipment; a simple phone was all it took to dive into these worlds.
In my household we shared one tablet. When you have one of them, it means that you have to share. This made the games only more competitive, because I wanted to hold the tablet for as long as possible. When I look at my little cousins they all have their personal electronic devices. There is almost no interaction between them. I think sharing at a young age is important to learn and play together.
With Halloween on the way I come across more and more inspiration for costumes. Yesterday I saw a couple dressed up as characters from Subway Surfers. It is these little things that take us back to the “simpler times”. Another example I saw on TikTok. A famous YouTuber had the bright idea to play real life Ninja Fruit. Although in my opinion this was a stupid idea to get a lot of likes, it did make me laugh and think about my childhood.
Nowadays I never play games on my phone anymore. They have been sadly replaced by Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Now more than ever I am on my phone. Maybe this blog has brought up ideas for me. Organize a night with your friends or family to play those games on one phone or tablet. I bet that it would be a fun night that “takes us back”.
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