I hear it all the time from my family and friends. They tell me it isn’t smart to pursue a career in video-game journalism. They say that I’m chasing major disappointment. No one will ever take me seriously.

That last statement is probably true: Hardly anyone takes video-game journalism seriously. The media ignores video games a lot of the time, and when they are getting attention, they are usually shown in a negative light. It all boils down to the underlying belief that video games are not newsworthy.

I beg to differ. Video games have shaped our culture since their inception, and they’ve had a major impact on several peoples’ lives, including mine. They are not only a great source of entertainment, but they are also an escape from the harsh realities of life. I use games as a source of emotional catharsis all the time.

Video-game journalism is not just sitting around and playing games all the time. A lot of people have that misconception, and that’s what leads to the misunderstanding and fallacious belief. Playing games is a part of the job, and one of the main reasons, certainly, that I’m pursuing this career, but it’s not the only part.

Writing about games is just as hard as writing about anything else. It requires research and dedication. Anyone who doesn’t believe that doesn’t belong in the industry. I constantly search for new topics to write about when I’m not reviewing games. It’s very difficult.

Why would I want to write about them? If I like them so much, why wouldn’t I just simply play them and leave it at that? It’s because I love writing about them. I enjoy sharing my experiences with other people. I love writing in general, but I wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night thinking about video games.

I hope that one day my devotion to gaming pays off. I was recently hired as an associate editor for CriticsUnknown.com, which may not be that big a deal to others, but it is to me. It means that my musings are now out on a high traffic site for people to read. It’s a start. The money isn’t great, but that’s another one of those things that comes packaged with being a video-game journalist.