Those whispers you hear are lies. Learn the superpower of metacognition to banish the void voices.

Video games have come a long way since their inception. From pixelated arcade machines to sprawling open-world adventures, gaming has not only shaped entertainment but also influenced the way we speak. Today, it’s common to hear terms that originated in the gaming world pop up in everyday conversations. Whether you’re talking about “leveling up” or “getting rekt,” gaming slang has firmly woven itself into the fabric of modern language. But how did this happen? Let's explore how gaming terms have transitioned from niche jargon to widespread slang.

Every habit I wanted to break—snacking when I wasn’t hungry, doom-scrolling instead of sleeping, putting off that creative project “until I felt inspired”—all of them lived in this mental buffet of options, and I was out here loading my plate with stuff I didn’t even like.

As a gamer parent, I always dreamed of sharing some of my favorite digital worlds with my son. I figured one day we’d run dungeons together, laugh at goblin dialogue, and bond over loot drama. But I didn’t expect World of Warcraft to become our secret weapon in learning to read.