My mum introduced me to video games via a Mega Drive to keep me off the streets. Plenty of gangs, drugs and crime in general where I grew up, and I had a drug-dealing stepdad who made me a target for local idiots to try and take a shot at.
They absolutely expanded my ability to read, which meant I was a couple groups ahead for reading in school. Probably gave me a lot more capacity at spatial reasoning and more, though I've always been dogshit at maths.
As a teen, they led me to get the internet as I wanted to play a text-based MMO, Hidden World, that I got introduced to at school. Called up AOL and pretended to be over 18 so I could get set up with a connection since my mum wasn't savvy enough to help. Ended up discovering modding games through people making edits of GTA3 character textures online, which led me to get into game development in general, taking me to University and a career in games. Credited in some major AAA stuff, which is crazy to think about at times.
This is all alongside the stupidly huge amount of friends worldwide that I've made through video games. Games have been good.