Of the eight “Playroom Rules” my mother kept tacked up for my siblings and me in our childhood home, one in particular always stood out: “In Animal Crossing: City Folk, no one may send Jack meaningless mail.” 

Beyond showcasing the unique brand of sibling rivalry my brother had to endure at the hands of two older sisters (which, apparently, included maxing out his Animal Crossing™: City Folk mailbox to the point he couldn’t receive mail from his in-game neighbors), it’s a good indicator of the major role video games played in my life growing up: Every Sunday that I can remember, I raced my siblings in Mario Kart™ 64 over chocolate chip pancakes, our next-door neighbor filling the essential fourth-player role. Over holiday breaks, we spent afternoons watching my brother play Paper Mario™ or begged my dad to join in for a few rounds of GoldenEye 007 (somehow, he always won). On playdates with classmates, we’d challenge ourselves to make it through a 50-turn round of Mario Party™ before someone’s parents came to pick them up — which, surprisingly, was always more difficult than it sounds. 

But it wasn’t just about the games: For me, the freedom to immerse myself so completely in these virtual worlds also played a role in the way I interacted with friends and family in real life. Sure, the Mario Kart sibling tournaments inevitably became less frequent as we all got older and outgrew the family playroom. But still, the world of gaming remained a pivotal community touchstone for me. And even now, in my 20s, my relationship with video games has yet to stop evolving. In fact, over the past year, it’s taken on a whole new meaning in my life. And it’s more central than ever before. 

Like so many others, I bought myself a Nintendo Switch™ system at the start of the pandemic with the intent of passing the time playing the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Every morning, I would tune into Isabelle’s island-wide broadcast (“Today’s news is that there isn’t any news!”), pull up the weeds that had popped up overnight, catch fish and insects to donate to the local museum, and water every flower surrounding my yellow-roofed home. And the truth is, in a time when my usual routines — commuting to work, running errands, dining out with friends — were suddenly stripped away, all these admittedly mundane tasks became strangely comforting. 

From there, I discovered the vibrant world of The Legend of Zelda™: Breath of the Wild, and was immediately consumed by the open-world freedom, the puzzle-based shrines, and the original soundtrack, which still tugs at my heartstrings (or sends me into a panic, if an enemy Guardian is nearby). And after realizing just how much I was enjoying gaming, I decided to take things one step further and give Twitch streaming a try. 

At first, I was just hoping to find other like-minded gamers outside of my immediate circle (who could also, conveniently, help me figure out how to beat Ganon). But almost immediately, I fell in love with the platform — and streaming a few times a month for the occasional wayward viewer quickly turned into consistent thrice-weekly broadcasts for a regular, growing community. Suddenly, I found myself with a whole group of people I loved spending time with entirely online, in our own corner of the internet.

Now, just over a year since I first started streaming, gaming has become a cornerstone of my everyday life — especially my social life. I regularly attend (and celebrate) birthday parties on stream, I spend Friday nights playing Pokémon™ UNITE with friends. I plan coffee dates in Animal Crossing: New Horizons with international friends, and we offer one another tours* of our respective islands, or grab a cup of the daily blend at The Roost. And every Sunday, harkening back to my playroom days, I play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with my viewers on Twitch — and my siblings sometimes even join in for a race or two. 

The merit doesn’t stop there, though. In lockdown, before I started streaming, I found myself with less and less to say — a feeling that was completely foreign to me as a lifelong extrovert. Call it quarantine malaise or a quarter-life crisis, but at family dinners or while catching up with friends, I heard myself giving bare-minimum responses before deflecting questions to someone else. 

But ever since my return to gaming, I feel like I’ve rediscovered my usual wide-eyed enthusiasm for life. And now, for better or for worse, I can’t shut up. Want to talk Easter eggs in the latest sequel to the Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild trailer? Pull up a chair. Want to hear my new speedrunning strategy for beating the Super Mario Odyssey™ game? Let me grab my Nintendo Switch. Want to know how long I’ve spent searching for Pokémon in Pokémon Shining Pearl AND Pokémon Brilliant Diamond? Hold my drink.

These days, my brother and I text each other during every Nintendo Direct, a gaming video presentation, to revel in our mutual excitement over the latest games announced. My parents tune in for (at least) the beginning of every one of my streams, occasionally popping into chat to say hi. The friends I’ve convinced to play certain games reach out with the same questions I once asked my Twitch community (“How do I defeat a Lynel? Where do I find the Master Sword?”). And the circle of people who tune in to my streams each week aren’t there just to watch my gameplay. They’re there to catch up with each other — to communicate — and that’s been the coolest thing to witness yet. 

For all those I’ve met and will meet with through gaming, I am forever grateful. Because, as any gamer knows, it’s dangerous to go alone.

*Any Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. 

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Jennifer Mulrow, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

On her left arm, Twitch streamer LittleNavi has a tattoo of WASD, the four keyboard keys PC gamers typically use to move their characters. “It’s ironic, though, because my left hand is the hand that has lost the most function over the years,” says Lorelei, who goes by LittleNavi online to preserve her anonymity. She was diagnosed in her 20s with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, a chronic condition that affects her central nervous system. “I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe I got a tattoo of the WASD keys, and I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to use the WASD keys again.’”

A digital accessibility specialist from Ontario, Canada, Lorelei is one of 15% of people in the world living with disability or chronic illness, according to the World Bank. However, 30% of US gamers identify as disabled, as do 20% of gamers in the United Kingdom, per research firm Newzoo. While much progress has been made in the gaming industry in recent years, there are still barriers preventing the most inclusive experience for those living with disabilities, from a lack of basic in-game features to a broader ignorance regarding the community. Disability means something unique to everyone, and no individual experience, even within the same diagnosis, is the same. In order to move the needle toward greater accessibility in gaming, we must continue to create (and play) games with assistive technology, dismantle stigmatized perceptions of disability, and challenge ableist beliefs surrounding gaming.

Accessibility starts with the development of games themselves, and thankfully certain studios from major and indie developers are prioritizing inclusive features today more than ever, often with the help of hired accessibility consultants. Ubisoft Toronto’s Far Cry 6 boasts an expansive accessibility menu of audio and interface options, from enabling closed captioning for all in-game sounds to outlining certain enemies and items in different colors for people with visual disabilities. Eidos-Montréal’s Marvel’s Guardians of The Galaxy offers a custom difficulty mode of gameplay, which allows players to tailor specific aspects of the game to their needs, from adjusting how much damage they deal to enabling auto-win events. These types of highly customizable settings are essential for meeting the needs of as many players as possible — and the more options, the better. “No one or two implementations will make anything accessible for everyone, because no one or two implementations would even make things accessible for one person,” says Lorelei, whose energy levels and accessibility needs fluctuate from day to day.

More recently, gaming equipment companies have also begun prioritizing accessibility in their device designs such as the Xbox Adaptive Controller and Logitech Adaptive Gaming Kit, which allow players to customize their gaming experience with programmable buttons and external peripherals. The QuadStick, a mouth-operated controller, gives gamers a hands-free way to play. Even packaging has become more accessible, as seen with the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which provides a seamless unboxing thanks to low-effort tear strips and tuggable loops. “When I first got my [Xbox Adaptive Controller],” Lorelei recalls, “my hands were barely functioning. Being able to open that box by myself was actually a big deal, and made me a bit emotional.” Other equipment, like a 3D rudder, which allows players to control their movement with their feet, weren’t specifically created for those with disabilities, but allowed disabled players to expand their game pools. “That’s one thing about us disabled folks,” says Lorelei, who re-binded her WASD keys to her 3D rudder, “we’re incredibly adaptive.”

But all that additional equipment comes at a literal cost. Accessibility peripherals, from controllers to switches, can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars — or a “disability tax,” as it’s known within the community. That doesn’t include potentially having to hire someone to install the equipment if you are unable to do so yourself, or spending $60 on a new game only to discover upon initial playthrough that there is a mechanic you cannot perform in order to progress the story.

“Oftentimes, the people who most need accessible tech are the ones least able to access it,” says Lorelei. “If you have a disability that’s going to make it difficult for you to use a standard controller, that disability might also make it difficult for you to find regular employment. A lot of us in the disabled community are or have been on government assistance.” Organizations like AbleGamers and SpecialEffect, she mentions, are examples of charities helping provide adaptive equipment to those in need, making gaming more affordable for all.

Still, the steep cost of making gaming and streaming more accessible is worth the social connection and personal fulfilment to those living with disabilities, some streamers say. “Illness is isolating,” says Netherlands-based streamer Lauren Radford, or RaddersGaming, who spends most of her days at home ever since a case of tonsillitis during college sent her down a path of various illnesses, including myalgic encephalomyelitis (i.e. chronic fatigue syndrome) and fibromyalgia. After becoming sick, she started immersing herself in open-world games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and eventually discovered a community of fellow gamers on Twitch. “I had lost everything. I was grieving my life, my education, my future. Then I fell into the gaming community, and I found a rope to cling onto,” says Radford, now a Twitch partner and full-time creator. “I’m not sure I would have been able to find such strong hope in any other industry. This was the most accessible thing I could have done, because I was doing it from my bedroom in my pajamas. I honestly don’t think I would have a career if I hadn’t found gaming.”

For Emma, a Netherlands-based Twitch streamer who goes by Emmagination, streaming allows her to create a safe space for fostering community and educating others. “Video games can be a facilitator into bigger conversations,” she says. Diagnosed with fibromyalgia and having recently accepted herself as a trans woman, Emma often speaks openly with her viewers about her personal struggles on stream, from her gender identity to mental health and disability support. In one particular instance, a regular chatter opened up to the community about accepting themselves as a trans woman, something they had not even expressed to their friends and family at the time. “That was a huge landmark moment for me in terms of what I wanted to do with streaming,” Emma says. “Growing up, gaming was always my chance to be the hero of the story, to be the person who can create change. Now, it’s become a very real power in which I can make a difference by helping other people and positively impacting their lives. It’s become a self-fulfilled prophecy.”

But life as a full-time streamer, especially for someone living with disabilities, can be mentally and physically draining, and for many, it’s not an entirely viable option. Ask most streamers how to grow viewership and you’ll hear the same advice: stream for long hours at a time, maintain a consistent schedule, and constantly put out content. “There is a lot of inherent ableism in the ways we tell people to become successful [in streaming],” says Florida-based writer and streamer Teona Studemire, or Tee_Spoonie. “I can’t stream for eight hours a day, I’m too sick. My illnesses are too inconsistent and unpredictable for me to be able to deliver in that way — and I shouldn’t have to.”

Putting your disability in front of a live audience that might not understand how to discuss or respond to disabilities can present challenges, as well. “There’s a barrier to the way that society perceives disability, in that they think it’s all or nothing. They think that someone who is in a wheelchair has to always be in a wheelchair a hundred percent of the time,” says Lorelei. “People will log into someone’s stream who is low-vision, see them read something with their eyes, and start saying others are ‘faking’ their disability or using it to get attention.”

On the flip side, some people will look at streamers with disabilities as “inspiration porn,” a term coined in 2012 by disability rights activist Stella Young, celebrating them solely on the basis of their disability in an objectifying manner. And that can be exhausting in other ways. “People will come into my stream and say it is inspiring that I play video games,” Lorelei says. “Is it? Tell me I am inspiring because I am talented at something, because I volunteer on boards and committees, because of the advocacy work I do — but don’t tell me I am inspiring for being in a wheelchair, for simply existing.”

As discourse around accessibility in gaming continues to grow, the vision of a more accessible gaming industry becomes clearer and clearer. “I want more legislation on accessibility,” says digital content producer Erin Hawley, or GeekyGimp, referring to protections like the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act which requires accessible communication services in video games. “I want to see a director of accessibility on every staff that’s big enough to have one,” says Jay, a streamer, editor, and cosplayer who streams under the name ThatJayJustice. “If you are making triple-A games, where is your accessibility director? Who are they? What is their name?”

Intersectionality must be a guiding principle of every gaming company and corporation, as well, Lorelei says. “From square one, having a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion — not only in hiring practices, but also in the ways that we design games and represent characters in games — will be a big first step that things will naturally build from.” What’s most needed though is a cultural shift in the larger gaming community that requires every gamer, disabled or not, to rally for change. “If an inclusive game with equal representation that is accessible to the vast majority of people is what most people want, that is the game we are going to get,” Emma says. “But we need to ask for it, and not just those who are affected by it.”

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Jennifer Mulrow, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

Every day, nurses can have a life-changing impact on those around them. They are the eyes and ears of their doctors, the fiercest of advocates for their patients, and the hearts and souls of their hospitals. It’s impossible to exaggerate the importance of their role, especially over the past year and a half as frontline workers during a pandemic.

To celebrate nurses and all that they do, we joined forces with Cuddl Duds earlier this year to launch a sweepstakes calling on readers to nominate a nurse in their lives for the chance to be featured in an R29 photo shoot. Now, once again in partnership with the clothing brand that recently expanded into scrubs, we’re delighted to present our two deserving winners.

Below, discover the inspiring stories of Jaspreet, a Queens-based clinical nurse and practitioner candidate, and Damilola, a Brooklyn-based labor and delivery nurse and practitioner candidate — both, coincidentally, nominated by their sisters. From what initially inspired them to become a nurse to the support systems that help them overcome any challenge, read their stories below.

What inspired you to become a nurse?

“I was born and raised with my two younger siblings in Queens, where my parents immigrated to from India. At the end of my undergraduate career, I had a health scare — I found a lump in my breast — and needed to get some testing done to figure out if it was cancer. I was very scared at the time, and I had a nurse who figuratively held my hand through it all. Luckily, it ended up being benign, but I was so impacted by the experience I had with my nurse that I realized I wanted to do the same for someone else. I wanted to give someone the strength during their vulnerable times to take care of themselves.”

What has been a formative moment you’ve had as a nurse recently?

“The last few years that I’ve been a nurse I’ve worked in critical care, so we look after some of the sickest patients. For me, the satisfaction I get in helping people is enough to fulfill me, but small things like when someone says ‘Thank you’ or explains how much something you did meant to them always leaves me feeling inspired. When we had our COVID ICU, there were no visitation hours. We were FaceTiming patients’ family members so they could see their loved ones and find a sense of closure. It is an honor to be there with my patients at that time.”

What type of support systems have gotten you through the past year?

“I have a close group of coworkers who are like family to me. It’s important during such a difficult time to talk to someone — especially someone who really knows what you’re going through — to help you feel validated in your experiences and process the things that have happened. I also personally try to deal with difficulties at work while I’m at work, and not bring them home with me. I have an amazing family, sister, and boyfriend, so if I do come home needing to talk, they are always there to listen. It’s just about finding people who can help you in the way that you need to be helped.”

What hopes and career goals do you have for the future?

“I’ve been a nurse for five years now, but I’m also now a full-time student. I’m currently getting my master’s in nursing to become a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners are allowed to diagnose patients, do histories, and physical exams. We can order lab work and imaging, diagnose and treat patients, and prescribe medication. It’s about more autonomy and more control, and being able to help patients in another way.”

What has this past year taught you about your job or about life?

“I know a lot of people associate negative things with the COVID pandemic — and rightly so — but I do believe that through adversity, you can make yourself better. Kind of like how Batman lost his parents and then became Batman, right? I think it’s about finding ways to invest in yourself, whether that means taking a daily walk, switching out a sugary drink for water, or booking a session with a therapist. Over time you can become a better version of yourself.”

What inspired you to become a nurse?

“I was born in Canada and moved to Brooklyn at six months old, where I’ve been living ever since. As a young child, I’ve always loved science and anatomy. On top of that, my family has a history of health issues. One particular situation that led me to nursing was witnessing a family member have a seizure when I was in high school. I was the first one to find them in the middle of their first episode, and I had no idea what to do. I thought they were going to die and I couldn’t help them. The inability to help them in that moment made me want to work in the medical field.”

What has been a formative moment you’ve had as a nurse recently?

“I am a labor and delivery nurse, and with COVID protocols, pregnant women were not allowed to have visitors. Imagine being a new mother going through your first pregnancy, and you can’t have your spouse by your side until you’re in active labor. Then, once the baby is born, the partner has to leave while the mother stays in the hospital for two more days. So, for most of the time, these women were alone. For me, the pandemic really tested you as a nurse. In these moments when there is nobody supporting these women — some of them who even tested positive — are you going to risk yourself to fulfill your duty? I had to decide that I was going to be there for my patients, stay in that room with them, and hold their hands during these times.”

What type of support systems have gotten you through the past year?

“I’ve been a nurse for two years now, and transitioning from school to the actual field hasn’t been easy. School does not prepare you for the expectations in the field. I recently transitioned to a new job at a new hospital, still in labor and delivery. While I’m still finding my footing in my new role, my preceptor has been incredible. Your preceptor is basically your backbone while you’re still learning. I do have coworkers from my old job that I still lean on who I can text about things I’m dealing with at work. We are very dependent on each other, and that’s important with nursing.”

What has the past year taught you about life?

“The past year has taught me that life is short and that tomorrow is not guaranteed, so it’s important to do what you can while you’re still here. The pandemic encouraged me to go back to school and pursue a higher degree because I want to be able to do more for my patients. I love that there are so many opportunities to grow in nursing, but it doesn’t stop at the bedside. I’ve recently been accepted into a Doctor of Nursing Practice in a women’s health graduate program for fall 2021. This aids in fulfilling my passion for women’s health.”

What hopes and goals do you have for the future of your personal nursing career?

“Right now, I am working toward becoming a nurse practitioner so that I can work in an OBGYN clinic as a primary care provider. I would also love to become a professor for maternity in a nursing program. There’s a lack of education for pregnant women, especially prenatally. It’s unfortunate because it leads to delayed diagnosis, pregnancy complications, and patients not being able to advocate for themselves when they don’t know enough about their own bodies. Education is key, because prevention is better than a cure. Eventually, I want to open up my own health clinic — but let’s just work on paying for graduate school and actually graduating first.”

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Jennifer Mulrow, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

As much as we love a glass of wine during happy hour or a dirty martini for a nightcap, there are plenty of benefits to removing alcohol from your diet — it can improve your mood, help you sleep, save you money. But have you ever considered skipping out on alcohol when it comes to your skin-care routine?

First, let’s take a step back: Why is alcohol in our skin-care products in the first place? Spoiler alert: It’s not to give your skin a quick pre-Hinge date buzz. There are two types of alcohol when it comes to skin care: fatty alcohols (which benefit your skin by enhancing hydration) and denatured alcohols (which, while good for making products feel lightweight and quick to absorb, can end up breaking down your skin’s natural moisture barrier and make it more vulnerable to irritation). When products are labeled “alcohol-free,” they’re referring to the latter, not the former.

So, if you’ve been dealing with dry or dehydrated skin and don’t know how to address it, or you’re simply looking to overhaul your top shelf for a fresh start this fall, an alcohol-free skin-care routine could be something to consider.

In partnership with Skin Elite, we’ve curated a starter pack of five editor-approved alcohol-free skin-care products to kickstart your “sober” skin-care routine. From a soothing toner that leaves skin feeling refreshed to the all-mineral SPF that provides a natural glow, check them all out ahead.

La Roche-Posay Micellar Foaming Water Face Cleanser

This foaming face wash not only cleanses and soften skin, but also brightens and clarifies at the same time thanks to gently exfoliating BHAs and AHAs. The thin, water-like texture removes dirt and impurities without disrupting your skin’s natural pH levels, so it won’t leave your face feeling tight or stripped.

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Revision Soothing Facial Rinse

Use this calming, alcohol-free toner post-cleansing to help alleviate redness courtesy of Vitamin K, hydrate and protect skin with potent antioxidants, and deeply nourish skin thanks to soothing algae.

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GlyMed Plus Cell Science Cell Protection Serum

Massage a few drops of this ultra-light and nourishing serum into your skin to stimulate collagen production, replenish critical lipids, and protect against free-radical damage.

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Peter Thomas Roth Green Releaf Calming Face Oil

Relieve the look of inflammation with this calming face oil, which harnesses the power of hemp-derived cannabis sativa seed oil to soothe and hydrate any skin type.

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EltaMD UV Glow Tinted Sunscreen Broad-Spectrum SPF 36

Sunscreen is a non-negotiable part of our everyday routines for protecting against harmful UV rays, and this all-mineral, alcohol-free option lends a natural finish thanks to the subtle, glow-granting tint.

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Jennifer Mulrow, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

As a beauty editor and serial YouTube-tutorial binge-watcher, I love a good makeup challenge. So when I was recently challenged by Paypal and Venmo to create three different beauty looks using the same $25 CVS makeup haul, I was immediately on board.

There are two things I quickly learned upon taking on this challenge: 1) $25 in beauty products can go a lot of different ways. After perusing all the options in the CVS beauty aisles, I paid with my Venmo QR code and walked out of the store with three colorful items — a coppery eyeshadow palette, a creamy coral lipstick, and a baby-pink matte lipstick.

2.) Limitations, I learned, promote creativity. Only able to work with three products, I found myself innovating way more than I normally would have if I had access to every item in my makeup bag. From using lipstick as blush to brown eyeshadow for faux freckles, I resorted to a few tricks that I had never tried before, and I was pleasantly surprised at the results — and range of the final looks.

See how it all went down in the slides ahead. Plus, if you're feeling inspired to try out this challenge for yourself, we've got a pro tip: Shop your beauty haul in-store at CVS using the PayPal or Venmo QR code payment feature and get $10 cash back on your first purchase.

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Jennifer Mulrow, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Between the oversized scrunchies popping up on our For You Page and the '90s-inspired claw clips remerging in models' off-duty IG posts, our social media feeds right now feel like minefields for all the spring hair accessories we want to cop. But as much as we would love to try every single trend, it's impossible to ignore how incredibly unsustainable (and potentially expensive) that is.

Enter: Planet Goody, the first-ever line of eco-friendly hair accessories from Goody that are affordable, on-trend, and low-impact on the environment. Whether it’s claw clips made from biodegradable cornstarch, stretch head wraps made from sustainably sourced bamboo fabrics, or pastel scrunchies made with non-toxic dyes, Planet Goody offers an extensive range of styles to help you recreate any look, responsibly. And with every item coming in under $10, there’s really no reason to hold back. Ahead, seven sustainable accessories from Goody to snag right now.

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Jennifer Mulrow, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

After a year-plus of wearing masks, social distancing, and spending most of our time indoors, we've pretty much solidified our quarantine dressing style. But now that quarantine is coming to a hopeful end with vaccines more widely available and warmer weather just around the corner, where does our style go from here? Do we return to renting designer dresses as we prepare for a return to the office? Are we parting ways with the matching sweatsuits we've been living in 24/7?

To answer these questions, and get a better sense of how women are actually dressing right now, we teamed up with LOFT and Lou & Grey to see how six women — with totally different styles — have adapted their style to their new routines, and are gearing up for the spring season ahead. From fully embracing a cozy vibe to figuring out her back-to-work uniform, each woman shares the closet staples she turns to for truly effortless dressing. Click ahead to find out which look resonates the most with you.

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DMTBeautySpot

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Jennifer Mulrow, Khareem Sudlow