During the initial Covid lockdown in 2020, Reetu Slathia was introduced to online games by her son, who is a gamer.
Online gaming has gained popularity in recent years, especially since the Covid-19 lockdown. It is particularly popular among young people who enjoy playing a variety of games. However, it is rare to find gamers in India who are in their 40s. Today, we will introduce you to a homemaker who began playing games during the lockdown but eventually turned it into a full-time profession.
Meet Reetu Slathia, a 45-year-old woman gamer, and YouTuber from Jammu who was introduced to online games by her gamer son during the first Covid lockdown in 2020. Reetu loves interacting with people from different places in the game lobby, as she shared in an interview with The Better India.
Reetu Slathia has chosen a career path that is not commonly taken by women in India. However, she refused to let stereotypes hold her back from finding joy and independence in online gaming, even in her 40s. In October 2021, she began playing for a live-streaming gaming portal and after a year, she created her own YouTube gaming channel.
Also Read: Meet Manoj Modi, The Mastermind Behind The Reliance Boss Mukesh Ambani’s USD 13 Billion Deals
Reetu goes by the gaming name ‘Blackbird’ and has garnered over 350,000 followers on the Rooter streaming and gaming platform. She earns an annual income of Rs 1.2 lakh. While the monetary benefits may not seem substantial, she finds the confidence and courage it has given her to be priceless. Reetu enjoys interacting with players from various regions in the game lobby, and she finds the experience to be empowering, as per her interview with The Better India.
Every day, after completing her daily house chores, Reetu spends 3-4 hours playing online games. Seated in front of her computer screen, she immerses herself in the world of online gaming. While she had always enjoyed playing games like Ludo and Candy Crush, it was her son who introduced her to the world of online gaming, which she eventually turned into her professional career.