[eigenvalue]

I think the issue here is one of timescale and trading off short-term versus long-term joy/fulfillment. Playing games is often fun in the moment, and can certainly have a positive social component and can be challenging and build skills and in general be a way to blow off steam and decompress after a long day of work, similar to how many people watch TV.

But I have basically stopped playing games totally for the past decade, and I am so glad to have gotten all that time back to do other things which build up over time and then ultimately provide me with a lot more happiness, like learning new skills, reading scientific papers on ML/AI, learning how to use tools like Blender, reading biographies/history, etc. There is only so much time in a day, and when I look back on how many hours I spent during my mental prime playing stuff like Starcraft and Quake, I really wish I could have that time back and instead done other things.

Obviously this is just my take on it, and I'm not trying to shame anyone about playing games or saying they are bad. But I think it's wrong to focus on the upsides without at least being aware of what you might be trading off for that short term dopamine hit and fun.

[coffeebeqn]

I dont play a ton anymore- I used to be a 99th percentile gaming addict in my youth. But still sometimes it’s fine to not read scientific papers for recreation. Your brain needs rest too

[otikik]

Perhaps that time spent playing Starcraft in the past was part of what enabled you to do other things now. Transition from mid-game to late-game.

[e_i_pi_2]

I think this is mostly based on different needs at different times - most people play more games when they're younger and have more uncertainty in their life. As you get older there's less uncertainty and less need for things with semi-predictable outcomes. Doesn't mean you underestimated the benefit at the time - just that it's not as useful to you in this stage of your life

There's periods where I want to learn a bunch of new technologies, and other times when I can't. It's all time well spent just in different areas

[jasfi]

Games do indeed take up a huge amount of time. If I'm stressed I'll take Ashwagandha.