Gaming may be a good escape, but such activities are also addictive. I am a YouTube junkie myself. It lifts my mood and is way better than ruminating, but it doesn't ultimately solve the problem. At the end of the day I have still been unproductive and I have to live with that. I also know compulsive gamers, and as wonderful a pastime as gaming is I think it's kind of sad when somebody can't put down the controller and engage with real life.
Ah, but this is a misconception. I've had experiences that prove this.
To go into a bit of detail:
Firstly, gaming got me OUT of the house. Not just that though... it got me to go out of the state entirely (I'm in the US). Why? Because of gaming, I also took an interest in cosplay. And thus, conventions. But these require travel. I made my very first trip out of state, on my own, due to this. And now? I've grown comfortable with the idea. Not just for conventions, but for any reason. I dont need any help with it and can handle getting lost. Which also led to more confidence in driving, too. I'll often go drive down random roads simply to see where they go. Sometimes, this leads to interesting things. Sometimes it leads to finding alternate routes. And even just the cosplay alone... which is related heavily to the gaming... led to a ton of important events in my life.
In addition, I've met lasting friends this way. Both through the cosplay/conventions, and through just the gaming itself. Friends I've known for many years, and have dealt with both online and in person. One in particular, my closest friend, that I've known since grade school. Gaming isnt JUST a solitary activity. Even when you're playing a game that is singleplayer only. How does THAT work? Because people like to talk about their hobbies with others that share them. It can lead to all sorts of things.
Speaking of which, lemme show this here:
THAT video alone... which is just a video of me playing a particularly difficult game... led to stuff I never could have guessed at. A few years back, I found a developer whose group goes by the name of Arcen. I had found one of their games, absolutely loved it, and so, joined their community. I found myself often helping with testing and other things. But later on, this developer had a very specific type of game they wanted to make. What is known as a "bullet hell" game. This type requires an extremely specific and very rare type of skill-set in order to create. Around that time, the head developer of that group saw this video. He went and watched a couple of my other similar ones. From that alone, he offered me a contract. To help with the development of that game, because I could do what so very, very few can. This was a paid contract. And it wasnt just a "do this, then do that" sort of thing. I'd proven to know so much about that game type that I was immediately put in a position of authority among the game's dev team. I could veto ideas that others had, if I thought they didnt fit the game or wouldnt work. I could make big decisions. Hell, right from the start I remember asking "So, what do I do first?" and the guy said "Well, what do you think you should do? Whatever it is, go and do that". The head developer had final say in everything of course, but as a rule never questioned or went against any of my decisions. I got to participate in something that many WANT to do but never get the chance to. I got to help a developer I have alot of respect for. And in addition, I now handle moderation of their community forums. The game released about a year back, but me and a few others have continued work on it even now, to make an expansion for it.
And again, that all happened JUST because of those videos. It wasnt "prior work experience", it wasnt college degrees... they dont care about that. They care about RESULTS. I gave them results, and the game got very good reviews. Just because I had played a few games and shown it. Hell, I even warned them of my various problems. I mentioned that I was autistic, for instance, and could not work many hours a week. They didnt care: They felt that, one way or another, I'd produce something good (and they were right, much to my own constant bafflement).
Lastly: My coordination is very good. And my reflexes and reaction speed are seriously abnormal. I also have the ability to mentally process an enormous amount of things at once. If you see that video, notice how many THINGS are moving around the screen at a time, particularly near the end? None of them escape my notice, period. Think of the practical applications that must have in the real world (particularly when driving).
These skills, and those events, were all made possible through this apparently "unproductive" hobby. PURELY through that. And I know I'm sure as heck not the only example. There's one very, very special example I am aware of. A certain individual on Youtube, who does mostly videos of Minecraft and is so popular that it's *literally* his job and source of income, explained how he got the channel going. Before doing it, he was suffering from major depression. He didnt know what to do, and had thought of suicide a few times. Believed himself to be worth nothing. Overweight, too. But he started doing this Youtube channel, just him playing this game and commenting on it... and the whole thing exploded. Suddenly, he was in the spotlight. People loved him, laughed with him, wanted more. He started to realize... he really was worth something, he really COULD accomplish something. His depression dropped heavily, he began to lose weight and get into shape. It changed the course of his entire life. And he is now one of Youtube's biggest stars. You cant tell me THAT one is unproductive, eh?
And this all can apply to most other hobbies as well. You never know what something might lead to... to assume otherwise is unwise.
This all is a huge part of why I recommend what I do. Because I know that this hobby many look down on can lead to some incredible things, regardless of wether you expect it to or not. Even the most "pointless" of things can lead to chain reactions of events in our lives that we couldnt even guess at.
Just something to keep in mind, as I believe it important to have an understanding of this when looking at the actions and behaviors of others. So many things people do have so much more meaning than people assume.