I used to be addicted to video games from my teens into my mid-20s. My social skills lagged behind because of it, and I think I was partly so into gaming because going out was foreign and scary to me, while gaming provided an instant thrilling boost of entertainment to consume my time with absolutely no risk. I remember how antsy I would be to get home from school or work to resume where I was at an exciting point, or achieve the next goal. It was truly something I looked forward to and I enjoyed it for what it was. I was happy in the moment, but every now and then I would ask myself what the fuck am I doing? What have I actually accomplished? What stories can I tell? Is any of that stuff even important? If I'm 80 and reflecting on the highlights of my life, are my 20's going to feature a 360 noscope killcam? It got to the point where I had somewhat of an existential crisis and had to call it quits.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a game, relaxing with some downtime, or even having gaming as your primary hobby. But if you get to a point where you are foregoing other interesting life events, not necessarily just dating but going out and having real world experiences, then you might be doing yourself a disservice.

But I don't want to tell anybody what to do, and I'm not saying you're addicted like I was, I just want to give a little perspective on my path. I'm 30 now, haven't played many games since I was about 26. Since then I've hit the gym, ran two marathons, dated a couple girls, saved money and gone on trips, made new friends who have nothing to do with gaming, and have a great time when I go out. I can easily say that the few years since I stopped gaming have been the best of my life.