Escape from Gaming

This next episode of The Sociology of Chess (November 2016) is from the Youtube channel Game Quitters. The channel description says,

New to Game Quitters and need to learn the basics of how to quit playing video games? What should you do if you're bored? What about all of your friends?

I've never been a keen video game player, but I know that online chess can be addictive. What do non-chess gamers think?

Does Chess Count as Gaming? Should You Play It? (4:40) • 'In this video we talk about chess. Does it count as gaming? Should you play it? Does it break your detox? Is there a difference between online chess and playing it in-person?'

Here are some excerpts from the comments:-

'I think chess is only bad if you are playing it to defeat boredom. The point of quitting games is to reshape your life so that you always have strong ambitious goals that you have to fulfill. So basically working towards that goal prevents boredom from occurring.'

'You can't escape life by playing chess. And that's the good part. So I guess chess is okay.'

'There are a lot of games like chess that can be good with relationships and you have to use your brain etc, like you said it's good as long as you aren't doing it in the Internet and turning it into an escape.'

'Chess is definitely ok to play. More so in person because you've something to talk about and it's a relationship builder. It might be kinda awkward but if you play online. I don't know HOW you could get addicted to online chess, lol, if I played I'd prefer the feel of wooden/glass pieces and a real person to play against.'

'I think chess in general is extremely good for it's logical reasoning etc. But like said it does use some of the key skills involved in gaming so you aren't letting you mind be free of these feelings so i would agree to avoid it until your "cured" from a gaming addiction.'

'I started playing 16 years ago and from my experience playing chess in a club is totally fine, because you can not ever binge game there. Online chess is a completely different story though. Especially with 1 minute games becoming trend and recently even 0,5 minute games becoming more popular. It's easy to justify "only one more game. It's only 1 minute so why not?", only to find realize 1 hour later what one has just done.'

'The things you talk about are a big issue in today's society. I have used online chess in the past as a substitute for gaming and it ultimately led to another relapse.'

'Even in person; if you gamble on chess it is very addictive. But then that's just trading a gaming issue for a gambling issue. Now just a social game of chess is different.'

'Online chess can also be a problem for me. I like playing in person. Sometimes I will play a long slow game against an online opponent with my board set up physically in front of me. What triggers me is playing shorter time constraints. I'm not really growing at the game, just slinging pieces around in blitz or bullet. [...] I'm "escaping" from reality, stress, boredom etc. and trying to game or play chess online.'

At 3:30 into the video, the speaker [Cam Adair] says, 'Chess is OK. Online chess not so much. In person it's awesome. You have to be super careful that you're not using these things as an escape, for instant gratification.' Next question: How to give up chess blogging?