Why are video games so much more stigmatized than other time wasting hobbies in America?

[quesaisje]

1. There's a big difference between what "I play A LOT of video games" means to most people compared to e.g. "I watch A LOT of sports."

If you give someone the impression that you're watching sports 40+ hours per week, their assumptions are likely to be less charitable, i.e. somewhere between "watches too much television" and "gambling addict."


2. It's all about how you talk about it, as with anything. Most people aren't that interested in talking about hobbies they don't share, so you need to be an exceptional storyteller to maintain their attention.

This is harder to do with video games than with something like gardening, DIY, or club sports, because (1) there are no real stakes and (2) it doesn't involve food or something else that you can share with others to win their appreciation without asking for too much attention.