Hi Avrom,
Yasher Koach on your kabblah! What are you going to replace it with? Movies seem much more dangerous to me than gaming, but you are right they are both a form of escape.
I thought your question was interesting. How do we define an activity that is an escape. I don't think it is necessarily the activity that defines if it is an escape or not. Any activity done to escape reality
can be an escape - even learning Torah!
![](https://guardyoureyes.com/components/com_kunena/template/default/images/emoticons/new/shocked.png)
Hold it, hold it, don't throw tomatoes just yet. I'll explain.
I remember Dr. Sorotzkin talking about the kid who learns in beis medrash all day, never goes out to recess or eats lunch with friends. All the teachers and parents tell him what a great masmid he is, BUT really he is just socially inept and learning all day is a way to ESCAPE having to learn to form relationships which he is afraid of... until one day it becomes a big enough problem that he ends up on a couch in some psycologists office.
In contrast, I remember Dr Twerski telling a story of how he was stressed, so he wached (maybe listened to?)15 minutes of a football game to relax.
I will grant that there are certain activities that are more commonly used for escape, and others that are more commonly not used as an escape. But, at the end of the day it depends on the person's motivations.
One should certainly avoid movies, video games etc. They are highly addictive because they are a form of escape.
So, we need to be honest. Are we living or escaping? It's a difficult choice. It's the choice of live or death. Ubacharta Bachaim.
(disclaimer: I am as guilty of using escapes as the next guy) I hope my post gives
me some chizzuk.