[showka]

With all activities, whether or not something is a waste of time has less to do with what that thing is than what you get out of it at the end.

Generally, doing anything that requires little or no effort is a waste of time. So there I'd have to disagree with Firenze. Playing the guitar or jogging takes more effort than games. People who are good at games can play games without exerting any effort or even paying attention, just like people who constantly watch television.

However, some games - just like movies, books, or other forms of media - can engage your mind or give you new ideas that shape how you see things. Media can also give you a great deal of enjoyment if you properly invest yourself in it (even good films require that you pay attention to completely enjoy them). So maybe playing games isn't always meaningless.

Many people I know complain that they don't often read because of how shallow or dissapointing they find books. If reading isn't something you do naturually, the book's pay off has to be great enough to justify the effort, and many books are boring or have unsatisfying conclusions. I can see how a layman who finds games difficult to complete could find the experience less rewarding than a hardcore gamer who has to exert less effort to get to the end.

With non-media related activities such as jogging, you're exercising your body. So on top of the enjoyment you might feel with jogging, you get better health. In the real world.

Same thing with building a skill, like playing an instrument. On top of how much you enjoy the training or studying, at the end you have that skill and the sense of gratification you have from earning it.

Really, its all too subjective to say anything definitive, but I can sympathize with someone who doesn't want their kids being emerged in media. Experiencing media requires no effort and most people do it naturually, but things you have to put real work into come harder for everyone.

As for the whole "art" bit... pft.