Nice piece! I've been through all of those thoughts of video games being a waste of time etc. But I also have seen how helpful being able to call their friends up on WhatsApp and chat for hours was for them, especially during lockdown. My younger daughter used to do her homework with her friends while talking on WhatsApp, and then her revision for her GCSEs (age 16 exams). She got mostly 'A's and 'A*'s in them so whatever she was doing worked.

My only real concern is the anxiety of leaving their friends on "read". It's a major social fail to do so and it seems to worry them a lot. I've been trying to instil the idea that they need to let go of others' expectations and give themselves the freedom to respond to messages in their own time but they became very defensive, claiming that's just how they all operate.

Also, my eldest (20) is really into D&D too, as well as spending game nights (D&D and board games) with friends as her chosen social activity. I love that she does.