Killing time: Me and distracting games

I just literally realized this as I was sitting in the lecture. Whenever I find myself lost in videogames, it's not connected to addiction, but rather immense boredom. Let me explain:

I'm an international. Most people I know in New Zealand are internationals, quite naturally. What it means is that both family and my larger friend circle live in Norway. This creates a certain problem in terms of my social life. Lately I've found that most people I used to mingle with have graduated and moved home. In other words, I haven't gotten to meet new people lately, and at the moment my friend arsenal is dwindling. Obviously I'll find a way to fix this trend. But meanwhile, my daily life is quite dull and monotonous. I go to my classes, I go back. I cook. I eat. I go on the internet. I sleep. I wake up only to find myself lurking Facebook without a single reason. See the pattern? BOREDOM. Sheer, bloody boredom.

Here's where video games come in. You see, my main problem is how mundane everything seems nowadays. I'd give anything to see time pass by faster, and I actually look forward to starting semester 1 with all the workload it brings. Why? Because it fills up my time, and I don't end up staring at the clock. Personally, I like filling my time with something. I can never be satisfied unless there’s something actively taking up my time. It's not a good thing, I'll admit. But like mentioned today, video games can often be symptoms rather than causes. In my case, if I find an enjoyable game, I'll be happy for all the wrong reasons. It's not necessarily that the game in itself is interesting; it's rather the lack of anything else to fill my free time with. I like playing games these days, because of it's diegetic values. For example, if I start playing Hitman at 6, then suddenly finding myself clocking in at midnight, it actually feels good. Nothing substantial, social or important, but just taking up my time with something.

My point is: Video games are, these days, perfect distractions for me. However, I would never play them if I had my international friends nearby, or even coursework in need of cramming. This actually implies what I've been thinking all along. They're not addicting by themselves, but they can relieve or aggravate whatever mental state the player is currently in. Again, symptoms, not causes. I personally can’t see how anyone can be so satisfied and emotionally attached to video games because of the game itself. There are other factors that have to be considered, such as personality, current situation of the player and general state of mind. I normally don’t play games in New Zealand, but now I find myself craving for them. Because I’m locked into a state of boredom and lack of better time usage, games are a nice time killer. Seriously, psychological addiction boils down to the individual, not the game. And with that, I really should start looking for other hobbies.