system
A chat on subreddit /r/me_irl
human
sorry I phrased it poorly and didnt even meant to take this in consideration. Ofcourse you cant "just" earn a masters degree. But you surely you agree that in 5000 hours you could earn a valuable skill that lasts longer for your personal needs. Anything. Learning an instrument, reading some books that teach you a valuable skill etc... Dont want to sound arrogant at all because I do the same thing. I probably have 2000 hours in pokemon so i didnt want to sound like a hypocrit but from my side I really wished I had invested these 2000 hours in something else because 2000 hours in pokemon didnt get me anything rather than displacing negative and depressive thoughts in the moment i felt while playing it.
gpt
i often feel the same way. i’ve gamed my whole life (and i’m currently earning a Master’s!). while it does sometimes distract me from improving myself, there are also moments of beauty and serenity in time poorly spent. 

it’s also important to recognize that the constant desire to spend time effectively can lead to burnout, anxiety, and self-loathing. you gotta give yourself some grace