I don't judge people for it necessarily but I sometimes wonder if they have the wrong idea about what games are. There definitely are problem games that are essentially gambling addictions manifest so the stigma is sometimes warranted. If you sit around playing the same dungeon in a Diablo game 8 hours a day trying to get an item that raises your power 0.5% you're probably off the deep end. But playing something like Clair Obscur or Elden Ring gives me a very unique experience that eventually ends. And the game ending / not wasting your time too much tends to be criteria I use when choosing games as well.

If you look back on that time of low self-esteem and a crappy life I bet there was a myriad of other things causing it and games were just your drug of choice for 'dealing' with it. At least that's my experience. And IMO if your life avoidance drug is games instead of almost anything else (alcohol, marijuana, etc.) you're probably doing better than most in such a situation.

"It's all just pixels on a screen" isn't really an argument for me because my work life, much of my social life, and almost every other form of entertainment that isn't video games (including what I'm doing right now) is all just pixels on a screen as well. And playing games with friends that are across the country or a few hours away is absolutely the best way to be social with them possible. Hell even when I go on vacation I make damn sure I capture pixels on a screen to look at later.