When's enough?

So, right now I'm at a crossroad of sorts. I've played a fair amount of video games for pretty much my entire life, and although I don't like to admit it, I've gained nothing from video games, ever. This becomes more and more apparent every moment I spend throwing my time at them. So lately I've started weaning myself off videogaming, the problem is I've found that now I have too much time. All of a sudden I can't fill my day, so I actually have to be productive. This is a good thing, but it's hard when you've been accustomed to losing hours every single day to a stupid activity. Typing this doesn't justify the impasse I've come to in deciding how much I should stop gaming. I've started spending more time reading, practicing bass, and I try to hang out with people more. But everyone else is so busy I find myself at home, alone, twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do. We all know I'm not going to start homework. I like to think I try every single day to better myself, I can tell you gaming does not better myself, but I'm pretty darn sure homework also does not better myself. A possible question is, if I have an impulse to play games, am I a better person for denying who I am and what I've grown into? Then again, the only description of gaming I've found to be accurate is that of an irrational anti-games crusader known as Jack Thompson, whom I despise, but who called videogames "masturbatory" in that they are a meaningless stimulation of the senses. That summed up most video games surprisingly well. But all the same, is watching television better? Is listening to music better? Is admiring art better? Really, it's all in the mind's eye. It's what you take from it. The problem is, most video games don't give me anything in return, whereas I can take a lot of out reading. Les Miserables is one of the most thought-provoking pieces of literature I have ever read, music like the song I just posted earlier are also thought-provoking. There _are_ games that are thought provoking, but those are few and far between. I just don't know, I've defended gaming my whole life, and now I'm not so sure. Sometimes I do want to waste time away, sometimes I don't want to think, and sometimes I just need to get away. Or am I just being lazy and unproductive? Tough question...