Online chess is a waste of time?

[ExtraFox18]

If you play at often as you can and late into the night every night rather than doing anything else is this not a complete waste of time?

Sitting watching TV is a waste of time, singing is a waste of time, amateur dramatics is a waste of time, - none of them create anything or get you fit or any other tangible benefit. Reading is debatable as it can give knowledge but is mostly just for fun.

Should people not do any of these either?

It’s a brilliant game of logic... brain training to aid non-verbal reasoning.
It’s only a problem if it affects normal family life, like any hobby.
Are you concerned about a child , partner or you playing it for a long time?

It's not a waste if you enjoy it, surely? If they're doing it to the detriment of their other responsibilities then that's an issue whatever the hobby is, but otherwise, if it gives them enjoyment then how is it a waste of time?

As for online games being a waste of time, that's how I met my husband so it turns out it was a pretty good use of time for us

Nothing is a waste of time if you enjoy doing it. Different people like different things, and there's no rule that we must all have active hobbies.

Isn't chess just like draughts with knobs on

This person ( bil) would come home and go straight to computer to play and would give side glances to wife as she tried to talk to him and ran around finishing off chores desire she too could relax after long day with child with sen. He would then play mate into night and gone to bed late but when she moved into another bedroom she was made to feel very guilty. He would literally go to work play chess , watch tv / movies . He would grudgingly take their fob out for a few hours once a week if she could get him to but he’d then complain they didn’t do anything as a family and that all she cared about was “ her break”.

Son not fob

Definitely less of a waste of time than mumsnet but here we all are!

It sounds from what you've said like BIL wasn't a good enough partner or father. But the issue wasn't online chess as such. It was that he didn't spend enough time with his family and that he was selfish and unkind. I'm sure there are chess players who put in similar hours, but navigate it better - by playing with their children instead of taking time for movies & TV for example.