Son only interested in gaming

[Me43]

My son is 13 and generally a lovely boy. He enjoys school, has a lot of friends including a group of about 5 close friends. He does a couple of sports and never complains about going, but equally he isn’t that bothered about them either and I feel like if I didn’t remind him it’s football tonight or whatever, he wouldn’t ask or get ready. He will generally do as he’s told. My issue is that he doesn’t really want to do anything other than gaming and watching YouTube. If he’s in the house he’s gaming/watching YouTube. We have to go out just to get him off for a while. (But even then he’s staring at his phone while in the car, in a restaurant, even when he’s getting dressed or having breakfast!) I’ve suggested he help cook a meal, read, do some Lego, play a board game with us, draw, learn to play an instrument - anything really! - but he’s not interested! How do we reduce his gaming time without falling out with him and causing problems, because he is actually a good boy? I have a friend who is incredibly strict with screen time and her son rebelled massively, now refuses to go to school, uses bad language, etc. and I don’t want this to happen with our son.
Thanks for any advice.

You talk about this OP as if you don't understand it. You conflate several things. If you truly don't understand gaming, learn. Play. Just as you would show an interest if he took up cycling or Geocaching.
Gaming is at least as educational and social as watching TV, reading, learning to play the guitar or training for a marathon.

Just take his gaming machine away and tell him to go out
Why is this even a thread

I was your DS tbh- I got into gaming when the early consoles came out and then heavily into PC gaming later. Gaming is still the main thing I spend my spare time doing (though the tech is a lot better now!)

If you feel it isn't negatively impacting his manner or his mental health then I wouldn't worry about it beyond setting the boundaries that matter for you (e.g., no phones at the dinner table). My 3 DCs all love gaming too, and my DS is even applying to do software engineering at university. As with any hobby, it's just important to make sure the person doing it feels happy and it's not causing them to be unsafe or to negatively influence mental/physical wellbeing.

OMG
Incredible
Nom wonder so many kids are socially inept these days
Learn gaming Really LOL

Playing solders on a screen is the same as running a marathon
PMSL
I have run a marathon It takes far more effort than playing space invaders fgs

Gaming involves a lot of skills and does include a massive amount of socialising in different ways (online, at clubs/meet-ups, comic con style events etc).
If it's someone's hobby and it's done sensibly then what's the problem?

It might take more effort but it's sooooooo boring.
My nephew does a sports. A fairly solitary one. No offence to the lad but he is so dull 😂

It takes more physical effort, sure, but let's be honest, running is an utterly brainless activity. Anyone can do it. And I do find some people obsessed with fitness to be interminably boring individuals.

Gaming may not be physical (apart from VR) but it is a brain workout in many ways.

Gaming is also a massive industry. It makes more than the film and music industries combined.

To belittle it as soldiers on a screen is clearly betraying a standpoint of total ignorance.

Could you get him into programming? That's what we did with DS and he's now working as a software engineer.

Can't believe the comparisons between learning the guitar, running a marathon and playing a game though! Crazy.

Learning to code a game yourself - well yes that is a skill up there with learning the guitar and training for a marathon. Spending 5 hours on Fortnite really, really isn't.

And yet professional gamers (eSports) are earning hundreds of thousands if not millions. You'd think if anyone could do it then everyone would do it