Gaming vs Reading

I was a gamer and still a gamer. Teenage life was a lot of visits to the arcades and spending nearly 16 hours in front of the computer playing online games. I still cringe seeing my online account stating that I've played 4000++ games (where each game is a minimum 10 minutes length). That's like a few weeks down the drain. I know that gaming does not lead me anywhere (unless I'm in Korea and I'm a good gaming strategist), so I view it more like a hobby, a sort of entertainment, but 16 hours of entertainment per day is bad.

So now, I still game, up to 2 hours per day and as little as 10 minutes a day. I have to suppress my gaming habit. And then there's reading. I've just finished a 800++ pages book on fiction, and I'm 200 pages into the 2nd book of the trilogy, but then it gnaw on me that... hmm... finishing this trilogy will also not lead me anywhere. Therefore, is reading fiction same to gaming?

In my mind, I just try to note the positives and negatives of both activities. Gaming (the kind of game I play at least) involves quite a bit of strategic thinking and not just pure click click click. So I guess it helps in thinking on my toes, as oppose to click click click where people claim it improves hand-to-eye coordination. But then again, it doesn't really help in securing jobs or create income. Online games however, I do notice that if you're social and professional enough to make sincere friends with those you meet online, it does help business (rarely, but it happens). These friends who I met online are also gamers with family and career responsibilities. Not purely teenagers. There are a few fathers, some high-level execs and others, but in my opinion the most advantageous in knowing them is that should you visit their country, most of the time they willingly welcome you to the extend of wanting to meet you at the airport.

Ok, back to topic. Reading, while it improves imagination (how does that help in life improvement?), it helps in sentence structuring and vocabulary. So, while I'm being entertained, subconsciously it helps me be a better writer. And that's the thing.... since I'm reading a lot, I SHOULD use that education to earn some income, as an article writer or even an author (if my imagination is good enough or I remember factual experiences).

So there, just a hanging post this time.... just thinking if reading brings me to the same level as gaming. I think they're of the same level, it's what you do with what you learn and how you're entertained I guess.