Hey it sounds sad but imo my friends and I had like the best childhood.
Its not like we never left the house - we did - but while playing soccer we were making plans on launch of WoW Burning Crusade, to whose place we can go set up a “Lan” with fast Internet and whose parents wouldnt care if we would play all night.
After school launching Warcraft 3 playing Line Tower Wars and then going out for soccer or the lake was a blast.
Then at home we would order pizza and start a Lan Session and play Starcraft BW, Age of Empires or Speedrun in Diablo 2.
I miss those days. I have waaay more time on me than as a kid (nice job) but my friends dont. So even if I have the time it will never ever be the same like in 2001 to 2009.
I miss those days :( im glad my parents let me game whenever I wanted and let us choose if we want to play inside or outside. Gladly we did both but I sure would have a huge missing part of me if and my friends never made so many memories in WoW, Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, Quake etc
Likewise, and reading interesting books! From solo playing FF7 and empathising with eco-‘terrorists’, lol, to singing while my friends and little brother played pseudoinstruments on Rockband/Guitar Hero. Then puberty came along and my priorities shifted radically, lol.