>>509099343this, unironically. some people use vices without any purpose, but for many vices are just an escape. I was bullied a lot in school, used to fap a lot, played sports and was intelligent and not too spergy but girls hated me. anyway, in high school I got a massive growth spurt because late puberty, and then my school had a study abroad program in europe (this was in the early 00s when europe was white btw). was so busy getting my room set up (also had a roommate) and with orientation that I didnt fap or even think about fapping for the first week there (also no privacy because roommate). lot of mixer/fun events for us that first week, too, and learning the city (barcelona). by the second week my energy levels were off the charts, I was actually feeling more fit and muscular too from all the walking (and for accidentally being on "nofap" for over a week at this point). lost my virginity by the 3rd week of the program.
so yea there are times when things like fapping or alcohol or chronic online gaming are just an escape. look at all the people that got into these things during 2020 not necessarily because they wanted to, but because governments shut down other places.
i feel bad for people who had formative teen years during the pandemic, because certain activities can be habit forming. I might have stayed an incel weirdo and not blossomed into a normie if that high school study abroad didn't push me into expanding my horizons. maybe if covid had happened when I was in high school, I would have just become some fat gooner loser and gotten permastuck.