> there is absolutely no doubt that eight hours or more of weekly gaming is evidence of depression for age groups 16 and up
I doubt that. Many critically acclaimed single player games take from 40 up to 120 hours to complete, so 8 hours a week puts you on track to play through one game in a month.
From an outsiders perspective that seems really reasonable? If I put 8 hours of reading per week in, then I would probably finish 1-2 books per month. How many games should one be finishing in a month?
It's individual and also depends on the game (some are much shorter like 8 hours, some can absorb 100s of hours, some games don't have a clear "end"), but one per 1-2 months with a break in between gives you high quality entertainment and it's an enriching experience.
I'd say that's a typical pace for an adult gamer with a job.
Books are a good analogy for the single player games with a definite ending. The satisfaction I get from completing them is similar (but not exactly the same).
I doubt that. Many critically acclaimed single player games take from 40 up to 120 hours to complete, so 8 hours a week puts you on track to play through one game in a month.