I hear a baffling amount of this sentiment these days, and its not just gaming, though gaming is probably the most common. Do people see the only alternative to leaving their home as drinking at clubs / bars? or is it just an excuse and people don't really mean it ? I hear it enough that I don't really think it is. Do people not know there are a plethora of social activities that don't involve drinking?

Maybe it is that when are isolated long enough, you cease to know what people normally do (not having occasion to observe it) and pop-entertainment reality takes over in your mind.

Isolation does that. And majority of population was never heavy clubbers or keg drinkers. That was always only minority of people despite being shown in movies as norm.

It is interesting. Almost like the pursuit of gaming takes away the imagination and urge to engage in anything else.