Are forums an overall waste of time?

I think that here I can make a lot of friends, so not a waste of time. Because I often stay at home, so the network is the important way that i can talk with others.

 

Look at opportunity cost, is the time you spend staying at home preventing you from doing something else?

Alternatively, are the forums making you stay inside? e.g. I have nothing to do, I will stay inside since I know I can browse forums.

as opposed to I have nothing to do inside, might as well go outside and see what I can do