Now that I think about it, maybe they always have been, sort of? The earliest memes I remember are the rage comics

Though, I feel like “meme” = funny relatable thing nowadays.

I swear, kids are the cruelest at that age. I ate lunch in the bathroom stall a few times in my first week of middle school because it was better than being in the cafeteria

It might be an age thing - I’m 32, game as a hobby, and work in software. 80% of my coworkers play games to some extent, and most are in their twenties to mid thirties.

But when I used to work in healthcare, I think only a few of my coworkers shared the hobby.

Generally, I think the younger the generation is, the more acceptable and “normal” gaming is. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s definitely more common.

Edit: I’d just be yourself and do as you like. There’s definitely people out there who share your hobby. Some of the older members of a long-standing guild I’m a part of are in their 50’s or retired. I will say that the gender ratio skews mostly male for older gamers though. The women I know who are interested in games are all sub 40 (this is just a personal observation, your results may vary)