You gain nothing from being shy. Video games that are not in some sense a social bonding with your friends may amount to very little. To take the context out o

You gain nothing from being shy. Video games that are not in some sense a social bonding with your friends may amount to very little. To take the context out of video games, I know one person who spent countless hours on pool (billiards) and regrets it, and another who spent his whole 20's upgrading cars and more or less regrets it (as it robbed him of enormous amounts of time that he could have spent with family/friends and also a bottomless money-pit). Don't feel like you have to be hanging out in beaches/bars/clubs to have a good time. Some people really like being in forests, chopping wood, taking care of chickens, making food, etc. Use social media like Facebook only as a means of keeping in touch (think of it as a system of open letters) and for finding your people (the people who care deeply about the things you care about). Answer enough questions on stackoverflow and you'll get job/book offers. You gain nothing from being shy. Really. Talk to everyone around you.