Didn't' mathematicians prove that time = money?
From an economic point of view it's just opportunity cost. So if you took time out of your evening of playing video games to try and make some money on steemit I don't see much of a loss, probably a gain if you actually learn a few things.
RE: The Great Steemit Debate: Tone Vays vs. Jeff Berwick "Ponzi Scheme or Paradigm Shift?"