For me it's because I expect gaming to be a relaxing pastime, when you don't have to think much and just chill out

See I consider sleep to fit the relaxing pastime of not having to think and veg out, or maybe some forms of light exercise. Walking. Etc.

From entertainment, be that games or TV or Books or whatever I want shit that actually makes me think and isn't mindless time killing.

Since most games and TV fit the mindless time killing mold I don't like them.

Some exceptions are had but it's rarely found by chasing the popular trends in either (though popular in terms of actual word of mouth praise rather than corporately imposed marketing schemes usually is an indicator of quality)

Really depends on the individual work itself and not the medium as to it's quality. Most TV and most movies are trite rehashes. Most games are dopamine gambling simulators designed to get you to buy more shit or keep playing for the add money.

Plenty of exceptions to these do exist. But all things being equal, I find that if I've got free time and I need to spend it on some kind of entertainment. Games usually win out over television as the interactive medium is more engaging than passive story watching. Books also win out over television as they are far more narratively interesting with few exceptions. Games are best when they either explore some novel physics concept you can't really do well irl due to practicality or they are a kind of simulator of some IRL thing and the fun is in trying to succeed with the limited rule set and push the limits rather than any kind of narrative.

I think I've got my great grandparents idea of television as the boob tube. Seems mostly an utter waste of time to me and turns your mind to mush. Games can be the same depending on what it is you are actually doing, but the same can be said of books and movies and basically any medium.

Ultimately though why waste any time on entertainment you don't like? Video games aren't exactly going to enrich your life if you don't enjoy them. If you're not a kid you don't have the kind of time needed to learn how to play them well and they won't be fun. Why bother?