A layered approach to security (onion model) is the only sane approach because any given layer will always have flaws.
The notion I get from the article is that security becomes a huge problem when every node is exposed to almost every other node by design intent. That's why NAT is mentioned several times.
"the primary reason, at the core of it all, the wrong people are in the wrong positions".
South Africa in 2020 is a case study for that.
Inheriting the most industrialized economy in the whole of Africa in 1994, the ANC government's methodology of deploying cadres - instead of the most capable person for the job - led to exactly where the country is at make-or-break point due to an incapable state unable to deliver services it taxes the citizens still able to pay taxes, so dearly for.
You're so right - video games shouldn't even have been mentioned. As human ingenuity goes, there's infinite ways to "waste time".
I've spent many hours with the family playing MineCraft, and it's an amazing way to teach things like not being selfish, being cooperative, etc. to children because they experience the effects or lack of in compacted real time without permanent real-world impact.