The tendency to avoid facing reality or problems by seeking distraction, usually through entertainment, fantasy, or other diversions.
From 'escape' plus the suffix '-ism' (a practice or ideology), coined in the early 20th century. It represents the act of escaping from reality as a psychological pattern.
Escapism was named as a concept in the 1930s when movies and radio exploded—and honestly, it's how humans have always coped: daydreaming, books, and imagination!
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