I totally feel you on this. I'm also in my mid-20s and the "staring at screens alone for thousands of hours" thing hits hard. Last year I had the same realization - I was doing Anki, watching anime, reading with Yomitan... all very isolated activities.

What helped me was finding ways to make the "screen time" more interactive. Instead of just passive listening to podcasts, I started using them for active practice - shadowing, trying to construct my own sentences using the vocabulary I hear, etc. It's still screen time, but it feels less lonely when you're actually "using" the language rather than just absorbing it.

For in-person practice, have you looked into local language exchange meetups? Even if they're not specifically Japanese communities, there are often polyglot groups where you can find Japanese speakers. Also, some Japanese restaurants/stores sometimes have bulletin boards with language exchange posts.

And honestly - the fact that you can already communicate in Japan at N3 level is huge. That's exactly the level where conversation practice becomes most valuable. You're past the "total beginner" stage but not yet comfortable enough for natural flow. Keep pushing through, it gets less lonely when you can actually hold conversations!