I am not sure when hobbies stopped being fun and instead became something that I had to consider the value of. Will this look impressive on my CV? Will this lead me to my dream job? Will this give me a good life? But what even is a good life? One that is balanced, surely. And having hobbies is a necessary part of that.
But, when we define a good life, we often think of a career. Because a career is security. And so, we must forfeit anything which stands in the way of our quest to find this, especially our hobbies.
It is a normal part of growing up to not only start to lose interest in your childhood hobbies but also to doubt your abilities. When I was a kid, I didn’t care whether my drawings were realistic or if my stories were actually interesting. I even remember thinking that one of my stories would actually be the next big thing.
But then that doubt started to seep in and suddenly, my hobbies were a source of insecurity. Once a hobby goes from being intuitive and easy, things can just spiral so that one day, you wake up and realise that you feel, well, empty.
From Fun to Functional
But how did you get to that point? Hobbies are central to our identity. But it takes a long time to come to this realisation, because, you guessed it, school gets in the way. And then the university applications get in the way. But, suddenly, hobbies are all the rage again. That hobby that you abandoned because of your schoolwork? Bring it back. Put it on your CV. Universities love that!
However, now your hobby is intertwined with your career journey. It can be hard to wrestle your way out of that trap. And with mounting deadlines, having a hobby is often the last thing that anyone can be bothered with. But one thing that I have realised since starting university is that not all hobbies have to lead to a career. There are a multitude of clubs at this university for hobbies that, no matter how hard you try, could never go on your CV. But that’s the beauty of them.
One thing that some career advisors encourage is a side hustle. Often, a side hustle is a hobby-oriented business, something that cannot sustain your current lifestyle, but could (often significantly) in the future. It is literally on the side of your primary career. I think that is why there is this pressure to turn whatever hobbies you have, the few that have survived from childhood, into money-makers. That if you are good at something, then that has to mean something in our capitalist system.
Gen Z’s Response
But Gen Z is saying no. When I think of our generation embracing hobbies, I think of activities like knitting and colouring books – hobbies that are intrinsically cosy and nostalgic. In fact, ‘cosy crafts’ is a phrase that has been shared all over social media. It’s Gen Z’s response to the mental health crisis, focusing on slowing down and concentrating wholly on the simple act of the craft.
One of the downsides of social media is that it is literally out of touch with the real world. What Gen Z is craving, post-pandemic, is life before social media. Life when, instead of doom-scrolling when you were bored, you picked up a hobby. A hobby with no purpose other than to fill the time. Because of phones, we invest our time less intentionally. How many times have you told yourself that you would start that book the next time you were free, but when you were, you just picked up your phone instead? That is why we, Gen Zs, have our crazy university clubs that force us to be present.
However, some have argued that Gen Z’s newfound interest in what you might call ‘disposable’ hobbies is rooted in consumerist behaviour. People are attracted not to the hobby, but to the aesthetic of it. When ‘Challengers’ came out, people on social media expressed an interest in taking up tennis, just because it looked cool in the movie. But, as I mentioned before, hobbies are central to our identity. And part of uncovering our identity is engaging in the things that have caught our attention, even if the reason is a little cringey. Think of the many law students who became successful lawyers because they originally wanted to emulate the characters in ‘Suits’.
Even if there is another motive to explain Gen Z’s adoption of hobbies, let’s say, because everyone else is doing it, is that not also understandable? Post-pandemic, we not only crave physical interactions with the world around us, but also with other people. Finding like-minded individuals is central to the development of identity. But also, it’s another great way to unwind and destress.
The Bottom Line
As Gen Z, we want to find meaning in our work, which is why we are perhaps more likely to sacrifice our hobbies to the hustle. And this is not to say that you shouldn’t do that. Pursuing your passion is another way to live the ‘good life’, and one that Gen Z in particular highly values. However, it is also okay to not do that. In the face of the many challenges that Gen Z is dealing with, from the mental health crisis to the downsides of social media, engaging in ‘silly little hobbies’ that don’t lead anywhere in particular is an act of resistance against not only the chains of social media, but also the capitalist system, which seeks to define our identities in terms of our employability. Gen Z is embracing a return to a simpler, more human life.