Let’s all stop writing think pieces about Gen Z’s love of hobbies
Numerous major news outlets have reported on the influx of young people seeking hobbies and activities that don’t involve constant consumption or the need to devote their lives to the internet. Many assert that this is making young people less social than previous generations or less likely to find romantic relationships. But as someone with arguably too many hobbies, I have not found these to be isolating or take away from “real life.” Instead, I have found them to be mentally and socially enriching.
“Hobbyamory,” as coined by the New York Times, refers to a desire of single Gen Zers to fill their weeks with workout classes, gaming groups and crafting time rather than spending their free time shopping, drinking and dating. The Washington Post goes further by saying that because Gen Z is so engaged in hobbies, they have become too competitive and have taken the fun out of them.
Articles like this misinterpret the goal of many who seek to maximize their time outside of school and work. Rather than simply trading one obsession for another, the rise of “hobbymaxing” is an attempt to unplug and find true balance.
The desire to spend less time on screens has driven many young people to take up “grandma hobbies” in recent years. These hobbies include fiber arts like knitting and crochet, coloring and crossword puzzle books. Some have even gone so far as to create an “analog bag” to reach for instead of their phones, which has, ironically, gone viral on social media.
As someone with a craft cart in her room and a Pinterest board full of new hobby ideas, I am certainly not the most impartial judge of this phenomenon. However, having a backlog of craft projects and a full calendar of activities has made me more social, not sent me into an isolated spiral of hyperproductivity as some claimed it would.
As a lifelong reader, I have long been a fan of Goodreads and being able to see my reading progress over the course of the year. This does not, as some assert, mean I read only to gather stats. But it does give me a little push of motivation to actually pick up my book, an activity I greatly enjoy once I’m doing it, but something I struggle to make time for.
This year, inspired by a friend’s impressive progress over the course of the past year, I have started to take up crochet. I refer to this as my “TV hobby,” meaning now when I feel the urge to scroll TikTok while watching a show, I instead reach for my current project. I am starting to love this hobby because there is genuinely nothing cooler than wearing handmade clothing and accessories.
I think I can safely say I am not “wasting” my college years on hobbies I can do in my seventies, but rather building a foundation for lifelong communities and entertainment outside a screen. With a plethora of real problems in need of our attention, let’s all stop focusing on what Gen Z chooses to do in our free time.
Leave us to our harmless “grandma hobbies” that build supportive communities and save our attention spans from the brainrot that has slowly come to define the internet. And when you see us in our handmade hats and mittens on our way to Pilates this winter, please compliment us on them. Maybe we will invite you to our next knitting night or pottery class.