Do you have any hobbies?
I was recently listening to a podcast while doing some maintenance work on my truck, and I was surprised when the host lamented that people don’t have hobbies anymore. The statement caught my attention, as the host suggested that hobbies have been replaced by technology. Activities that challenge us intellectually or physically seem to have gone by the wayside, with many of us preferring to scroll through social media or watch videos of others enjoying their hobbies.
But there’s no way that’s entirely true. Surely, people enjoy disconnecting from the world in a woodshop or garage.
So, I did what any responsible millennial would do: I started to poke around the internet and found that increasingly, younger millennials and Gen Zers are grappling with this question. One article’s author recalled struggling to complete an application for a study abroad program because she could not list any hobbies.
As pointed out in a March 2025 Washington Post article, this should be the golden age of hobbies. Twentieth-century thinkers believed that technological advancements would make our work so efficient that leisure would eclipse labor. Another commentator speculated that Democrats had become political junkies and had so few interests outside of politics, the lack of hobbies played a role in losing the 2024 Presidential election.
Gallup found that Americans are working fewer hours per week. In 2019, U.S. employees reported working an average of 44 hours a week. By 2024, that number had decreased to 42 hours per week. The decline in working hours has been even more pronounced among younger workers.
Leisure time has certainly not eclipsed work.
So, what’s going on? Do people really have fewer hobbies? Are we all just doom-scrolling throughout the day?
While technology and the ever-present smartphone are convenient scapegoats, it’s easier to sit and scroll through social media, staring at posts pushed by algorithms designed to keep us engaged for as long as possible.
But there’s more to it than that. Our overall attitudes toward leisure time have changed. Often, hobbies were an extension of our occupations. For instance, a farmer who needs a wide range of knowledge and skills to keep his equipment running and his farm operating might collect and restore old tractors, utilizing those skills for personal enjoyment. The same could be said for other craftsmen and skilled tradesmen.
Hobbies that required physical skill and problem-solving also provided a sense of satisfaction and purpose that many of today’s data-driven jobs often fail to deliver.
Additionally, those hobbies fostered social connections that helped strengthen community ties and personal relationships. For example, the bond among car guys is obvious for any one who has spent a Sunday afternoon at a local car show.
In some cases, hobbies like hiking and biking even contributed to better overall health and wellness.
As you head into the weekend, consider putting down your phone, turning off the television, and getting out to do something. You might just find a new passion or discover a talent you never knew you had. At the very least, you could realize that the real world is a much better place than the digital one the algorithms are promoting.