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Do kids these days have hobbies?

Axtman

Axtman

Supporting Member
Mar 3, 2008
2,573
4,709
Seattle, WA
#1
Today I attended a local swap electronics swap meet. One of my money-wasting, time-sucking hobbies is electronics repair. Looking around the swap meet I saw all sorts of guys interested in vintage radios, amateur radio, hi-fi equipment, test equipment, musical equipment, etc. What really struck me was that I was one of the youngest people there....and I am 56! The only people younger were some boy scouts that were helping set up and tear down. Some of the aged people had a hard time with their booths.

So this got me thinking. Do kids these days have hobbies? If so what are they?

BTW, I also feel young when I go to guitar shows. I hardly ever see people younger than me there as well.

What do kids do in their free time for pleasure?
 
#2
Without diving too far into politics or socio-economics too much, there's a whole lot of "young" people who can't afford the time and money for hobbies.

For myself, I'm not particularly young, so not the target audience of this thread (early 30s). But, video games, music, cooking, swordplay and other martial arts, horseback riding, driving, and software development are all things I do for fun (though the last is also my "day job").
 
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#5
Hobbies are different now than in the past. Electronics now are all computer controlled and essentially closed boxes that can't be modified. I'm 50 years old and remember when computer games like Atari consoles first came out. Now computer games are on your cell phone and laptop as well as consoles for big screen TV.

There are still plenty of kids who have old fashioned hobbies but not nearly as many kids go outside as in the past.

My daughter and her friends are in their 20's and pretty much all of them hate to go outside. It's either too sunny or too windy or too hot or cold. Or else there's flies or mosquitoes. The grass is too tall and the ground is too bumpy.

Sheesh.
 
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#9
hbarcat said:
My daughter and her friends are in their 20's and pretty much all of them hate to go outside. It's either too sunny or too windy or too hot or cold. Or else there's flies or mosquitoes. The grass is too tall and the ground is too bumpy.

Sheesh.
Click to expand...

You're right on the whole, but I, for one, love the outdoors.

That being said, hobbies have, in general, changed. Most guys are into video games - I'd honestly call it a hobby myself. Other than that, lots of people like board games nowadays. I used to love doing woodworking, but right now don't have any good space for it. I know some that would yeast cooking as a hobby but they're also professionals. Some people do paintball or Airsoft. Airsoft is a lot more fun if you ignore the army/SOF wannabes. I've met some people that do live action roleplaying, I'm not into it but it's out there. I've been to a good few local boxing gyms and they're always full of good people.
 
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#10
Selta said:
Without diving too far into politics or socio-economics too much, there's a whole lot of "young" people who can't afford the time and money for hobbies.

For myself, I'm not particularly young, so not the target audience of this thread (early 30s). But, video games, music, cooking, swordplay and other martial arts, horseback riding, driving, and software development are all things I do for fun (though the last is also my "day job").
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+1
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#12
I'm not sure any of us get the "real" answer to this if simply reading about what's going on with the younger crowd. Socio - economics does play a role, it always has, but for us boomers who lived through the 50's 60's and 70's,s we saw life very differently then our "Greatest Generation" parents or our kids and grand kids. That said, my wife and I for almost 30 years have been avid " road trippers", first with a small RV, then larger,now really smaller ( a pop up) . We tend to do by -ways and state or national park adventures and we meet young folks out there, doing it, all the time. We meet hikers, climbers, splunkers, photographers ( my wife) and kids taking time off before starting post graduate or graduate schools. Being a "Road Tripper has informed me that once you get away from your daily grind things don't seem quite so desperate or negative. Everyone we end up chatting with, lots of younger folk ( 20-30) tend to talk about where we are, where they have been, places to go and try. As policy my wife and I stay away from the terrible "3"...politics, religion, income, in discussion and here's the deal, seems like most fellow wanderers subscribe to the same policy. So if "road tripping" is a hobby then relax, we meet lots of really inspiring young folk who seem balanced, responsible and capable and return after their adventures to the same places we call home. We are not aware of them because they aren't loud, they are going about their day , doing what is needed and expected, then getting together with like minded friends to plan the next weekend or extended outing. So perhaps I have it wrong not looking at the big picture but the smaller view makes me feel pretty Ok about things.
 
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#13
vintage radio / electronics strikes me as a hobby that might be rooted in a certain era (no offence to the OP!) – I can't imagine it being widely popular with people who didn't grow up at the "right" time for it.

if you look on Reddit there are a ton of forums dedicated to every hobby under the sun, so there are still people doing them.

of course a lot of people play computer games these days but that's what they would have been doing in any decade if the technology had been advanced and widespread enough!
 
#14
I don't entirely accept the socioeconomic argument.
Overall people are better off today than 30-40 years ago. Poor people have more. Middle class has more. Rich have more.
That is NOT to say that some people are not in a worse position, but most people simply have more comparitively.

My street has 75-100 houses, most with multiple kids. It is common to drive the street on a reasonable summer day and not see a single kid playing outside.

Electronics and the internet seems most likely difference from decades ago.

Neither I nor my 9 and 12 year olds are immune- though they both swim, play at least one sport and an instrument.
 
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#15
Not to dive too deep into the income discussion.....Many of the older guys I know got into electronics because of income. They could not afford a radio but could build a radio from a kit cheaper than buying one new.

Do kids collect stuff (coins, stamps, rocks, records, baseball cards, memorabilia, etc.) these days?
 
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#16
Axtman said:
Today I attended a local swap electronics swap meet. One of my money-wasting, time-sucking hobbies is electronics repair. Looking around the swap meet I saw all sorts of guys interested in vintage radios, amateur radio, hi-fi equipment, test equipment, musical equipment, etc. What really struck me was that I was one of the youngest people there....and I am 56! The only people younger were some boy scouts that were helping set up and tear down. Some of the aged people had a hard time with their booths.

So this got me thinking. Do kids these days have hobbies? If so what are they?

BTW, I also feel young when I go to guitar shows. I hardly ever see people younger than me there as well.

What do kids do in their free time for pleasure?
Click to expand...
I'm young. I've got several. Bass being the main one, collecting vinyl/CDs, bowling, D&D, cooking, collecting old trading cards and more. I used to be in boy scouts but since some boys couldn't go on camping trips that often (one of them, me), you were basically an outcast from the rest who would go to every one. That led to me leaving. I honestly kinda regret not moving to a new troop. Think I could've found a better one.
 
#17
Axtman said:
Not to dive too deep into the income discussion.....Many of the older guys I know got into electronics because of income. They could not afford a radio but could build a radio from a kit cheaper than buying one new.

Do kids collect stuff (coins, stamps, rocks, records, memorabilia, etc.) these days?
Click to expand...
I started my nephew the drummer out with a gift of an uncirculated coin set (penny nickel dime, and quarter) for his birth year the week he was born and every year i give him a set of the same for that year. Now that he's in his twenty's he's started collecting half dollars.
 
#18
Nashrakh said:
Watching others play video games.
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My 17 year old daughter and her friends are completely hooked. The thing is, I don't mind. It's like T.V. was to kids from my generation. I've watched a few and found the good ones, hilarious and well done. Certainly better than watching some vacuous sitcom with a laugh track.

I think that most grumpy old farts ( like me ) fail to realize how informed this younger gen is. They have everything at their fingertips and most kids of my daughters age who I've had dealings with search for knowledge like a rat does cheese. I think this gen is far more engaged than millennial's are. What are we calling my daughters gen anyway? :) Cybernaughts?
 
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#19
Funky Ghost said:
My 17 year old daughter and her friends are completely hooked. The thing is, I don't mind. It's like T.V. was to kids from my generation. I've watched a few and found the good ones, hilarious and well done. Certainly better than watching some vacuous sitcom with a laugh track.

I think that most grumpy old farts ( like me ) fail to realize how informed this younger gen is. They have everything at their fingertips and most kids of my daughters age who I've had dealings with search for knowledge like a rat does cheese. I think this gen is far more engaged than millennial's are. What are we calling my daughters gen anyway? :) Cybernaughts?
Click to expand...
I don't mind them either. Especially for games I wouldn't buy but may be of some interest.

I see the potential of the younger generation when it comes to information technology, but as a Young Grumpy Old Fart (early 30s) I mostly see the interwebs used for porn, shopping and getting yourself into trouble (think Prank videos). Must be the kids I deal with, but they throw in the towel much too early in the face of adversity. In my case, simple introductory music theory like constructing triads and I-IV-V progressions. And I'm talking students fresh out of high school taking courses on musicology. Wish they would use the wealth of information to learn how to read music mumble grumble...
 
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