Birdwatching is a lot like Pok\u00e9mon when you think about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No one wants to grow up to be like their parents. That\u2019s why Millennials and Gen Xers took a hard turn away from the values and lifestyles of the people who raised them: the Baby Boomers. But the funny thing about pendulums is that they can only go so far in one direction before they come swinging back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It seems Gen Zers, today\u2019s young adults between the ages of 14 and 29, actually have quite a bit in common with the Boomers\u2014namely, how they like to spend their leisure time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are six Boomer-favorite hobbies that are making a strong comeback with young people, who are putting a fresh spin on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most adults over the age of 30 would not recognize birdwatching as a popular hobby from when they were growing up, but thanks to Gen Z, it\u2019s roaring back into style. A recent CNN article highlighted Gen Z\u2019s affinity for birdwatching, with wildlife adviser Katie Nethercoat saying the activity\u2019s accessibility and outdoorsiness are a big draw:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople have an idea that birdwatching is an expensive hobby. It\u2019s not, you don\u2019t need all the gear \u2026 it is often just going to your local park, sitting out on your balcony or in your garden, going for a walk along the river. Nature is always there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Birdwatching among 16- to 29-year-olds in the United Kingdom, for example, has surged more than 1,000% since 2018, according to CNN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Gen Z makes it their own: Birdwatching is now social\u2014not to mention political. Young people share their finds online, while birdwatching apps allow them to compete to see who can spot the most birds or the rarest species. It\u2019s like real-life Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many even join mission-oriented birdwatching clubs, such as those organized around LGBTQ inclusion or feminist causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mahjong, the 200-year-old Chinese tile-based skill game, is certainly having a moment. Interest in mahjong clubs is up more than 4,000% since last year, with young people driving much of the surge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside of the Asian American community, mahjong was popular with Jewish American women and American housewives in the early 1900s. Now it\u2019s back. And it\u2019s not just mahjong. Board games of all kinds are seeing a resurgence as the video game monoculture begins to break apart. Video games are still huge, but they\u2019re more niche and immersive, and many young people are finding they prefer playing games in real life with friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Gen Z makes it their own: Mahjong has always been highly social, but the younger generation is cranking it up to 11. Some Gen Zers throw mahjong parties where guests are encouraged to bring a friend and enjoy DJs, food, and more. Custom mahjong sets on Etsy let young people put their own spin on the classic game in a way 1930s housewives never could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not just for grandmas anymore: A staggering 73% of crocheters are now between 18 and 34, according to recent data. They\u2019re not just borrowing this hobby; they\u2019re straight-up taking over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s the slowest, most offline hobby ever, and Gen Z is eating it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Gen Z makes it their own: Three words: granny-core meetups. Gen Zers are combining several of their favorite Boomer pastimes and gathering with friends for quiet evenings of mahjong, knitting, and crochet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re also getting hyper-creative, no longer held back by what their mother or grandmother taught them or by the available lessons in books. Gen Z crocheters make stuffies, cardigans, and trendy bags\u2014and some even turn their crafts into small businesses and side hustles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gen Z gets a reputation as the \u201cDoorDash generation,\u201d but baking homemade goodies, especially sourdough bread, is really popular with this age group. It all peaked during the pandemic, but young people haven\u2019t exactly cooled on making fresh bread at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Independent Press writes that many Millennials and Gen Zers got their first taste of homemade sourdough in 2020 and that it\u2019s sticking around for reasons far bigger than just how delicious it can be: \u201cThis shift toward baking was not only about producing food but about engaging in a therapeutic and rewarding process during uncertain times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Gen Z makes it their own: Like so many things for younger generations, baking bread at home is becoming social. People share their bread-making journey and sourdough starter progress online, and they have access to incredibly diverse and creative recipes that Baby Boomers could never have imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the last five years, the secondhand clothing market has doubled, per NBC News. Gen Z is playing a huge role in the resurgence, as more and more of them are ditching traditional retail stores for Goodwill, thrift stores, and antique malls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Gen Z makes it their own: It\u2019s not just thrifty and practical to pick up secondhand clothes and household items. It\u2019s nostalgic and novel. By shopping secondhand, young people are able to experience a time they never lived through, when things weren\u2019t mass-produced or sold by scammy dropshippers on Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSome of the clothes you get at the mall are such terrible quality these days,\u201d Julia Laracy, 18, told NBC News. \u201cThese clothes are cheaper and they\u2019re older, but they have better quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jigsaw puzzles, like sourdough, took off during the pandemic, and people still haven\u2019t gotten sick of them. About half of American adults do at least one puzzle per year, and one of the groups most likely to do a puzzle on a monthly basis is 18- to 34-year-olds\u2014yes, even out-puzzling the Boomers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Gen Z makes it their own: Puzzles can be social, too\u2014if you want them to be. \u201cPuzzle and chill\u201d or \u201cpuzzle with me\u201d streams and online content are huge, and not just for creators. They foster a sense of belonging and community even when people are isolated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One commenter on a recent YouTube video wrote, \u201cThis was so much fun. I put you up on the TV while working on [my own puzzle]. It was like puzzling in the same room with a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why the return of these old-school, offline hobbies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s simple, really. They all have a number of things in common: You have to use your hands. They take time, effort, and patience. And you can do them solo or with friends in real life, then choose to share them online afterward\u2014or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These analog hobbies force us to slow down, and they\u2019re the perfect antidote to digital fatigue\u2014not just nostalgic or \u201cretro\u201d for the sake of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor me, personally, our brains are fried. I think we\u2019re just so done and exhausted with social media. It\u2019s very toxic,\u201d one young birdwatcher told CNN. \u201cIt\u2019s weird because it doesn\u2019t make us feel good. We feel almost addicted to being on our phones because we don\u2019t know anything else \u2026 A lot of us are going back, seeking the slower life, seeking a real connection with nature and other people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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