Amongst millennials, there is a deep secret that few of us ever dare to voice aloud. We are the instant gratification generation, the ones whose days are filled with a whirlwind of social media savvy engagements, highly presentable professional accomplishments, and Instagram worthy entrees.
Click on any one of our online profiles – from Facebook to LinkedIn to Instagram – and you’ll see just how fulfilled our modern-day lives are: there, in the smiling face staring back from every photograph; there too, in the holiday snaps filling our feeds. So how can we confess our best kept secret? That sneaking, insidious feeling of boredom that so many of us are familiar with.
It’s hard to admit even to ourselves. Our lives seem so full to those looking in from the outside, but perhaps that’s because we want them to, because we fall into the trap of believing that the online personas of those around us reflect the reality, when in fact, they show only what we want everybody else to see.
Could this strange little cultural phenomenon – the one we find so hard to put into words – be the catalyst for another odd occurrence too: the resurgence of hobbies that are… well… old? Think about it for a moment and we’re sure you’ll recognise what we’re speaking about. It’s that nostalgic allure of the ‘good old days’, when times were simpler, the magic of smartphones was unimaginable, and people seemed to have good, old-fashioned fun.
From bingo to baking to bridge, pastimes were pared-back. They didn’t need to be picture perfect, they didn’t need to be ‘cool’, and yet somehow, they managed to keep people entertained for hours. Even now, we look at those groups of seniors sat together, cackling away merrily, their lined faces aglow, and there’s a little part of us that wants that for ourselves.
That not only wants it, but is increasingly taking it, seizing the moment, and enjoying some archaic entertainment that actually ends up feeling pretty damn satisfying! If you don’t know what we’re talking about, that’s because you haven’t given it a try yet, but don’t worry: we’re here to point you in the right direction…
Baking
Everybody loves baked goods, but baking itself was once the preserve of grandmothers alone. No longer! There is something so much more satisfying about sinking your fingers into warm dough than there is about flicking through an Instagram feed full of cakes. We like the mess, the imperfection, and most of all the feeling of accomplishment when we press those still-warm brownies to our hungry lips.
Bingo
Bingo halls began opening their doors in the 1950s and 1960s, in the heyday of our grandparents, which is probably why they became associated with this generation as they aged. Not content to let them have all the fun, a growing number of young people are now experiencing this innocent thrill for themselves – but they’re adding a 21 century twist. Moving the game online, we’re taking it increasingly seriously, with sites like Oddchecker having sprung up to help players find the best and most lucrative ways to play, including sign-up and deposit bonuses.
Bridge
When looking at our phone screens for the thirtieth time in three hours gets too much, we’re turning to old-fashioned games like bridge to add a little excitement to our lives too. A four player set-up that involves some serious teamwork, it’s real,22 tangible, and gives us just the push we need to interact with people face-to-face rather than online.
Gardening
Plenty of millennials find that we’re missing the great outdoors, so maybe that’s why a growing number are taking up gardening. The traditional preserve of grannies, this green fingered pastime brings a sense of peace and contentment that no amount of YouTube compilations ever can.
Knitting
Lots of young professionals are also picking up hobbies that allow them to produce physical results. We’re no longer as pleased as we once were by watching endless make-up tutorials, and seeing somebody else achieve a level of perfection that we never could. We like things that we can make ourselves, however messy and malformed they might end up, and knitting perfectly fits the bill.
Old-fashioned, archaic, and traditionally relegated to OAPs alone, the tastes of millennials are undeniably changing. We want real life results, real life thrills, and an awful lot less of seeing other people’s picture perfect lives played out before us. Is that really so hard to understand considering?
