8 hobbies Millennials are obsessed with that Boomers think are complete wastes of time

My parents called me last week to ask what I'd been up to. When I mentioned I'd spent the weekend building a Lego set I'd been working on, there was a pause. Then my dad said, "You paid money for that? Aren't those for kids?"

This wasn't the first time I'd gotten this reaction. Every time I mention one of my hobbies to someone from the Boomer generation, I can see it in their eyes. That mixture of confusion and judgment. That unspoken question: why would you waste your time on that?

But here's what they don't get. These hobbies aren't wastes of time for us. They're lifelines. They're how we stay sane in a world that demands constant productivity while offering us less stability than any generation before us.

The tension between Millennials and Boomers isn't new, and it extends way beyond avocado toast and coffee. Boomers primarily fear that Millennials threaten traditional values, while Millennials worry that Boomers' delayed transmission of power hampers their life prospects. Our hobbies reflect this divide perfectly.

So let's talk about the hobbies Millennials are genuinely obsessed with and why Boomers think they're ridiculous.

1) Gaming as a primary social outlet

When I tell older colleagues that I spent Friday night playing online games with friends scattered across three time zones, they look at me like I've admitted to throwing away my evening.

"Why not just call them?" they ask.

Because gaming isn't just playing a game. It's how we hang out. It's our version of the poker nights or bowling leagues their generation had, except we don't need to drive anywhere or coordinate schedules weeks in advance.

During my three years in Bangkok, some of my closest friendships were maintained entirely through gaming sessions. While living near Chatuchak Market, I'd fire up my laptop late at night and reconnect with friends back in Austin. We weren't just completing missions. We were catching up, joking around, and staying connected despite being on opposite sides of the planet.

Boomers see gaming as childish or isolating. They don't understand that for Millennials, it's deeply social. We're building communities, solving problems together, and creating shared experiences.

The gaming industry is massive, and Millennials are driving it. But to our parents' generation, it still looks like we're wasting time on kid stuff instead of doing something productive.

2) Plant parenting and indoor gardening

I have 23 plants in my East Austin bungalow. I know their names. I track their watering schedules. I get genuinely excited when a new leaf unfurls.

My mom thinks I've lost my mind.

"Just buy flowers at the store if you want something green," she said once.

But that misses the entire point. Plant parenting isn't about decoration. It's about nurturing something living, watching it grow, and having a hobby that's completely offline.

When I was working 80-hour weeks in fine dining restaurants during my twenties, I didn't have the bandwidth for hobbies. Everything was about the next service, the next menu, the next event. Coming back from Thailand, I started keeping plants as a way to slow down and stay present.

There's something meditative about checking on your plants each morning. About troubleshooting why a leaf turned yellow. About propagating cuttings and watching roots develop in water.

Boomers had gardens, sure. But they see indoor plant collections as wasteful and high-maintenance. Why spend money on rare plant varieties when you could just buy some petunias for the porch?

They don't understand that for Millennials, plant parenting is a form of self-care that fits into small apartments and busy schedules.

3) Vinyl record collecting and analog music

I've been collecting vinyl for about five years now. I have a modest collection of maybe 80 records, mostly jazz and classic rock albums I picked up from Austin's local shops.

My dad literally cannot comprehend this.

"You're paying for music you can stream for free?" he says. "And the quality is worse?"

Here's what Boomers miss about the vinyl resurgence among Millennials. It's not about the sound quality, though many of us do prefer it. It's about the ritual. The intentionality. The physicality of music in an increasingly digital world.

When you put on a record, you can't skip songs easily. You're committing to an album the way the artist intended. You're engaging with music actively rather than having it play passively in the background while you scroll through your phone.

Boomers see this as hipster nonsense. They lived through the transition from records to CDs to digital, and they're not nostalgic for the inconvenience of analog formats.

But for Millennials, vinyl collecting is about reclaiming a slower, more deliberate way of experiencing art. It's a small rebellion against the endless stream of algorithmically generated playlists.

4) Elaborate self-care routines and wellness practices

Every Sunday night, I do a full skincare routine that takes about 30 minutes. Cleanser, exfoliant, serum, moisturizer, the works. I also meditate daily and use a foam roller after workouts.

To Boomers, this looks like vanity and self-indulgence.

"Just splash some water on your face and get on with your day," my uncle once told me.

But here's the thing. Millennials didn't invent self-care because we're more narcissistic than previous generations. We turned to it because we're more stressed, more anxious, and more burned out than any generation before us.

I learned meditation during my time in Bangkok. It started as something to do because everyone around me was doing it, but it became a genuine practice that helped me manage the constant buzzing in my head. When I returned to the States, that meditation practice became even more essential.

Boomers see elaborate wellness routines as a waste of money and time. They believe in toughing it out and not making such a fuss about mental health.

Millennials see these practices as essential maintenance for living in a world that demands constant availability and peak performance while offering little in return.

5) Obsessive hobby deep-dives

When Millennials get into a hobby, we go all in. We don't just take up running. We research the optimal training plans, join online communities, track every metric, and invest in proper gear.

We don't just start cooking. We watch hours of YouTube tutorials, buy specialty equipment, and practice techniques until we master them.

This intensity confuses Boomers. They see it as overthinking simple pleasures.

During my hospitality career, I worked with ultra-wealthy clients who had the resources to become genuine experts in their hobbies. A tech executive who knew more about wine than some sommeliers. A real estate mogul with a cookbook collection that rivaled specialty bookstores.

What I learned was that deep expertise in something you love isn't wasteful. It's enriching.

Millennials throw themselves into hobbies with this same intensity, even if we don't have the same financial resources. Whether it's mechanical keyboards, specialty coffee, or vintage fashion, we want to understand it completely.

Boomers see this as another example of Millennial excess and overthinking. Why can't we just enjoy things casually instead of turning every hobby into an obsession?

But for Millennials, that depth is the point. In a world where everything feels surface-level and temporary, becoming genuinely good at something feels like an anchor.

6) Content creation as a hobby

I know dozens of Millennials who run blogs, YouTube channels, podcasts, or Instagram accounts about their interests. Not as businesses, just as hobbies.

My friend documents his strength training journey. Another creates cooking videos. A former colleague writes essays about books she's reading.

To Boomers, this looks like attention-seeking nonsense.

"Why does everything have to be for an audience?" my mom asked once. "Why can't you just do things for yourself?"

But content creation isn't about seeking validation from strangers. It's about documenting your journey, connecting with like-minded people, and developing skills in storytelling, editing, and communication.

When I started writing about food and personal development, it wasn't because I needed external approval. It was because sharing what I was learning helped me process it more deeply. The audience came later, almost as a side effect.

Boomers had hobbies they did privately, in their garages or basements. The idea of broadcasting your interests to the world seems self-absorbed to them.

For Millennials, sharing our hobbies online is how we find our people. It's how we build communities around niche interests and turn solo activities into social experiences.

7) Collecting things that aren't investments

Millennials collect sneakers, Lego sets, vintage clothing, enamel pins, and rare plants. We spend money on things that won't appreciate in value and might even be worthless to future generations.

Boomers collected things too, but usually with an investment mindset. Coins, stamps, classic cars. Things that would theoretically gain value over time.

My small collection of vintage Omega watches is the only luxury I display regularly. I wear the same one daily. A Boomer collector would probably keep them in a safe, tracking their appreciation.

But I bought them because I love watches, not because I see them as investments. They bring me joy to wear, and that's enough.

This drives Boomers crazy. They see Millennial collecting habits as financially irresponsible. Why spend money on things that won't build wealth?

Because we've accepted that traditional wealth-building is largely out of reach for us anyway. We're spending on things that make life more enjoyable right now rather than banking on a future that feels increasingly uncertain.

We're not being financially reckless. We're being realistic about what's actually achievable and choosing joy in the present over deferred gratification that might never come.

8) Grandma hobbies and slow living

Finally, and perhaps most ironically, Millennials are embracing what people are calling "grandma hobbies." Knitting, baking bread, jigsaw puzzles, bird watching, gardening.

The craft and hobby market is projected to reach over 74 billion dollars by 2033, driven largely by younger generations picking up these traditional activities.

Boomers find this particularly baffling. These are the hobbies they watched their own parents do. They spent their youth rejecting these slow, domestic activities in favor of career ambitions and modern conveniences.

Now they're watching Millennials enthusiastically embrace the very things they left behind.

I started doing jigsaw puzzles during the pandemic, and I haven't stopped. There's something deeply satisfying about the slow, methodical process. No notifications. No scrolling. Just pieces clicking into place.

The irony is that Boomers think we're wasting time on old-fashioned activities that aren't productive or forward-thinking. But these hobbies are exactly what many of us need. They're antidotes to the constant stimulation and pressure of modern life.

Millennials aren't picking up knitting or bread baking because we're trying to be retro. We're doing it because these activities offer something our regular lives don't anymore. Presence. Tangibility. A sense of completion.

The bottom line

The fundamental disconnect between Millennials and Boomers around hobbies comes down to different worldviews.

Boomers had economic stability and clear paths forward. They could afford to see hobbies as purely recreational add-ons to productive lives. Many of them view leisure through the lens of productivity or investment. If it's not building wealth, skills, or status, why bother?

Millennials entered adulthood during the financial crisis, graduated with massive student debt, and have watched the traditional markers of success become increasingly unattainable. We're the first generation to be worse off than our parents.

Our hobbies reflect this reality. They're not wastes of time. They're how we maintain our mental health, build communities, and find meaning in a world that offers us less stability and security than any generation before us.

When Boomers criticize our hobbies, they're really criticizing a different approach to life. One that prioritizes experience over accumulation, community over status, and presence over productivity.

Are these hobbies sometimes excessive? Sure. Do we occasionally overthink simple pleasures? Absolutely.

But they're also lifelines. They're how we stay human in an increasingly inhuman world.

So yes, I'm going to keep building Lego sets, tending my plants, and spending Sunday mornings at the farmers market. Not because I think it'll make me rich or impressive, but because it makes life feel worth living.

And honestly? That's not a waste of time at all.