If someone asked you what you liked to do for fun, what would you say? Perhaps you enjoy immersing yourself in a good book, conjuring up something magical in the kitchen, or painting to your heart’s content. But if you are like the 18% of Americans who recently reported not having a single hobby, you may find yourself blanking when asked this question. But why? 

Screen Time 

9 hours. That is the average screen time for a typical high school student as of 2025. That’s 62 hours a week, 279 hours a month, and 3285 hours on a singular screen per year.  all that time wasted, sitting on the couch or in bed, mindlessly scrolling and watching videos of people living their lives. People are so immersed in others’ lives that they fail to understand they have their own right in front of them. The constant release of dopamine weighs on your brain, forcing you to scroll and scroll until it is so addictive that your brain cannot comprehend putting it down. It sucks away all of your free time, leaving no room or passion left for things you once loved. The instant gratification of liking, commenting, and reposting makes it so hard to pull away, and over time, your body gets so used to those screens that it starts needing more and more for your dopamine levels to rise. This creates an artificial dopamine, which takes over the natural dopamine you feel when doing tasks such as reading, coloring, or going on walks. These are all things you may have enjoyed before, but now you are sucked into an endless loop of scrolling, liking, and commenting. 

Economic concerns 

With the average price of eggs being $4.95 and the average household income coming in at $73,000 per year, some families have little room for extra activities or fun. Costs are rising for basic items and necessities, which leaves little money for things that you may need for hobbies- such as paints, books, coloring pages, sports equipment, and more. Not having the means to support expensive activities leaves you to ones you may have lying around already, like scrolling through your phone or mindlessly watching television. 

Time

With only 24 hours in a day, it’s hard to fit in time-consuming activities on top of school, work, and family time. Many students and adults alike have long-term responsibilities that take up their days and leave them feeling exhausted after it’s over. Most people don’t want to come home and work on an hour-long painting; they want to eat popcorn and sit while they scroll on their phone. Some people might not even have the time for that; those working 12-hour shifts are longer are just focused on work and sleep. With so many things to do in the day, it’s hard to find time for things that you enjoy. In addition, no one wants to come home after a long, busy day to just be busier. 

Mental Health 

Burnout is real. And with stress, anxiety, and depression levels on the rise, 49% of Americans lack the desire to engage in any sort of hobby. The constant stress of just being a human can completely suck the energy out of you to do something even remotely enjoyable. Life is demanding, and many of us are just trying to push through the day without thinking about anything extra. 

So how do we bring hobbies back? It’s quite simple, actually. Start by making yourself a routine. It should be a small thing you enjoy doing, such as a walk. Try to do this every day, even when you don’t feel like you want to. Eventually, your brain will become accustomed to the extra task,k and you will start to find things more enjoyable. In addition, hobbies don’t always have to be expensive. It can be something simple like going for walks, collecting rocks, or reading books. Being able to challenge your brain, stretch your mind, and find things you love to do makes life far more enjoyable, so next time you go to pick up your phone, try finding a hobby to pick up instead.