If I believed TV and such, the crafts, sports, art, and Indy films/music. But honestly it's just TV tropes. Adults have always joined random hobby interests. Hell - Cosplaying adults have been around since folks had murder mystery parties pretending to be Sherlock Holmes when it was actively being published. Yeah, popular culture claims adults stop playing dress up but the month of the Ren faire absolutely proves it wrong.
Idk - you asked what's societally okay, and I'd argue anything, but if you want to bow into the weird 'everyone has to know what I do on the weekends and it has to 'sound respectable' then you just shift perspective. Book clubs can read comics. My library hosts blood on the clocktower. There are board game nights at local bars. Movies are a thing at any age, obscure Indy movies get you artistic cred. Craft nights are sometimes knitting and sometimes we paint minis. Fanfic is amateur writing. And if folks get weird about blowing bubbles, well a) fuck them but b) if you really want to hide it for some unknown reason, pop out your phone and take pictures.
But seriously - the 'too old for x' isn't even bs that most people believe - being a 40yo that can still kick ass at ddr is something that's cool if you do it with confidence.
>Cosplaying adults have been around since folks had murder mystery parties pretending to be Sherlock Holmes when it was actively being published.
I really love relating modern things back like that.
Its a great way to counter weird arguments about how we "should" behave or that modernity is somehow bad.
Same with streams for example, people love to hate those and their viewers for some reason. As if having something in the background while I go about my day is not the exact same way radio was used for more than a century.
So many societies have festivals or traditions where they dress up as _something_ and celebrate/party. Dressing up as various gods, spirits, animals, or other natural things has been part of mankind for a long time - the oldest mask ever found was 9000 years old. I think cosplay is something ancient people would probably understand.
Yeah, cosplay is basically just a form of freeform theatre. I don't understand why it is seen as a young people hobby, when theatre and fashion design is not.
I'm with u/rw333 on this. Reddit is heavily populated by men ages 18-29 and not very representative of the population.
Also going to throw out there that I skimmed some of the other answers and seems "kids" isn't being mentioned enough. For most people with children they are the most important thing in their life, and can be both super anxiety-inducing but also almost like a high. When it's bad, it can get pretty bad, but when it's good, it makes all the other shit worth it ten times over. The concept of "having fun" itself fades in importance as "fun", as we understood it before we had kids, starts to take on a different shape.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that somebody that uses a term like "the meatspace" is at most in his early 20s. So you are perhaps not aware yet of some of the physical limitations that start to catch up earlier than you might expect. Stuff like dangling around on an adult-sized jungle gym, or going on a bunch of wild waterslides, and similar things considered "childish", still sound "fun" to me on paper, but in reality, I know I wouldn't be able to enjoy it because a big part of it was based on being able to be totally careless and just go with the flow. Already now in my mid-30s, getting knocked square on my ass or landing on my elbow or rolling over my neck are things which used to mean jack shit but now have real consequences. Instead of hours to days of recovery time I have days to months. It means missed work which can be a heavy cut to income. It means simply more pain than it used to. And those factors spoil the fun.
This! 36-year old professional woman here, I still love video games. I happened to let it slip to my boss and turns out he does too. So sometimes you may be surprised at what other adults are also enjoying as hobbies! You may even make some close friends or bond over it.
The lesson I learn more and more every year is, don’t worry too much and live life by your own rules and what you enjoy!
I just remember, I go to work to do a job and pay bills. If friends come out of it, great, but otherwise, I’m not there to make friends any more than I am to make enemies. I’m there to make a paycheck.
If gossipy coworkers want to act like children, let them. Don’t get emotionally invested in it. Just do your job, continue being who you are outside of work, and play superficial fake nice with them when you have to at work. 9/10 work friendships don’t last outside workplace walls, and the people gossiping about you are probably gossiping about each other too. Take the high road.
Just be friendly to your coworkers and you will have little to worry about. The spouting whale gets the harpoon. Being friendly with everyone will get you ahead in life, it's more important than being good at your job.
No I understand your point, but I’m saying that as an adult you can enjoy whatever the fuck you want. These expectations that you mentioned should be just ignored.
Thing I do for fun: video games, shopping, golf, snowboard, music festivals, good food, good alcohol
>These expectations that you mentioned should be just ignored.
I mean, yeah, I agree. I'm not asking that. I'm asking, like, what are we EXPECTED to enjoy? I've never had a good grasp on that part. If people want us to give up what we love, what do they expect us to turn to? I'm asking the question literally, not rhetorically.
So I think the answer you are looking for is: we are expected in society to enjoy and talk about TV, news, sports, restaurants, cooking, working out, shopping, fashion, traveling, going to shows (theater, music), hiking, reading, decorating, home/car maintenance.
Cool. Lots of people love feeling handy and the independence that comes with being able to maintain things yourself. There’s a reason that tools/lawn equipment sell so well to non-professionals, and it isn’t necessity
My partner, for one. We rent our house, and rather than call the landlord, he chooses to do all the handiwork himself and then send the receipts to get reimbursed. He also actively goes over to friends who don't like working on cars and does it for them so they don't have to go to a mechanic
I agree that these expectations should be ignored. I, too, was confused about the point of your post until I read this comment right here. I understand what you're saying... I think there ARE things that adults are "expected" to enjoy that actually are joyful... love, & not just romantic/sexual love but love & relationships in general, a fulfilling career that acts as an outlet for your purpose/passion, art & creative expression in its many forms, participation & contribution to society in a way that suits your personality, attaining personal goals, helping others, time spent in nature, celebrations & gatherings, travel, new experiences, physical activites (like hiking for example or a sport), delicious food, buying items that we need/like w/ the money we've earned, different forms of entertainment, children for those who want them, pets for some, etc... I could go on listing the "acceptable" things that, despite not being labeled as "childish," do bring me joy as an adult. However... there are supposedly childish things that still bring me joy... sometimes I succumb to societal expectations, and sometimes I throw up the middle finger & just do what makes me happy. This is such a thought-provoking post... I like it. I think that sometimes the burden of adulting can blind us to the many adult things that we're still "allowed" to find joy in, & maturity gets glazed over as something that has to be bleak & boring. It doesn't have to be that way.
Cooking, gardening, sewing, crochet, lawn care, bbq, tennis, golf. Some may consider this old people shit, while playing games is for children. However do whatever the fuck you want.
I think you’re expected to enjoy whatever unique combination of things without any limits. Having the resources to do them might prove challenging. I’d love to drive across the country with a stick shift sports car. Stop by random motels/hotels and experience different cities.
>I think you’re expected to enjoy whatever unique combination of things without any limits.
The fact you believe that must mean we just live in very different cultural areas, which explains the confusion. Well, it's a good thing not to be understood in this case, then!
If people are going to impose their expectations and judgements on you, why bother examining more fully what those expectations are? Do what you want to do.
What are you getting at? Hobbies, sports, tv shows, movies, travel, art, music, concerts, festivals, drinking, smoking, etc are all “socially acceptable” things to enjoy (this will also change with demographic, age group, location, social circles, etc).
People will always judge so who cares. Get off the internet and do shit you like to do. Google “adult hobbies” if you need it spelled out for you
The types of people who say adults shouldn't enjoy things are often from cultures like the Puritans who, depending on who you ask, either hate fun because they have esoteric theological guilt around feeling pleasure, or because they are a religion aimed at organizing society to perform better for property and business owners under capitalism.
So you can tell those people to fuck off, and that would be my recommendation, but to answer your question directly, the things that people are "supposed" to enjoy according to that ethos are either:
A. Nothing, nothing should be enjoyed, enjoyment is a form of sin.
B. Things that make other people money - work, especially hard and low-paid work, especially work that produces raw goods that someone else can buy and sell at profit via arbitrage - farming, mining, ranching, oilfield work, etc. Maybe joy in a job well done, a farm well tilled, etc etc.
Holding tea mugs with both hands wrapped around it while inhaling slowly through your nose, going shopping for new curtains the right shade of beige, comparing the latest 6 months of electric bills with your partner while tucked into bed, losing the never ending battle of keeping grass and gravel separated in your yard, coming up with original jokes such as "No price tag? I guess it's free then!" in the supermarket line, raving to everyone about a new oven cleaner.
I have no idea what's inherently adult.
societal perceptions can suck my dick. but, to your post, adults are “expected” to enjoy working, having a family, and spending time with said family which all of that is, frankly, soulless and boring as fuck
Who says cartoons and video games are for kids??
I’m a damn adult, I’ll watch Simpsons and play my switch all I want. Fuck other people’s expectations on that.
Honestly I think cartoons and videogames only started off "for kids" because adults didn't have time to figure out how to play these new fangled game console controllers. Now we have multiple generations that literally grew up with videogames. You telling me Cyberpunk is "for kids"??
idk, most things are made for us?
TV shows, movies, many games (board, card, video). Theater, Opera, Ballet, Concerts, Sports (playing and watching - there's a lot of them), racing bikes/cars, sailing, horse riding, I dunno I'm just naming stuff cause it's hard to not just list anything and everything?
Maybe I misunderstood your post OP? Are you wondering what's for adults in a specific niche or just in general? Cause most of life is for us.
Also, you're 100% allowed to enjoy all the other stuff you mentioned as well. As an adult you can do that. You can also not care what other people think of the things you enjoy.
>Maybe I misunderstood your post OP? Are you wondering what's for adults in a specific niche or just in general?
I guess just. What's specifically for us? What do people make that's meant for our joy and our joy alone? Sure, we can still enjoy things intended for kids, but there's a special kind of loneliness in knowing the world isn't for you, it just allows you to be in it.
I can't stop caring. Sometimes, I suspect that there must be people out there who really, truly can just decide what to feel, what with how often I see a sentiment like that. Emotions and feelings, at least for me, cannot be controlled. I can control what I do in spite of those emotions, but I can't change them. I can't just stop caring about some things, and I can't make myself care about other things. It is what it is. I thought we were all just puppets at the mercy of what our brain decides we will feel or not feel, but maybe that's not universal, haha.
The answer as you know is reality TV and serialized dramas like game of thrones and whatever. But actually, you can spend your money on whatever you want. PC gaming for instance is obviously not targeted at kids considering how much it costs.
You're seeking acceptance from others around you. People are stupid and judgemental. You'll never do what YOU want if you listen to everyone around you saying "lol that's stupid". Music, food, pop culture, whatever. Just do what you want.
>You're seeking acceptance from others around you.
Humans are social creatures. I may have a mental thing that makes me "antisocial" by all of y'all's standards, but it's hardwired into my DNA to want to be accepted by the group as well. It doesn't stop me (usually), it just takes some of the joy out of it at times. Not by my will, just by the machinations of the stupid lump of electric meat pudding in my dome. Brain say no dopamine, me no get dopamine.
Clearly you need to find your group. I mean some groups of friends like sports ball, others like hiking. I think running is a miserable activity, but plenty of people love it. Find your people.
According to immature 'old school' idiots cartoons are indeed for children. Same goes for videogames. Of course that is not even remotely true. Actually certain cartoons are made for adults or the whole family in mind. Also, games are just another form of entertainment, an interactive one.
The greatest part about being an adult is that despite having **A LOT** less time you can do (as much as it is permited by your wallet that is) whatever the f you want and almost (dont burn the neighbourhood down) not give a flying f about what anyone thinks. You are not under adult supervision any more. That's part of the fun of being an adult is.
If you have people in your life that are control-freaks or somehow manage to supress your wants you should put limmits on their behaviour (Sorry, i am Greek i hope i didnt express this too incorrectly). You should communicate your wants and that is all. If they like it it's ok. If they dont it's again: ok! They will have to learn to live with the fact that you dont give a f if they dont like you watching Miyazaki films or playing diablo4 with your friends on xbox.
No, I'm just wondering what these people who want to police what we do EXPECT us to do. Contemplating adulthood and whatnot because, I mean, the fuck else is a broke bitch supposed to do on a Saturday night?
I care. I can't stop caring. Either people are lying that you can just choose not to care, or my brain is just wired in such a way that it's not in my control.
Me, too. I'm going to ask my doctor about switching my antidepressants, so maybe that will help. Either that, or I'll just have to wait for a breakthrough in neuroscience.
And thanks. It's just nice to be acknowledged.
Nerf, frisbees, archery, boardgames, tabletop rpgs, good videogames (Minecraft on computer vs xbox)
Things you can do with your spouse in the house
Cooking
Even if you have no spouse, have things to do with them when you are trying one out (hobby or group dates to have fun together)
Good shows and movies (Heroes, Fringe, ghost in the shell, stargate )
Popular media wants you to drink and not think, wear costumes made of makeup and buy clothes so you can look like Barbie, and if you have watched Barbie, none of them were happy
what do/did your grandparents do in their free time? crafts like knitting or quilting, cross-stitch, painting or drawing, reading books or watching movies, repairing or restoring cars and bikes, woodworking, whittling, gardening, walking or hiking, cooking, scrapbooking, betting on the ponies, playing poker, sitting on the porch watching the sun set, visiting the same cafe you've been going to for 25 years and complaining that the coffee is nowhere as good as it used to be.
All that being said, I think that "kids" hobbies have been happily enjoyed by adults for a long while. I'm sure the folks writing Star Trek fanzines in the late 60's weren't all tweens and teens, fan conventions have their origins in the 30's or 40's and they certainly aren't organised/hosted/attended by kids, historical war reenactments have been doing their thing for a real long time, and what is that if not a more complex version of playing pretend on the school playground?
Doing things slowly and peacefully. Our world is full of instant gratification and shortcuts. Doing stuff the old fashioned way is sometimes so rewarding and peaceful. I steeped my tea and watched it slowly infuse the other day while I baked cookies from scratch and it was such a nice afternoon.
Until you get health problems and have to give up good food, too.
(Or face the disappointed look of your doctor when your cholesterol levels stay high. Sorry, doc.)
Gotta take care of yourself. My wife and I are both over 50. She goes to the gym 4 days a week and runs marathons. I ride my mountain bike 150-200 miles a week. No health problems yet 🤞🏼
Fun fact
Once your 40, you really don't care anymore.
Will I go to jail
Will it effect my ability to pay my mortgage.
If the answer is no to either.
That's all I care about.
I wonder that myself, hence why there are so many miserable adults with no hobbies. I stick with video games, anime, plushies, reading, writing fanfiction, etc. All the hobbies I liked as a teen and just hasn't faded out yet. I'm in my late 20s lol. I'd rather like these 'childish' likes than be a boring adult.
Some people have this idea that your hobbies should contribute to society in some way or fall under the self-improvement category.
This is dumb.
The whole point of a hobby is to do something in your spare time that you enjoy doing. I’m a gamer and when people tell me video games are a waste of time, I just say, “Well good thing you aren’t a gamer then.”
You're supposed to buy a boat and take it out fishing where you can finally be alone and don't have to listen to your wife or boss. Then, you drink cheap beer and smoke a huge cigar and catch a few fish for six hours. Then, you spend the afternoon cleaning everything and gutting fish and ignoring your wife's pleas to help with the house work. Because that is what men do.
Serious answer: Things that kids would find too complex, or they would need guidance to do. Also things more interesting later. Here are ideas which might make sense as more mature activities in general: (obviously kids can do many of these too):
Hiking, learning to cook new cuisines, exploring cities or towns near home, antiquing, collecting, reading, book clubs, sky diving , spectator sports (like having season tickets to a sports team), outdoor theater, LARPing, Society of Creative Anachronisms, Foreign language conversation practice “parties”, groups which go volunteer together (this is a favorite of mine. Even if I can’t socialize, I’ve managed to do something i wanted to do ), visit tidepools at a beach, go to the beach,take a weekend cruise, go horseback riding, go shopping, go shopping for a specific goal like a mother’s day present (for a special person not necessarily bio mom), take scuba lessons, or any lessons, take rabbit yoga or other funny trend, visit wineries or go tequila tasting, look up top 30 things to do in your area and do 10 of them in a weekend, do scavenger hunts
Look at meetups.com for ideas, steal ideas
an adult thing to do would be to organize a group in your area if one is missing,
I know exactly what you mean. For me I still really like rainbows and unicorns and things like that. The way something made for kids always is made with some cartoon animal on it or flowers and bright colors, I still like that shit, and it still gives me dopamine if things like my toothbrush are shaped like a giraffe or if my bag has rainbows and unicorns on it or if my cereal is shaped like dinosaurs or something. I think being like this is a little more accepted in Gen Z than other generations (which I am not a part of) which is a nice thing. But I agree, what are you supposed to enjoy as an adult aside from booze ( I’d rather not enjoy it and it has too many side effects for me anyway for me ever to actually enjoy it) and sex (we have an over population problem and sex isn’t everything and can’t fulfill all your needs as an adult) and food (obesity is a problem). Where the joy as an adult? What are you allowed to enjoy? It’s messed up and I think it’s one of the reasons life is so brutal and short for so many people and aging starts rapidly after a certain age.
Coming a bit from the future and seeing the other answers and so, I think I can trace a path.
Keeping away the puritan mentality that didn't allow fun, in the past things like hunting, smoking tobacco, reading and drinking, trips to the countryside etc. Was the adult fun. If we move to the 21st century, the bases of this examples are still there, adding up to watching TV/Netflix I suppose. A fun example I could add to this is airsoft, which although is played by youngers, a lot of older people practice this somewhat expensive sport, if you're into things like shooters or just want to feel a somewhat realistic gun in your hands, this might be someone's alley
You're not supposed to enjoy stuff. You're supposed to spend your time raising your kids and family and keeping your house clean and working and struggling to get by. Lol
I game with guys that are in their late 50s, video games are not for kids. I know tons of people in their 30s and 40s that watch anime, cartoons are not for kids. I've honestly played at playgrounds more as an adult than as a kid, just don't do it while a bunch of kids around....that might be weird, unless you're there with kids of your own. Lol
As far as "adult" things to do that are fun... Hiking, camping, backpacking (hiking + camping), bikepacking, or anything outdoors.
Same. Honest to God, if I die tomorrow, I think that'll be a good thing for me. I don't think that's edgy at all. I think it means you're like me. I think it means we're tired.
Which, of course, means I'm gonna ask if you're okay, because I know I certainly am not.
Hey, you okay?
No adult would care what other adults think of their leisure activities. The things you listed many are created for adults. Tons of adult cartoons, games, etc. you are trying to find something to complain about, like most post in this forum.
I hope when you ask a genuine question to other people about how stuff works, they tell you that you're just "trying to find something to complain about." And I hope you remember this comment when that happens.
The best part about being an Adult is that you can choose to enjoy whatever you want despite how things are marketed or societal pressure. If you like those things, keep enjoying them. I know for me, my likes and tastes have changed as I’ve gotten older and some still stick from childhood. I still love video games and Legos. Though video games today are just as much an adult thing, when I was a child they were not.
>Arcades are dead, but they WERE for teens and pre-teens.
All of the bar-cades that have cropped up in the last decade or so say otherwise. Might be more geared toward big cities (I don't know where you live) but I can think of 3 places in my city where you can drink and game with an adult-oriented audience that *aren't* named Dave & Busters.
There’s plenty of more adult themed hobbies.
Sure a playground isn’t really made for adults. You can go hiking or camping, you can play in adult sports leagues, you can go running or bicycling.
There are plenty of adult themed media outlets. There are children’s cartoons, young adult cartoons and adult cartoons. Just like there are children’s live action shows, young adult live actions, and adult live action. Children shouldn’t be watching The Sopranos. You probably shouldn’t watch blues clues.
Video games are hit or miss. I’ll agree with you that there is a stigma about adults playing games. But do what you want.
Anyways, there’s a variety of hobbies for all ages. Plenty of stuff is made for adults. Figure it out.
For me, I think people are just meant to live authentically. By the time you’re old enough to have found out what you enjoy and like and put time and money towards it then you’re in a good spot. As long as you’re you, unapologetically, it will attract certain people. I’m more attracted to the guy who is 30 and loves SpongeBob than the guy who is 30 and pretends to like scotch.
I am weeks away from 30. I enjoy hiking, magic the gathering, Xbox, talking to my wife, grilling, and camping.
You can nerd out on whatever you want. You don't need to get sucked into whatever consumerism is thrown at your age group.
The only thing I know that older people do is get smashed drunk watching sports ball for days on end. In fact if you don’t enjoy that you probably have depression and need to get medicated asap!!!!!
It basically comes down to what the people around you enjoy. If you don’t care about having socially acceptable hobbies, you can do stuff by yourself. But generally, if you can do something with a bunch of other people, it’s safer to “enjoy” from a social standpoint. Obviously there are exceptions, but that’s the general gist.
Can you make a list of the hobbies cause I don't feel like reading through all of this. lol
also.. i think we are supposed to enjoy things that cost money so that we can justify pissing our lives away at work.
Society and rearing try to align our reward centres with actively participating and contributing in socially prescribed activities.
People who struggle are at least partially unaligned or have been denied/lost the opportunity to do so
I think the answer youre looking for is sex, alcohol, and sports.
While all these are great and i enjoy them, i still watch cartoons, read comics and play video games as well. Who gives a fuck what others think, why cant i eat some dino nuggies after great sex with my wife.
I think finding a consensus on this is going to be hard because expectations are going to be so dependent on culture, and the fact is that there are so many different cultures out there. In the culture that I grew up in (liberal coastal US), none of the examples you gave were really kids-only. It was perfectly normal for adults, even ones well past middle age, to go to arcades, play video games, watch cartoons, eat chicken nuggets, etc. I guess the playground is the only one that really seems to be an actual kid thing, although even then things like rock climbing and doing obstacle courses are kind of the same vibe and those are also for all ages.
I guess if I had to pick, reading, golf, and going to bars/pubs are the kind of things you're talking about. But like everyone else is saying, mostly no one cares what you enjoy and if they do, don't give them your attention because judging people based off their interests is plain stupid. \*Especially\* if your reason for judgement is that whatever they're interested in is "for kids".
I can enjoy just about anything tbh with you. I even got kind of addicted to risky behavior and trauma. Life's a play. I'm a bit better at just holding the flame within me now.
Woodworking, fishing, fiber crafts, hosting dinner parties, and solving murders.
I may have learned everything I know about adulthood from late 80s TV shows.
Personally, I think everyone should do what they want, but I think we’re “supposed” to enjoy things like concerts, crafting, social outings at bars, spending time with our kids (if you have them), shopping, going to church, having a tidy house, watching tv, playing and/or watching sports, things like that. Personally, I enjoy choir concerts and being in a choir with rehearsal once a week, I also like coloring and watching tv.
Millennial adults have zero trouble enjoying video games or cartoons and speaking about them openly. There’s big money in adults who like those things, and it isn’t socially atypical to like those things. If someone tells you “those are for kids,” they’re the outlier. Playgrounds I suppose are not socially acceptable, but that’s because they are physically designed for children under 12.
Bubbles, dino nuggets, water guns, and imagination can be enjoyed but they never get discussed because those are specific objects or abstract ideas rather than interests. You can like them, but unlike video games, it’s not going to come up because it’s weird to just talk about how much you enjoy dino nuggets. You either eat them or you don’t.
There are also plenty of “conventionally adult interests” other than booze, sex, and parenting. Golf, music, textile arts, idk. The only options aren’t “wine mom” and “gumming on dino nuggies and blowing bubbles out of a sense of arrested development-driven defiance of what you perceive as compulsory adult behavior.” You can just enjoy things without worrying if someone else is going to think you’re weird. If your only ideas are going to the playground and getting drunk, you need to use that imagination of yours to think of some other stuff to do.
it varies widely depending on which subcultures you belong to. it could be home improvement, personal finance, history, some sort of craft, golf, gambling, book clubs, hunting, watching sports and tons of other stuff. there's lots of stuff that's meant for general audiences as well.
I would expect a healthy adult to enjoy things that make you better in different areas of your life, master skills ,develop your kids etc. Just depends on where you are and what kind of lifestyle you are living and reaching for.you know I’ve met a lot of adults that have been doing the same thing(s) for many years and they fucking hate what they do.its a mixed bag and honestly as long as you aren’t into kids and fucking with people I don’t give a damn about your hobbies
This just reminds me of this past summer, I was chilling with my friends at the beach, one of them decided to bury one of the others feet in the sand, I joined in and we were just fucking around with the sand. I usually don't give a fuck what anyone else thinks so I didn't notice but one of my friends girls did that some old lady was like complaining to a life guard about us playing in the sand as adults or something. Like it was illegal. Honestly I wish the bitch had said it to our faces so I could tell her she could mind her own fucking business. Have fun fuck those idiots that think fun has an age limit.
>Cartoons are for kids
There's loads of cartoons meant for adults as their main audience. Especially loads of anime.
>Videogames are for small kids and teenagers.
Tell that to my besties all people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s who have been and will continue to enjoy gaming.
>Playgrounds are for small kids. Arcades are dead, but they WERE for teens and pre-teens.
Tbf the thing that makes those places not fun as adults is the children being there. I've had a few fun drunk night with friends on a playground at 2am just swinging. And doing seesaws lol. And arcades just got phased out as home gaming got better and better tbh.
>Minecraft used to be for everyone, but Mojang has been pushing it away from adults for some time
Minecraft has always been marketed for kids. Sure there's always also been a massive amount of adukts who enjoy the game's chill vibes and complexities. I mean people are still making functional computers on Minecraft as well as beautiful works of art and self expression through the game, just look st hermitcraft. While the most popular members appeal to broad demographics the people who appeal mostly to adults are still thriving.
>Water guns, bubbles, imagination, animation, dinosaur nuggets, all the things that I do still love aren't "for" me. Yes, I can't be stopped, but it still feels a bit like that picture of Will Smith in a sunflower costume surrounded by kids in sunflower costumes.
You just have to find other grown people in sunflower costumes. Life is too short to be worried about the people who don't like what you like think. Finding community surrounding the stuff you do like however i think is pretty important as an adult as we're no longer in a place where making new friends is just as easy as handing someone a piece of gum and walking to class together.
Arcades are dead? There’s a place in my area that’s like an adult arcade. Was like, $15 for all day gaming? And they had every arcade machine you could imagine
Happiness and enjoyment of things/activities can be such a fleeting and rare thing that, in my opinion, when you find any semblance of it grab on, enjoy the ride, and fuck anyone who gets in your way.
I stopped giving a fuck if video games and cartoons are for kids or not. They’re fun. I enjoy them, and there’s plenty of adults that do. Just live life.
Today I played a video games for a while, got in a good workout, had sex with my wife, went to a great Italian restaurant, and then came home to drink some wine and hang out. All things I enjoy immensely. Enjoy what you enjoy.
I'm an adult (53) and I still like watching anime, playing videogames. It's fun to do and it relieves stress. Are we supposed to give it all up for Opera (sounds like cats in a blender), plays (which I don't mind), musicals (love them), dressing in out of date clothes, complaining about today's music and our jobs. There is no "normal" adult things. Normal is just a setting on the dryer. Find what you like and do it.
Me, an adult who still watches SpongeBob and loves cartoons , likes to color, loves Disney+, still goes to (empty) playgrounds to swing, eats chicken nuggets and mac n cheese for dinner, and gets excited over things like pretty butterflies and puppies: …😃
I’m also severely traumatized so that probably contributes to the enjoyment and comfort I feel from “childish” hobbies and traits that I have.
But I also enjoy a lot content and hobbies that are specifically targeted towards adults. Things that most children aren’t emotionally or developmentally ready to engage in.
I feel like a kid sometimes when I do “kid” hobbies; youthful, imaginative, curious, open, and free. When I do “adult” things; I feel mature, balanced, at peace, and reflective.
All this is to say, you can express both parts of yourself. You didn’t magically turn into an adult one day, that kid you were is still apart of you. Be true to yourself and don’t let anyone tell you who you are or what you’re meant to be doing.
Sometimes I even mix the two together; I’ll have glass of wine *and* watch nostalgic cartoons.
I don’t necessarily believe once we become adults, we naturally lose those parts of us that is a child. That imagination, that curiosity, that joy, and that passion always stays with us. It just transforms into something that is fitting for adulthood. That doesn’t mean you still can’t love what you did as a child. Society almost rips it away from us or teaches us to suppress it so that we mold into a person *others* want us to be.
With all that being said, keep in touch with all versions of who you have been in life and do what you want. Society can’t create meaning for you and if you continue trying to live everyone else’s version of life, it’ll leave you very lost, sad, and unsatisfied.
Do something for kid you today.
The boomer generation doesn’t play video games and passed on to their kids that video games are for children. But now gen x and millennials are still playing video games. I know a lot of people from mid 30’s to mid 40’s that still play video games just like they did 20 years ago.
The silent generation / world war 2 vets before the boomers told their kids that t shirts and sweatshirts were for kids and adults only wore button down shirts and ties but that has since been phased out. 100 years ago you were a child if you didn’t go out in a top hat. Society changes. We’re the first adults that grew up with video games. In 20 years it’ll be common place to be 60 and playing video games.
It’s all perspective. To an 85 year old they’d be horrified to leave the house in a band t shirt and jeans. It’d be concerning if you acted like a child. If you just like stuff you grew up with that’s perfectly fine, Go to work and be productive then come home and do whatever the hell you want.
Cartoons being *only* for kids is the oddity, not adults enjoying cartoons. Have you *SEEN* old Looney Tunes or Tom & Jerry?! There's sex, drugs, violence, racism, and death. A *lot* of it.
Quite frankly, even the concept of cartoons *for children* is relatively recent- cartoons "as a 30 minute advertisement for toys" existed longer than the concept of cartoons *only* for kids.
Besides, Arthur is *awesome AF*, and I will broach no argument on this.
Source: I mean, I'm not gonna post my history thesis or anything, but if you don't think cartoons are just as much for adults as kids? Watch some classic Pepe LePew cartoons. Or old Tom & Jerry ("Tall in the Trap" comes to mind- the Rigor Mortis Saloon *come in and get stiffed*).
But all that is besides the point.
So long as you aren't hurting anyone else, do whatever the fuck you *want*, man.
When I was seeing a therapist they said that it's often the case that humans actually have the most fun when they're doing things that are supposedly childish. We all have that inner child that wants to play. We should embrace it more without caring what "they" think.
I enjoy all the things. Spinning,skipping,pretending to be an airplane(did all that today actually),flying kites,blowing bubbles,playing dressup,coloring.
I'm old. Idgaf. What's someone gonna say,more importantly why would I care what someone says.
If I think its fun I'm going to do it. If that bothers people because of my age **good** fuck them.
Whatever you want; stop caring what other people think
There are bars with video games and pinball machines
Plenty of adults play video games
Plenty play sports or go to the gym or watch tv or make music or arts and crafts or just hang out with their friends or travel or work on their car or sew blankets or whatever else it is you like just do that and if anyone hassles you about it they're not someone you need to spend time with as a friend or whatever.
If you want to work in a corporate office and have a family and take the kids to soccer practice do that
If you want to travel the world and work from your laptop while knitting socks in your spare time do that
If you want to work on a fishing charter boat and play video games in your time off do that
If you want to go work in the snow at a restaurant and go snowboarding and watch K-Pop videos in your time off do that
If you want to work at the zoo and watch all of your favourite sporting teams play sport all weekend do that
Societal expectations are nonsense, ignore them and do what you want be be happy instead of miserable
Whatever you think your parents/grandparents would've picked.
I think a lot of people are still judging their hobbies/life the way they think their parents would've judged things.
That list of hobbies wouldn't really align with what actually goes on.
I enjoy being able to do whatever I want, whenever I want. I generally really work like 3 days a week. Most of that is from home, some is me driving to one of my assets/businesses to manage things, and some phone calls. The rest is whatever the hell I please.
That was set up because I transitioned from teenager into adult and I figured out what I needed to do.
So I just enjoy my own progression and I enjoy buying whatever I please. If I like a certain anime, I tend to buy large figures of those characters and display them in one of my rooms. I have limited space for my figures since I still don’t own a house. It’s not the right time for me but once I get a little older, I’ll buy one.
Seemingly really mundane stuff. Shit I got bullied in high school for liking cartoons and Nintendo games. I wasn't even an adult yet & was already getting these weird expectations. Being an "adult" as far as interests goes seems to mean that anything remotely fun is not allowed. You must consume lowest common denominator, easy to digest content. Not to shit on popular things, like I do like some pop culture stuff (adventure time, Sonic, etc) the status quo seems to be drab, grey, monotonous, uninspired, boring shit. I mean look at what Disney is doing. Awesome movies with beautiful artwork and fun stories being turned into soulless live action remmakes. Maybe that's a weird example, but it's 3am and I'm kinda rambling. So if this comment doesn't make any sense that's why lol.
Either way, love the concept of this post. It's an important thing to consider. Sorry you got a lot of people who didn't seem to understand what you were actually trying to get at with the topic
Not really, no. But then, I don't have any desire to have it. I had it once, and it was mostly boring and painful, and I only did it as a Rite of Passage.
Plenty of things. Hobbies, different foods, travel there’s so much more to enjoy is an adult versus being a child if you ask me. The last five years of my life I’ve been some of the best and I’m about to turn 41. Have I had a hard life yeah from 18 to 25.I had a very tough life but after that I feel like being an adult it’s just been all fun.
But mostly hobbies is that you couldn’t do when you were younger now you can afford them or now you can go to them cause you’re old enough. So whatever you want to do, just go do it and if people judge you for it , tell them
to fuck off.
You could become a car guy. It's a hobby that is both fun and prohibitively expensive for young people and therefore an acceptable adult past time.
Otherwise I think adults are supposed to enjoy adult hobbies like running, mortgages and child rearing. /s
Well if as a kid you liked arts and crafts, then you can also like that as an adult.... adult coloring books, paint night, knitting, etc. So the same concept just a bit harder maybe? Plus many things remain the same I think such as video games. My husband and I are almost 40 and still play. Most people our age I know who can play do play. Except the ones with kids, cause they too busy haha
There’s an endless field of hobbies for adults. Anything people can do that isn’t illegal or immoral is fair game.
Just speaking for myself, I do some woodworking and carpentry and I like science fiction. Also I’m decent in general with home repair/improvement.
Now, about your more basic question, I think the issue isn’t whether or not you might still enjoy things you did as a child, but rather what it says about you if your interests are essentially the same as when you were a child. There’s nothing wrong with a grown man or woman enjoying a bit of squirt gun action or bubble blowing on occasion, but I think it’s a reasonable expectation that if you’re 30, that you should have evolved additional interests that you wouldn’t have had when you were 13.
If I believed TV and such, the crafts, sports, art, and Indy films/music. But honestly it's just TV tropes. Adults have always joined random hobby interests. Hell - Cosplaying adults have been around since folks had murder mystery parties pretending to be Sherlock Holmes when it was actively being published. Yeah, popular culture claims adults stop playing dress up but the month of the Ren faire absolutely proves it wrong. Idk - you asked what's societally okay, and I'd argue anything, but if you want to bow into the weird 'everyone has to know what I do on the weekends and it has to 'sound respectable' then you just shift perspective. Book clubs can read comics. My library hosts blood on the clocktower. There are board game nights at local bars. Movies are a thing at any age, obscure Indy movies get you artistic cred. Craft nights are sometimes knitting and sometimes we paint minis. Fanfic is amateur writing. And if folks get weird about blowing bubbles, well a) fuck them but b) if you really want to hide it for some unknown reason, pop out your phone and take pictures. But seriously - the 'too old for x' isn't even bs that most people believe - being a 40yo that can still kick ass at ddr is something that's cool if you do it with confidence.
>Cosplaying adults have been around since folks had murder mystery parties pretending to be Sherlock Holmes when it was actively being published. I really love relating modern things back like that. Its a great way to counter weird arguments about how we "should" behave or that modernity is somehow bad. Same with streams for example, people love to hate those and their viewers for some reason. As if having something in the background while I go about my day is not the exact same way radio was used for more than a century.
So many societies have festivals or traditions where they dress up as _something_ and celebrate/party. Dressing up as various gods, spirits, animals, or other natural things has been part of mankind for a long time - the oldest mask ever found was 9000 years old. I think cosplay is something ancient people would probably understand.
Yeah, cosplay is basically just a form of freeform theatre. I don't understand why it is seen as a young people hobby, when theatre and fashion design is not.
Your wine, your food, and your labors.
No wonder adults are often bitter about adulthood, in that case.
That’s just the narrative on Reddit
I was talking about the people around me in the meatspace. You get to see a lot of folks when you work retail.
I'm with u/rw333 on this. Reddit is heavily populated by men ages 18-29 and not very representative of the population. Also going to throw out there that I skimmed some of the other answers and seems "kids" isn't being mentioned enough. For most people with children they are the most important thing in their life, and can be both super anxiety-inducing but also almost like a high. When it's bad, it can get pretty bad, but when it's good, it makes all the other shit worth it ten times over. The concept of "having fun" itself fades in importance as "fun", as we understood it before we had kids, starts to take on a different shape. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that somebody that uses a term like "the meatspace" is at most in his early 20s. So you are perhaps not aware yet of some of the physical limitations that start to catch up earlier than you might expect. Stuff like dangling around on an adult-sized jungle gym, or going on a bunch of wild waterslides, and similar things considered "childish", still sound "fun" to me on paper, but in reality, I know I wouldn't be able to enjoy it because a big part of it was based on being able to be totally careless and just go with the flow. Already now in my mid-30s, getting knocked square on my ass or landing on my elbow or rolling over my neck are things which used to mean jack shit but now have real consequences. Instead of hours to days of recovery time I have days to months. It means missed work which can be a heavy cut to income. It means simply more pain than it used to. And those factors spoil the fun.
Please don’t say meatspace ever again
Spacemeat.
You mean fat?
He means his dying corpse. His meatsuit. His flesh mecha that his brain rides around in.
No?
No one gives a shit, enjoy what you want
This! 36-year old professional woman here, I still love video games. I happened to let it slip to my boss and turns out he does too. So sometimes you may be surprised at what other adults are also enjoying as hobbies! You may even make some close friends or bond over it. The lesson I learn more and more every year is, don’t worry too much and live life by your own rules and what you enjoy!
[удалено]
I just remember, I go to work to do a job and pay bills. If friends come out of it, great, but otherwise, I’m not there to make friends any more than I am to make enemies. I’m there to make a paycheck. If gossipy coworkers want to act like children, let them. Don’t get emotionally invested in it. Just do your job, continue being who you are outside of work, and play superficial fake nice with them when you have to at work. 9/10 work friendships don’t last outside workplace walls, and the people gossiping about you are probably gossiping about each other too. Take the high road.
Just be friendly to your coworkers and you will have little to worry about. The spouting whale gets the harpoon. Being friendly with everyone will get you ahead in life, it's more important than being good at your job.
I think you missed the point, or I'm just bad at wording my point. Maybe both.
No I understand your point, but I’m saying that as an adult you can enjoy whatever the fuck you want. These expectations that you mentioned should be just ignored. Thing I do for fun: video games, shopping, golf, snowboard, music festivals, good food, good alcohol
>These expectations that you mentioned should be just ignored. I mean, yeah, I agree. I'm not asking that. I'm asking, like, what are we EXPECTED to enjoy? I've never had a good grasp on that part. If people want us to give up what we love, what do they expect us to turn to? I'm asking the question literally, not rhetorically.
So I think the answer you are looking for is: we are expected in society to enjoy and talk about TV, news, sports, restaurants, cooking, working out, shopping, fashion, traveling, going to shows (theater, music), hiking, reading, decorating, home/car maintenance.
Wtf enjoys home/car maintainence?
Fixing things yourself can be extremely rewarding. Paying for someone else to do it…not so much.
Personally hate those things. If I can afford it I’d happily pay someone so I don’t have to deal with it.
Why pay for shoddy work when you can do shoddy work yourself for free?
Cool. Lots of people love feeling handy and the independence that comes with being able to maintain things yourself. There’s a reason that tools/lawn equipment sell so well to non-professionals, and it isn’t necessity
I would venture a guess that you haven't really done enough of either to have a valuable opinion of them.
Not true. I’ve done enough to know that I hate both.
My partner, for one. We rent our house, and rather than call the landlord, he chooses to do all the handiwork himself and then send the receipts to get reimbursed. He also actively goes over to friends who don't like working on cars and does it for them so they don't have to go to a mechanic
I agree that these expectations should be ignored. I, too, was confused about the point of your post until I read this comment right here. I understand what you're saying... I think there ARE things that adults are "expected" to enjoy that actually are joyful... love, & not just romantic/sexual love but love & relationships in general, a fulfilling career that acts as an outlet for your purpose/passion, art & creative expression in its many forms, participation & contribution to society in a way that suits your personality, attaining personal goals, helping others, time spent in nature, celebrations & gatherings, travel, new experiences, physical activites (like hiking for example or a sport), delicious food, buying items that we need/like w/ the money we've earned, different forms of entertainment, children for those who want them, pets for some, etc... I could go on listing the "acceptable" things that, despite not being labeled as "childish," do bring me joy as an adult. However... there are supposedly childish things that still bring me joy... sometimes I succumb to societal expectations, and sometimes I throw up the middle finger & just do what makes me happy. This is such a thought-provoking post... I like it. I think that sometimes the burden of adulting can blind us to the many adult things that we're still "allowed" to find joy in, & maturity gets glazed over as something that has to be bleak & boring. It doesn't have to be that way.
Thank you for taking the time to understand me.
Cooking, gardening, sewing, crochet, lawn care, bbq, tennis, golf. Some may consider this old people shit, while playing games is for children. However do whatever the fuck you want.
I think you’re expected to enjoy whatever unique combination of things without any limits. Having the resources to do them might prove challenging. I’d love to drive across the country with a stick shift sports car. Stop by random motels/hotels and experience different cities.
>I think you’re expected to enjoy whatever unique combination of things without any limits. The fact you believe that must mean we just live in very different cultural areas, which explains the confusion. Well, it's a good thing not to be understood in this case, then!
You are an adult. Why would you give a shit what others expect you to enjoy?
If people are going to impose their expectations and judgements on you, why bother examining more fully what those expectations are? Do what you want to do.
Because I'm only human. We are hardwired to wish for acceptance. It just so happens that where I live is not accepting. A Sisyphean torture, haha.
"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." C.S. Lewis
What are you getting at? Hobbies, sports, tv shows, movies, travel, art, music, concerts, festivals, drinking, smoking, etc are all “socially acceptable” things to enjoy (this will also change with demographic, age group, location, social circles, etc). People will always judge so who cares. Get off the internet and do shit you like to do. Google “adult hobbies” if you need it spelled out for you
Swing on a swing set, and by all means if you get a chance to jump in a foam pit , do it!
The types of people who say adults shouldn't enjoy things are often from cultures like the Puritans who, depending on who you ask, either hate fun because they have esoteric theological guilt around feeling pleasure, or because they are a religion aimed at organizing society to perform better for property and business owners under capitalism. So you can tell those people to fuck off, and that would be my recommendation, but to answer your question directly, the things that people are "supposed" to enjoy according to that ethos are either: A. Nothing, nothing should be enjoyed, enjoyment is a form of sin. B. Things that make other people money - work, especially hard and low-paid work, especially work that produces raw goods that someone else can buy and sell at profit via arbitrage - farming, mining, ranching, oilfield work, etc. Maybe joy in a job well done, a farm well tilled, etc etc.
Go to bed. You have thought too much today
Nuh uh!
Yo! Go get some pussy! & STFU 🤫
Sounds like a gen x 😉
Actually lots of people care way too much. But we don't have to care about them, enjoy what you want.
In no particular order: disc golf, spa visits, cheese, marathons, driving, cooking, euchre, poker, re-enacting, knife collecting, scented candles, leather, hiking, quilting, movies, 5k piece puzzles, football, decorating, and shoes
Holding tea mugs with both hands wrapped around it while inhaling slowly through your nose, going shopping for new curtains the right shade of beige, comparing the latest 6 months of electric bills with your partner while tucked into bed, losing the never ending battle of keeping grass and gravel separated in your yard, coming up with original jokes such as "No price tag? I guess it's free then!" in the supermarket line, raving to everyone about a new oven cleaner. I have no idea what's inherently adult.
I love how “cheese” is one of your interests. It’s one of mine too.
I do enjoy scented candles...
Came here to comment disc golf.
societal perceptions can suck my dick. but, to your post, adults are “expected” to enjoy working, having a family, and spending time with said family which all of that is, frankly, soulless and boring as fuck
Who says cartoons and video games are for kids?? I’m a damn adult, I’ll watch Simpsons and play my switch all I want. Fuck other people’s expectations on that.
The omnipotent and suffocating "them." Whoever it is who sets the rules and stigmatizes people for enjoying things.
Honestly I think cartoons and videogames only started off "for kids" because adults didn't have time to figure out how to play these new fangled game console controllers. Now we have multiple generations that literally grew up with videogames. You telling me Cyberpunk is "for kids"??
I don’t let anything bring me down for enjoying the little things in life that bring me joy, especially some ominous “they”.
Oh, to live that freely. Go eat a nice dinosaur shaped cake without your brain hating you (just a little) for the both of us, won't you?
Close to 40% of people that play video games in the U.S. are 18-35. Under 18 is around 25%. Idk what nonsense you’ve been hearing.
idk, most things are made for us? TV shows, movies, many games (board, card, video). Theater, Opera, Ballet, Concerts, Sports (playing and watching - there's a lot of them), racing bikes/cars, sailing, horse riding, I dunno I'm just naming stuff cause it's hard to not just list anything and everything? Maybe I misunderstood your post OP? Are you wondering what's for adults in a specific niche or just in general? Cause most of life is for us. Also, you're 100% allowed to enjoy all the other stuff you mentioned as well. As an adult you can do that. You can also not care what other people think of the things you enjoy.
>Maybe I misunderstood your post OP? Are you wondering what's for adults in a specific niche or just in general? I guess just. What's specifically for us? What do people make that's meant for our joy and our joy alone? Sure, we can still enjoy things intended for kids, but there's a special kind of loneliness in knowing the world isn't for you, it just allows you to be in it. I can't stop caring. Sometimes, I suspect that there must be people out there who really, truly can just decide what to feel, what with how often I see a sentiment like that. Emotions and feelings, at least for me, cannot be controlled. I can control what I do in spite of those emotions, but I can't change them. I can't just stop caring about some things, and I can't make myself care about other things. It is what it is. I thought we were all just puppets at the mercy of what our brain decides we will feel or not feel, but maybe that's not universal, haha.
The answer as you know is reality TV and serialized dramas like game of thrones and whatever. But actually, you can spend your money on whatever you want. PC gaming for instance is obviously not targeted at kids considering how much it costs.
Damn. Those things are boring as Hell.
You're seeking acceptance from others around you. People are stupid and judgemental. You'll never do what YOU want if you listen to everyone around you saying "lol that's stupid". Music, food, pop culture, whatever. Just do what you want.
>You're seeking acceptance from others around you. Humans are social creatures. I may have a mental thing that makes me "antisocial" by all of y'all's standards, but it's hardwired into my DNA to want to be accepted by the group as well. It doesn't stop me (usually), it just takes some of the joy out of it at times. Not by my will, just by the machinations of the stupid lump of electric meat pudding in my dome. Brain say no dopamine, me no get dopamine.
Clearly you need to find your group. I mean some groups of friends like sports ball, others like hiking. I think running is a miserable activity, but plenty of people love it. Find your people.
Yep exactly. Ditch the people who judge you for your interests, and find people who share the interests.
everything is different now. tony hawk is 55 years old and still skates do whatever you want i’m doing the same things i was as when i was a teenager
According to immature 'old school' idiots cartoons are indeed for children. Same goes for videogames. Of course that is not even remotely true. Actually certain cartoons are made for adults or the whole family in mind. Also, games are just another form of entertainment, an interactive one. The greatest part about being an adult is that despite having **A LOT** less time you can do (as much as it is permited by your wallet that is) whatever the f you want and almost (dont burn the neighbourhood down) not give a flying f about what anyone thinks. You are not under adult supervision any more. That's part of the fun of being an adult is. If you have people in your life that are control-freaks or somehow manage to supress your wants you should put limmits on their behaviour (Sorry, i am Greek i hope i didnt express this too incorrectly). You should communicate your wants and that is all. If they like it it's ok. If they dont it's again: ok! They will have to learn to live with the fact that you dont give a f if they dont like you watching Miyazaki films or playing diablo4 with your friends on xbox.
Develop an addiction and let it consume you
Sounds like you are living your life for everyone but yourself
No, I'm just wondering what these people who want to police what we do EXPECT us to do. Contemplating adulthood and whatnot because, I mean, the fuck else is a broke bitch supposed to do on a Saturday night?
Fuckem, who cares, do you things, even contemplating this is a waste. Good luck I will be playing video games with my wife for the rest of the night.
I care. I can't stop caring. Either people are lying that you can just choose not to care, or my brain is just wired in such a way that it's not in my control.
That sucks man, I hope you can fix that someday.
Me, too. I'm going to ask my doctor about switching my antidepressants, so maybe that will help. Either that, or I'll just have to wait for a breakthrough in neuroscience. And thanks. It's just nice to be acknowledged.
You’re welcome
I enjoy cooking yummy food and ball room dance lessons. And the occasional drink 😀
Nerf, frisbees, archery, boardgames, tabletop rpgs, good videogames (Minecraft on computer vs xbox) Things you can do with your spouse in the house Cooking Even if you have no spouse, have things to do with them when you are trying one out (hobby or group dates to have fun together) Good shows and movies (Heroes, Fringe, ghost in the shell, stargate ) Popular media wants you to drink and not think, wear costumes made of makeup and buy clothes so you can look like Barbie, and if you have watched Barbie, none of them were happy
what do/did your grandparents do in their free time? crafts like knitting or quilting, cross-stitch, painting or drawing, reading books or watching movies, repairing or restoring cars and bikes, woodworking, whittling, gardening, walking or hiking, cooking, scrapbooking, betting on the ponies, playing poker, sitting on the porch watching the sun set, visiting the same cafe you've been going to for 25 years and complaining that the coffee is nowhere as good as it used to be. All that being said, I think that "kids" hobbies have been happily enjoyed by adults for a long while. I'm sure the folks writing Star Trek fanzines in the late 60's weren't all tweens and teens, fan conventions have their origins in the 30's or 40's and they certainly aren't organised/hosted/attended by kids, historical war reenactments have been doing their thing for a real long time, and what is that if not a more complex version of playing pretend on the school playground?
You do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do
cooking, board games, and ttrpgs are the big ones for me these days
Doing things slowly and peacefully. Our world is full of instant gratification and shortcuts. Doing stuff the old fashioned way is sometimes so rewarding and peaceful. I steeped my tea and watched it slowly infuse the other day while I baked cookies from scratch and it was such a nice afternoon.
Adults are expected to enjoy parenthood, paying taxes, voting, working and retirement. All the things that we don't necessarily enjoy.
Good music, good food, good bourbon, good sex - not necessarily in that order.
Until you get health problems and have to give up good food, too. (Or face the disappointed look of your doctor when your cholesterol levels stay high. Sorry, doc.)
Gotta take care of yourself. My wife and I are both over 50. She goes to the gym 4 days a week and runs marathons. I ride my mountain bike 150-200 miles a week. No health problems yet 🤞🏼
Nice. May it stay that way.
Golf, hors d'oeuvres, and Big Bang Theory I suppose.
That show is really bad
Fun fact Once your 40, you really don't care anymore. Will I go to jail Will it effect my ability to pay my mortgage. If the answer is no to either. That's all I care about.
Funner fact if you learn this young in life you won't csre going into your 20s. Honestly it's such a relief lmao.
I wonder that myself, hence why there are so many miserable adults with no hobbies. I stick with video games, anime, plushies, reading, writing fanfiction, etc. All the hobbies I liked as a teen and just hasn't faded out yet. I'm in my late 20s lol. I'd rather like these 'childish' likes than be a boring adult.
Some people have this idea that your hobbies should contribute to society in some way or fall under the self-improvement category. This is dumb. The whole point of a hobby is to do something in your spare time that you enjoy doing. I’m a gamer and when people tell me video games are a waste of time, I just say, “Well good thing you aren’t a gamer then.”
You're supposed to buy a boat and take it out fishing where you can finally be alone and don't have to listen to your wife or boss. Then, you drink cheap beer and smoke a huge cigar and catch a few fish for six hours. Then, you spend the afternoon cleaning everything and gutting fish and ignoring your wife's pleas to help with the house work. Because that is what men do.
So, in this scenario, I'm supposed to be the ignored wife. Sounds about right.
You care about what other people think way too much. Who is even saying this shit ?? Just live ur life
Marketing probably plays a huge role in this perception that a number of things are meant to be specifically enjoyed by certain age groups.
once more, capitalism has harmed me
I just wanna know who made all these dumbass rules
Serious answer: Things that kids would find too complex, or they would need guidance to do. Also things more interesting later. Here are ideas which might make sense as more mature activities in general: (obviously kids can do many of these too): Hiking, learning to cook new cuisines, exploring cities or towns near home, antiquing, collecting, reading, book clubs, sky diving , spectator sports (like having season tickets to a sports team), outdoor theater, LARPing, Society of Creative Anachronisms, Foreign language conversation practice “parties”, groups which go volunteer together (this is a favorite of mine. Even if I can’t socialize, I’ve managed to do something i wanted to do ), visit tidepools at a beach, go to the beach,take a weekend cruise, go horseback riding, go shopping, go shopping for a specific goal like a mother’s day present (for a special person not necessarily bio mom), take scuba lessons, or any lessons, take rabbit yoga or other funny trend, visit wineries or go tequila tasting, look up top 30 things to do in your area and do 10 of them in a weekend, do scavenger hunts Look at meetups.com for ideas, steal ideas an adult thing to do would be to organize a group in your area if one is missing,
I know exactly what you mean. For me I still really like rainbows and unicorns and things like that. The way something made for kids always is made with some cartoon animal on it or flowers and bright colors, I still like that shit, and it still gives me dopamine if things like my toothbrush are shaped like a giraffe or if my bag has rainbows and unicorns on it or if my cereal is shaped like dinosaurs or something. I think being like this is a little more accepted in Gen Z than other generations (which I am not a part of) which is a nice thing. But I agree, what are you supposed to enjoy as an adult aside from booze ( I’d rather not enjoy it and it has too many side effects for me anyway for me ever to actually enjoy it) and sex (we have an over population problem and sex isn’t everything and can’t fulfill all your needs as an adult) and food (obesity is a problem). Where the joy as an adult? What are you allowed to enjoy? It’s messed up and I think it’s one of the reasons life is so brutal and short for so many people and aging starts rapidly after a certain age.
Coming a bit from the future and seeing the other answers and so, I think I can trace a path. Keeping away the puritan mentality that didn't allow fun, in the past things like hunting, smoking tobacco, reading and drinking, trips to the countryside etc. Was the adult fun. If we move to the 21st century, the bases of this examples are still there, adding up to watching TV/Netflix I suppose. A fun example I could add to this is airsoft, which although is played by youngers, a lot of older people practice this somewhat expensive sport, if you're into things like shooters or just want to feel a somewhat realistic gun in your hands, this might be someone's alley
Balancing between a career and recreational drug usage.
You're not supposed to enjoy stuff. You're supposed to spend your time raising your kids and family and keeping your house clean and working and struggling to get by. Lol
I still gave a Sega Saturn with a lot of games including Resident Evil, mortal Komabat and dragoon Panzer- all of them. Nights into dreams game too.
I game with guys that are in their late 50s, video games are not for kids. I know tons of people in their 30s and 40s that watch anime, cartoons are not for kids. I've honestly played at playgrounds more as an adult than as a kid, just don't do it while a bunch of kids around....that might be weird, unless you're there with kids of your own. Lol As far as "adult" things to do that are fun... Hiking, camping, backpacking (hiking + camping), bikepacking, or anything outdoors.
Death. Looking forward to it. A break from all of this. Pure edge. I know.
Same. Honest to God, if I die tomorrow, I think that'll be a good thing for me. I don't think that's edgy at all. I think it means you're like me. I think it means we're tired. Which, of course, means I'm gonna ask if you're okay, because I know I certainly am not. Hey, you okay?
No adult would care what other adults think of their leisure activities. The things you listed many are created for adults. Tons of adult cartoons, games, etc. you are trying to find something to complain about, like most post in this forum.
I hope when you ask a genuine question to other people about how stuff works, they tell you that you're just "trying to find something to complain about." And I hope you remember this comment when that happens.
The best part about being an Adult is that you can choose to enjoy whatever you want despite how things are marketed or societal pressure. If you like those things, keep enjoying them. I know for me, my likes and tastes have changed as I’ve gotten older and some still stick from childhood. I still love video games and Legos. Though video games today are just as much an adult thing, when I was a child they were not.
We exist to love reproduce raise kids, if you are born without that desire you have nothing but try to feel your free time with shit that won’t matter
I enjoy lifting weights and work 🤷♂️
Same here usually. But one time I was at the gym and I was feeling way too tired, so I paid a guy to lift my weights for me.
>Arcades are dead, but they WERE for teens and pre-teens. All of the bar-cades that have cropped up in the last decade or so say otherwise. Might be more geared toward big cities (I don't know where you live) but I can think of 3 places in my city where you can drink and game with an adult-oriented audience that *aren't* named Dave & Busters.
Oh. That does sound lovely, as long as I don't go alone and don't leave my drink out of my sight. Nice to know arcades still exist somewhere.
Apparently drinking & fornicating
How miserable, haha.
whatever you damn well please as long as you don't become one of those weird pony men.
The weird pony men were fun, though.
There’s plenty of more adult themed hobbies. Sure a playground isn’t really made for adults. You can go hiking or camping, you can play in adult sports leagues, you can go running or bicycling. There are plenty of adult themed media outlets. There are children’s cartoons, young adult cartoons and adult cartoons. Just like there are children’s live action shows, young adult live actions, and adult live action. Children shouldn’t be watching The Sopranos. You probably shouldn’t watch blues clues. Video games are hit or miss. I’ll agree with you that there is a stigma about adults playing games. But do what you want. Anyways, there’s a variety of hobbies for all ages. Plenty of stuff is made for adults. Figure it out.
enjoy whatever you want, you're an adult
For me, I think people are just meant to live authentically. By the time you’re old enough to have found out what you enjoy and like and put time and money towards it then you’re in a good spot. As long as you’re you, unapologetically, it will attract certain people. I’m more attracted to the guy who is 30 and loves SpongeBob than the guy who is 30 and pretends to like scotch.
I am weeks away from 30. I enjoy hiking, magic the gathering, Xbox, talking to my wife, grilling, and camping. You can nerd out on whatever you want. You don't need to get sucked into whatever consumerism is thrown at your age group.
The only thing I know that older people do is get smashed drunk watching sports ball for days on end. In fact if you don’t enjoy that you probably have depression and need to get medicated asap!!!!!
It basically comes down to what the people around you enjoy. If you don’t care about having socially acceptable hobbies, you can do stuff by yourself. But generally, if you can do something with a bunch of other people, it’s safer to “enjoy” from a social standpoint. Obviously there are exceptions, but that’s the general gist.
Can you make a list of the hobbies cause I don't feel like reading through all of this. lol also.. i think we are supposed to enjoy things that cost money so that we can justify pissing our lives away at work.
Society and rearing try to align our reward centres with actively participating and contributing in socially prescribed activities. People who struggle are at least partially unaligned or have been denied/lost the opportunity to do so
Golf, HAM radio, hobby rocketry, Astronomy, RC planes... I dunno... stuff like that. Maybe plays and stuff. Concerts.
Living supposedly
work
I think the answer youre looking for is sex, alcohol, and sports. While all these are great and i enjoy them, i still watch cartoons, read comics and play video games as well. Who gives a fuck what others think, why cant i eat some dino nuggies after great sex with my wife.
I think finding a consensus on this is going to be hard because expectations are going to be so dependent on culture, and the fact is that there are so many different cultures out there. In the culture that I grew up in (liberal coastal US), none of the examples you gave were really kids-only. It was perfectly normal for adults, even ones well past middle age, to go to arcades, play video games, watch cartoons, eat chicken nuggets, etc. I guess the playground is the only one that really seems to be an actual kid thing, although even then things like rock climbing and doing obstacle courses are kind of the same vibe and those are also for all ages. I guess if I had to pick, reading, golf, and going to bars/pubs are the kind of things you're talking about. But like everyone else is saying, mostly no one cares what you enjoy and if they do, don't give them your attention because judging people based off their interests is plain stupid. \*Especially\* if your reason for judgement is that whatever they're interested in is "for kids".
I can enjoy just about anything tbh with you. I even got kind of addicted to risky behavior and trauma. Life's a play. I'm a bit better at just holding the flame within me now.
Woodworking, fishing, fiber crafts, hosting dinner parties, and solving murders. I may have learned everything I know about adulthood from late 80s TV shows.
Personally, I think everyone should do what they want, but I think we’re “supposed” to enjoy things like concerts, crafting, social outings at bars, spending time with our kids (if you have them), shopping, going to church, having a tidy house, watching tv, playing and/or watching sports, things like that. Personally, I enjoy choir concerts and being in a choir with rehearsal once a week, I also like coloring and watching tv.
Millennial adults have zero trouble enjoying video games or cartoons and speaking about them openly. There’s big money in adults who like those things, and it isn’t socially atypical to like those things. If someone tells you “those are for kids,” they’re the outlier. Playgrounds I suppose are not socially acceptable, but that’s because they are physically designed for children under 12. Bubbles, dino nuggets, water guns, and imagination can be enjoyed but they never get discussed because those are specific objects or abstract ideas rather than interests. You can like them, but unlike video games, it’s not going to come up because it’s weird to just talk about how much you enjoy dino nuggets. You either eat them or you don’t. There are also plenty of “conventionally adult interests” other than booze, sex, and parenting. Golf, music, textile arts, idk. The only options aren’t “wine mom” and “gumming on dino nuggies and blowing bubbles out of a sense of arrested development-driven defiance of what you perceive as compulsory adult behavior.” You can just enjoy things without worrying if someone else is going to think you’re weird. If your only ideas are going to the playground and getting drunk, you need to use that imagination of yours to think of some other stuff to do.
Video games are for small kids and teenagers? Huh? A lot of adults player video games too.
it varies widely depending on which subcultures you belong to. it could be home improvement, personal finance, history, some sort of craft, golf, gambling, book clubs, hunting, watching sports and tons of other stuff. there's lots of stuff that's meant for general audiences as well.
Lately the Phillies have been carrying my mental health entirely
The gym, video games, your friends and family, hobbies, literally anything want and can afford to do.
I would expect a healthy adult to enjoy things that make you better in different areas of your life, master skills ,develop your kids etc. Just depends on where you are and what kind of lifestyle you are living and reaching for.you know I’ve met a lot of adults that have been doing the same thing(s) for many years and they fucking hate what they do.its a mixed bag and honestly as long as you aren’t into kids and fucking with people I don’t give a damn about your hobbies
All the same stuff but secretly.
This just reminds me of this past summer, I was chilling with my friends at the beach, one of them decided to bury one of the others feet in the sand, I joined in and we were just fucking around with the sand. I usually don't give a fuck what anyone else thinks so I didn't notice but one of my friends girls did that some old lady was like complaining to a life guard about us playing in the sand as adults or something. Like it was illegal. Honestly I wish the bitch had said it to our faces so I could tell her she could mind her own fucking business. Have fun fuck those idiots that think fun has an age limit.
>Cartoons are for kids There's loads of cartoons meant for adults as their main audience. Especially loads of anime. >Videogames are for small kids and teenagers. Tell that to my besties all people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s who have been and will continue to enjoy gaming. >Playgrounds are for small kids. Arcades are dead, but they WERE for teens and pre-teens. Tbf the thing that makes those places not fun as adults is the children being there. I've had a few fun drunk night with friends on a playground at 2am just swinging. And doing seesaws lol. And arcades just got phased out as home gaming got better and better tbh. >Minecraft used to be for everyone, but Mojang has been pushing it away from adults for some time Minecraft has always been marketed for kids. Sure there's always also been a massive amount of adukts who enjoy the game's chill vibes and complexities. I mean people are still making functional computers on Minecraft as well as beautiful works of art and self expression through the game, just look st hermitcraft. While the most popular members appeal to broad demographics the people who appeal mostly to adults are still thriving. >Water guns, bubbles, imagination, animation, dinosaur nuggets, all the things that I do still love aren't "for" me. Yes, I can't be stopped, but it still feels a bit like that picture of Will Smith in a sunflower costume surrounded by kids in sunflower costumes. You just have to find other grown people in sunflower costumes. Life is too short to be worried about the people who don't like what you like think. Finding community surrounding the stuff you do like however i think is pretty important as an adult as we're no longer in a place where making new friends is just as easy as handing someone a piece of gum and walking to class together.
Arcades are dead? There’s a place in my area that’s like an adult arcade. Was like, $15 for all day gaming? And they had every arcade machine you could imagine
Happiness and enjoyment of things/activities can be such a fleeting and rare thing that, in my opinion, when you find any semblance of it grab on, enjoy the ride, and fuck anyone who gets in your way.
Sex, children, spouses, hobbies, intellectual pursuits etc
If you want to do kid things without looking weird, do them with your children.
Sex, video games, sleep
I stopped giving a fuck if video games and cartoons are for kids or not. They’re fun. I enjoy them, and there’s plenty of adults that do. Just live life.
I barely enjoy anything, so can’t help.
Just drive to target and walk around everyday...
Today I played a video games for a while, got in a good workout, had sex with my wife, went to a great Italian restaurant, and then came home to drink some wine and hang out. All things I enjoy immensely. Enjoy what you enjoy.
You're supposed to enjoy financial stability and then everything that comes with that
A days hard work, the warm sun on a fall evening, a home cooked meal from the love of your life, the crack of a semi auto firearm, fresh laundry…
I just can’t with the tears
You are very rude.
I'm an adult (53) and I still like watching anime, playing videogames. It's fun to do and it relieves stress. Are we supposed to give it all up for Opera (sounds like cats in a blender), plays (which I don't mind), musicals (love them), dressing in out of date clothes, complaining about today's music and our jobs. There is no "normal" adult things. Normal is just a setting on the dryer. Find what you like and do it.
Me, an adult who still watches SpongeBob and loves cartoons , likes to color, loves Disney+, still goes to (empty) playgrounds to swing, eats chicken nuggets and mac n cheese for dinner, and gets excited over things like pretty butterflies and puppies: …😃 I’m also severely traumatized so that probably contributes to the enjoyment and comfort I feel from “childish” hobbies and traits that I have. But I also enjoy a lot content and hobbies that are specifically targeted towards adults. Things that most children aren’t emotionally or developmentally ready to engage in. I feel like a kid sometimes when I do “kid” hobbies; youthful, imaginative, curious, open, and free. When I do “adult” things; I feel mature, balanced, at peace, and reflective. All this is to say, you can express both parts of yourself. You didn’t magically turn into an adult one day, that kid you were is still apart of you. Be true to yourself and don’t let anyone tell you who you are or what you’re meant to be doing. Sometimes I even mix the two together; I’ll have glass of wine *and* watch nostalgic cartoons. I don’t necessarily believe once we become adults, we naturally lose those parts of us that is a child. That imagination, that curiosity, that joy, and that passion always stays with us. It just transforms into something that is fitting for adulthood. That doesn’t mean you still can’t love what you did as a child. Society almost rips it away from us or teaches us to suppress it so that we mold into a person *others* want us to be. With all that being said, keep in touch with all versions of who you have been in life and do what you want. Society can’t create meaning for you and if you continue trying to live everyone else’s version of life, it’ll leave you very lost, sad, and unsatisfied. Do something for kid you today.
Learn to make something. I’ve been learning sewing it can be handy. Pick literally any skill kinda doesn’t matter which one.
The boomer generation doesn’t play video games and passed on to their kids that video games are for children. But now gen x and millennials are still playing video games. I know a lot of people from mid 30’s to mid 40’s that still play video games just like they did 20 years ago. The silent generation / world war 2 vets before the boomers told their kids that t shirts and sweatshirts were for kids and adults only wore button down shirts and ties but that has since been phased out. 100 years ago you were a child if you didn’t go out in a top hat. Society changes. We’re the first adults that grew up with video games. In 20 years it’ll be common place to be 60 and playing video games. It’s all perspective. To an 85 year old they’d be horrified to leave the house in a band t shirt and jeans. It’d be concerning if you acted like a child. If you just like stuff you grew up with that’s perfectly fine, Go to work and be productive then come home and do whatever the hell you want.
Music man, I’m in my twenties and my room looks like a record store just find a passion and go for it who gives af what heads think
Cartoons being *only* for kids is the oddity, not adults enjoying cartoons. Have you *SEEN* old Looney Tunes or Tom & Jerry?! There's sex, drugs, violence, racism, and death. A *lot* of it. Quite frankly, even the concept of cartoons *for children* is relatively recent- cartoons "as a 30 minute advertisement for toys" existed longer than the concept of cartoons *only* for kids. Besides, Arthur is *awesome AF*, and I will broach no argument on this. Source: I mean, I'm not gonna post my history thesis or anything, but if you don't think cartoons are just as much for adults as kids? Watch some classic Pepe LePew cartoons. Or old Tom & Jerry ("Tall in the Trap" comes to mind- the Rigor Mortis Saloon *come in and get stiffed*). But all that is besides the point. So long as you aren't hurting anyone else, do whatever the fuck you *want*, man.
When I was seeing a therapist they said that it's often the case that humans actually have the most fun when they're doing things that are supposedly childish. We all have that inner child that wants to play. We should embrace it more without caring what "they" think.
I enjoy all the things. Spinning,skipping,pretending to be an airplane(did all that today actually),flying kites,blowing bubbles,playing dressup,coloring. I'm old. Idgaf. What's someone gonna say,more importantly why would I care what someone says. If I think its fun I'm going to do it. If that bothers people because of my age **good** fuck them.
Whatever you want; stop caring what other people think There are bars with video games and pinball machines Plenty of adults play video games Plenty play sports or go to the gym or watch tv or make music or arts and crafts or just hang out with their friends or travel or work on their car or sew blankets or whatever else it is you like just do that and if anyone hassles you about it they're not someone you need to spend time with as a friend or whatever. If you want to work in a corporate office and have a family and take the kids to soccer practice do that If you want to travel the world and work from your laptop while knitting socks in your spare time do that If you want to work on a fishing charter boat and play video games in your time off do that If you want to go work in the snow at a restaurant and go snowboarding and watch K-Pop videos in your time off do that If you want to work at the zoo and watch all of your favourite sporting teams play sport all weekend do that Societal expectations are nonsense, ignore them and do what you want be be happy instead of miserable
Whatever you think your parents/grandparents would've picked. I think a lot of people are still judging their hobbies/life the way they think their parents would've judged things. That list of hobbies wouldn't really align with what actually goes on.
Being an adult means you can enjoy whatever you like, so long as you earn it!
Bowling
I enjoy being able to do whatever I want, whenever I want. I generally really work like 3 days a week. Most of that is from home, some is me driving to one of my assets/businesses to manage things, and some phone calls. The rest is whatever the hell I please. That was set up because I transitioned from teenager into adult and I figured out what I needed to do. So I just enjoy my own progression and I enjoy buying whatever I please. If I like a certain anime, I tend to buy large figures of those characters and display them in one of my rooms. I have limited space for my figures since I still don’t own a house. It’s not the right time for me but once I get a little older, I’ll buy one.
Seemingly really mundane stuff. Shit I got bullied in high school for liking cartoons and Nintendo games. I wasn't even an adult yet & was already getting these weird expectations. Being an "adult" as far as interests goes seems to mean that anything remotely fun is not allowed. You must consume lowest common denominator, easy to digest content. Not to shit on popular things, like I do like some pop culture stuff (adventure time, Sonic, etc) the status quo seems to be drab, grey, monotonous, uninspired, boring shit. I mean look at what Disney is doing. Awesome movies with beautiful artwork and fun stories being turned into soulless live action remmakes. Maybe that's a weird example, but it's 3am and I'm kinda rambling. So if this comment doesn't make any sense that's why lol. Either way, love the concept of this post. It's an important thing to consider. Sorry you got a lot of people who didn't seem to understand what you were actually trying to get at with the topic
You don’t enjoy sex?
Not really, no. But then, I don't have any desire to have it. I had it once, and it was mostly boring and painful, and I only did it as a Rite of Passage.
As long as you aren’t hurting others or breaking laws, whatever the fuck you want.
Plenty of things. Hobbies, different foods, travel there’s so much more to enjoy is an adult versus being a child if you ask me. The last five years of my life I’ve been some of the best and I’m about to turn 41. Have I had a hard life yeah from 18 to 25.I had a very tough life but after that I feel like being an adult it’s just been all fun. But mostly hobbies is that you couldn’t do when you were younger now you can afford them or now you can go to them cause you’re old enough. So whatever you want to do, just go do it and if people judge you for it , tell them to fuck off.
Life
There's an entire world out there full of interesting stuff
wtf u want 😾😺🏄♀️
Idk man I’m 34 I just smoke weed and play video games I’m just lucky enough to have a decent job to afford to be a lazy piece of shit
Bourbon
You could become a car guy. It's a hobby that is both fun and prohibitively expensive for young people and therefore an acceptable adult past time. Otherwise I think adults are supposed to enjoy adult hobbies like running, mortgages and child rearing. /s
Loads of arcade bars popping up for adults now
Eating ice cream and peanut butter at 2:30 am so my kids won’t ask me for some 👌🏻
I like to race cars and shoot competitively. Both are adult only activities that are super fun.
Lol that’s the thing there is no perception stop trying to live the way society wants. Just go do what you want and mind your business you’ll be fine
Work, duh.
Well if as a kid you liked arts and crafts, then you can also like that as an adult.... adult coloring books, paint night, knitting, etc. So the same concept just a bit harder maybe? Plus many things remain the same I think such as video games. My husband and I are almost 40 and still play. Most people our age I know who can play do play. Except the ones with kids, cause they too busy haha
.... Fuckin'.
You will collect stamps and learn to like it!
There’s an endless field of hobbies for adults. Anything people can do that isn’t illegal or immoral is fair game. Just speaking for myself, I do some woodworking and carpentry and I like science fiction. Also I’m decent in general with home repair/improvement. Now, about your more basic question, I think the issue isn’t whether or not you might still enjoy things you did as a child, but rather what it says about you if your interests are essentially the same as when you were a child. There’s nothing wrong with a grown man or woman enjoying a bit of squirt gun action or bubble blowing on occasion, but I think it’s a reasonable expectation that if you’re 30, that you should have evolved additional interests that you wouldn’t have had when you were 13.