Most high schoolers are busy people. Park’s school day spans seven hours and, on top of that, most students have extracurricular obligations or work that takes up an additional three to four hours after school. With the time committed to these obligations, as well as the time dedicated to basic needs such as eating and sleeping, high schoolers are left with only a few hours that aren’t dedicated to working.
I, like many high schoolers, tend to cherish the little free time I have. Whether I spend that time resting, scrolling or going out with friends, I am usually intentional about trying to “make the most” of every moment of freedom. However, it has recently come to my attention that almost none of my time, whether inside of school or otherwise, is dedicated to hobbies. While I spend time being social and catching up on social media, I don’t do anything that would traditionally be considered a legitimate hobby. The hobbies I used to have, such as reading, cooking and baking, have become lost from my life. I don’t read for pleasure because I usually have assigned readings to do, I don’t have time to cook or bake elaborate food, and I can’t maintain a garden or make art when I have a hectic schedule and limited downtime.
After observing my peers, I realized it is rare for high schoolers to have hobbies not related to academia or Park in some way. Most people’s hobbies manifest in the form of after-school clubs or sports. While this certainly isn’t a bad way to explore your interests, many students are motivated to join these organizations to feel more productive or build a resume. It is rare to see people engage in a hobby or interest simply because it brings them pleasure. Personally, it is hard for me to find value in creating paintings or cooking food — it often feels pointless when I know I could spend time “being productive.”
However, developing and maintaining hobbies has been proven to have positive effects. Research has shown that hobbies promote cognitive stimulation and relaxation that may reduce mental and physical health issues later in life. People who engage in “leisure activities” tend not only to report feeling happier and less stressed, but also exhibit better physical health (such as lower blood pressure and cortisol). Knowing that hobbies have legitimate benefits, it becomes less challenging to see “pointless” tasks such as painting and baking as having a purpose.
Many high schoolers share the sentiment that when they come home for the day, they don’t want to be pushed to do more things. If it isn’t required for a grade, most high schoolers aren’t interested in doing strenuous or time-consuming tasks outside of school or extracurricular spaces. Because of this mindset, I often find myself spending my evenings scrolling on social media in the name of relaxation; however, scrolling isn’t really resting. Social media consumption continues to stimulate our amygdala, and is also tied to higher levels of stress and unhappiness. Beyond this, scrolling is arguably more unproductive than traditional hobbies.
Because of this, I have tried to take steps in my life to be more intentional about cultivating hobbies. I am trying to dedicate time on the weekends to cooking and baking with no distractions and read part of a non-assigned book every night before bed. In general, I would encourage high schoolers to be more intentional with how they choose to spend their downtime. While you don’t have to stop consuming social media entirely, most students will be surprised by how much time they can dedicate to engaging in hobbies if they are more intentional with how they plan their free time. Additionally, Park can take steps to ensure that students are able to continue to engage in hobbies throughout high school. Adding more electives, such as cooking or embroidery classes, can help students explore new hobbies during the school day that they could then explore outside of the classroom. Until then, the easiest thing for students to do is to put down the phone and pick up a hobby.
