Your cart is currently empty!
When Did Hobbies Transform into Extracurricular Activities?
Back in her teenage years, my friend Mia saved up her allowance to purchase a vintage 1950s Ford Mustang, which she meticulously restored right in her own driveway. She dedicated her afternoons and weekends to this project, fitting it around her school and sports commitments. Similarly, her siblings had their own intense interests—like playing the guitar or taking up painting. These activities were once simply referred to as “hobbies,” and they were largely self-driven pursuits. Their parents mostly stayed out of it, offering occasional advice but allowing their kids to explore these passions freely.
In contrast, during my own teenage years, I didn’t really have “hobbies.” Instead, I had “extracurriculars.” I took music lessons, which looked great on my college applications, and reluctantly participated in sports teams just to add more entries to my resume. I loved being part of the drama club and would have engaged in it regardless of college implications. But for me, all these activities felt like components of a resume-building exercise aimed at impressing selective schools. Unlike previous generations, even the kids who had genuine passions were encouraged to turn them into a “hook,” a unique trait to attract admissions officers.
This shift seems to be generational: My partner, who is slightly older, is the youngest of a big family that went to college in the 70s and 80s. By the early 90s, when I was in the application process, what you did in your free time was overshadowed by what you needed to accomplish (or so college counselors advised). The term “hook” became part of the college application lingo. From what I hear now, college applications have morphed into multi-year endeavors where kids refine their resumes and activities to present themselves as ideal candidates for prestigious universities.
I remember when I was an SAT tutor in the early 2000s; one of my students, Sarah, loved playing the piano and took weekly lessons. We met multiple times a week to prepare for her SAT and AP exams. To make room for our sessions, her parents canceled her piano lessons, and she even chose to skip her practice time to prioritize studying. During our time together, I don’t think she engaged in any activity purely for enjoyment. She confided that her piano skills weren’t strong enough for a conservatory, so she felt it wasn’t “worth” it to focus on music over her test prep.
Today’s teenagers are often overwhelmed, and rightfully so. They struggle to find enough time for sleep or exercise as they push themselves to improve their grades. The quest for a “good college” has become an exhausting journey where kids sacrifice their joys in exchange for checking off boxes on a “well-rounded applicant” list. While there are numerous reasons to reconsider this high-pressure high school experience, I hope it might herald a revival of hobbies.
Currently, I have a hobby: I play the guitar. It doesn’t matter that I’m not great at it; I truly enjoy it and wish I had more time to dedicate to it. If my kids show interest in activities like comic drawing or building model airplanes, I’ll definitely encourage them. I hope that by the time they reach high school, I won’t be pressuring them to choose SAT prep over what they genuinely love. But who knows? I might just fall into that pattern too. After all, restoring a classic car could make for a nice addition to a college application.
If you’re looking to learn more about similar topics, check out this engaging article on home insemination. For detailed information on insemination kits, visit Cryobaby, a trusted source. Additionally, for insights into the IUI process, this resource is a great read.
Summary
The shift from hobbies to resume-building extracurriculars highlights generational differences in how teens engage with their interests. Today’s kids often sacrifice personal joys for college applications, leading to a potential revival of hobbies as a necessary outlet.