Facebooking, Tweeting and surfing the web have been hailed as modern day hobbies – sounding the death knell for stamp collecting, train spotting and bird watching. Researchers who polled 2,000 adults found pastimes have changed dramatically, with millions of Brits also now listing online dating and internet shopping among their ‘hobbies’.
The poll also found one in six claim hunting for online discount codes and bargains is a hobby, while one in twenty said keeping up with celebrity news was something they considered an interest.
It also emerged one in four of those polled said the whole point of a hobby was to help them relax and unwind and admitted that nowadays hobbies were far more varied than they were in previous generations.
The poll by CircleMe – a website that allows users to keep on top of their interests – also found that 17% regard sex as a hobby.
Topping the list of hobbies was traveling, followed by baking and any sporting activity.
Computer gaming was the fourth most popular hobby with online shopping completing the top five.
Giuseppe D’Antonio, CEO of CircleMe, said:
“Hobbies have changed drastically over the last twenty or so years.
“Whereas years ago people considered a hobby something they would do at evenings and weekends now everyday tasks such as social networking, online shopping and internet dating are viewed as hobbies and pastimes.
“Whilst it’s arguable whether online dating or shopping can be defined as hobbies in the traditional sense, if people spend their spare time partaking in these online activities it’s easy to see why they do regard it as a hobby.
“Modern day interests and hobbies are no longer restricted to weekends and evenings, instead people are focused on their interests on a daily basis. We have found that our users are interacting and engaging with their hobbies online every day.
“It may however be a bit far fetch to regard sex as a hobby.”
The poll found blogging and vlogging were considered modern day interests, while one in twenty even deemed lego as a genuine interest.
More traditional pastimes Brits still partake in were listed as sewing and arts and crafts.
TOP 20 HOBBIES
1. Traveling
2. Baking
3. Sport
4. Computer/Video gaming
5. Online shopping
6. Photography
7. Arts and crafts
8. Social networking
9. Technology
10. Sewing/Knitting
11. Sex
12. Collecting specific items
13. Online bargain hunting (websites such as Groupon and Wahanda)
14. Nutrition and health
15. Lego
16. Celebrity watching
17. Blogging/Video Blogging
18. Internet dating
19. Geocaching (a treasure hunt using GPS, in which an item is hidden somewhere in the world and its coordinates posted on the Internet, so that GPS users can locate it.)
20. Watching live music
