Gen Z Ditches Screens for ‘Grandma Hobbies’ Like Needlepoint and Blacksmithing

Young adults are increasingly turning to traditional crafts like needlepoint, blacksmithing, and pottery as a way to escape digital overload and reduce stress. These so-called 'grandma hobbies' have become trendy on social media, with many millennials and Gen Z members building successful businesses around their analog pursuits.

At just 23 years old, Emma MacTaggart realized her limited free time was constantly consumed by screens. Working demanding hours in investment banking, she would immediately reach for her phone after logging off from work each day.

Together with her roommates, MacTaggart sought out an activity to break this digital habit. They discovered needlepoint – a skill she had briefly learned from family members during childhood but hadn’t practiced in years. The trio quickly became captivated by the craft.

“It was a really therapeutic way to kind of distract yourself from either work or stress, but also just do something with your hands instead of doomscrolling,” MacTaggart explained. “We became completely obsessed.”

MacTaggart represents a growing wave of young adults gravitating toward hands-on activities and traditional crafts to disconnect from technology while rediscovering creative expression. Paradoxically, this movement away from digital devices has gained momentum through its popularity on social platforms.

These pursuits – including knitting, gardening, and needlepoint – have earned the nickname “grandma hobbies” online, referencing the older generations typically linked with such activities. However, numerous other hands-on crafts like pottery, origami, and blacksmithing have also captured the attention of Gen Z and millennial audiences on social media.

The pandemic in 2020 initially sparked interest in these activities when many people found themselves with additional leisure time. However, these traditional hobbies have maintained their appeal well beyond the initial lockdown period, with some experiencing continued growth in online popularity.

Despite not considering herself naturally crafty, MacTaggart, now 26, launched her needlepoint company What’s the Stitch and manages popular social media accounts under the same brand. Responding to increasing interest in her posts, she expanded her venture and now offers needlepoint patterns, supplies, and digital templates. Her creations feature playful humor and occasional colorful language.

“It is such a historically buttoned up craft, so it’s fun to put a young spin on it,” MacTaggart noted.

According to Jaime Kurtz, a psychology professor at James Madison University who studies happiness, these activities can help decrease anxiety and stress while providing satisfaction through their focus requirements and challenging nature.

“Hobbies are really important, and a lot of us have lost them, or we just don’t prioritize them enough, or we think we’re too busy,” Kurtz observed. “But just finding little bits of time to carve out to do these kinds of things is a really wise use of time.”

Clara Sherman co-created So Bam Fun to revitalize mahjong among younger players. She describes achieving a peaceful mindset when playing with friends.

“You kind of feel like you’re existing in this little bubble of just myself, my friends and this game we’re all enjoying together,” Sherman shared. “It just really does allow you to shut off the rest of the world.”

Not all young enthusiasts seek to completely avoid their devices through their chosen activities. Some find ways for modern technology to enhance their experiences.

Isaiah Scott, who creates content about birdwatching and art, considers the eBird app essential to his hobby. The application enables bird enthusiasts to record and monitor their sightings while contributing to scientific studies and conservation efforts.

While it’s common to criticize his generation for being “glued to their phones,” Scott argues that technology access “opens so many doors to get involved in hobbies that may have been forgotten about or (are) just difficult to get into otherwise.”

The Savannah, Georgia-based Scott compares birdwatching to the Pokémon games he enjoyed as a child. “It feels like a video game, but in real life,” he explained. Visiting new areas resembles unlocking fresh game levels, while spotting numerous species mirrors achieving high scores. Scott has personally observed approximately 800 different bird species.

Beyond personal enjoyment, birdwatching inspired Scott, 22, to dedicate himself to wildlife protection and conservation. He established the nonprofit Rookery and Roots Conservancy and recently acquired 16 acres in Rincon, Georgia, to preserve natural habitats. His online platform helped make this land purchase possible.

Social media exposure has enabled other traditional craft practitioners to develop successful enterprises. Anna Weare works full-time as a blacksmith and farrier while maintaining her online presence as AnvilAnna.

Weare had already established a solid client base before beginning to share videos on TikTok and other platforms, where she now reaches international audiences. She believes interest in blacksmithing and other ancient trades may stem from frustration with an overly digital world and low-quality manufactured goods. The waiting list for Weare’s handcrafted one-piece spurs, prized for their strength and uniqueness, extends about one year.

“People, now more than ever, are realizing that things made in factories or mass produced, they wear out so quickly,” Weare, 27, observed. Whether customers purchase her creations or feel motivated by her content to try blacksmithing themselves, Weare said “people want longevity, and this craft has been around for so long for a reason.”

Many artisans and hobby enthusiasts also experience strong connections within their communities.

Kristie Landing developed Verse & Sip, a platform for poetry enthusiasts, and shares videos featuring letter writing, letter folding techniques, wax sealing, and origami among other paper crafts. Landing, 34, regularly receives inquiries from an engaged audience about her materials and tools, but viewers also seek connections with like-minded individuals.

She recently launched a pen pal matching service after numerous followers expressed interest in finding correspondence partners who would value the effort invested in handwritten communications and appreciate quality penmanship.

Landing also operates the Verse & Sip Mail Club, sending original poems with accompanying tea to several hundred subscribers worldwide each month. She aims for her online content to deliver the same peace and happiness as reading a printed poem while enjoying tea.

“I am trying to create slower moments on platforms that are based on really quick, short attention span kind of videos,” Landing explained. “These kind of stop you in the scroll.”

Multiple hobbyists interviewed view their chosen activities not as temporary trends but as deliberate choices to embrace non-digital experiences.

Regarding the “grandma hobbies” label, MacTaggart embraces the description.

“I joke with my friends that I have been a grandma my whole life,” she said, “so it’s only fitting that this is now my career.”