I was reading a new study on the growth of analog tech when I read a phrase that I had to stop and puzzle over: Young people are “replacing endless scrolling with ‘granny hobbies’ like crocheting and photography.”
Wait, apparently photography is a granny hobby? The study I was reading isn’t even the only one that lists photography among so-called “granny hobbies.”
I have, of course, heard the phrase granny hobby before. As a Millennial, I actually have a few of them – like bird watching, baking and gardening.
Millennials have gone through so many global crises that we’re trading the longstanding midlife crisis for hobbies that feel more old-fashioned, from knitting to baking sourdough – and it’s a trend that I’m completely on board with.
But, is photography actually a “granny hobby”? The answer depends a bit on how you define the phrase.
Photography is a hobby for all ages. I’ve given my 6-year-old a camera. I’ve inherited the compact camera that my grandmother took on her trips.
Taking photographs is something a vast majority of the population does, even for those who don’t actually consider themselves photographers. The average American takes about six photos a day on their phone.
But I don’t think the term “granny hobby” is really about age at all, nor do I think that other hobbies like knitting or quilting are reserved only for a certain generation. The granny hobby trend is actually all about activities that have a slow pace meant to reduce stress and spark creativity.
The concept of a granny hobby gets its name because many of these slow-paced activities are associated with hobbies with a longstanding history. But the art of a hobby that forces you to slow down is finding growth across multiple generations.
We live in a fast-paced tech world full of swiping through seconds-long videos and screens built into everything from fast-food drive-thrus to smart home refrigerators. The rise of granny hobbies pushes back against that fast pace and supports hobbies that are intentional and slow-paced.
While I believe that photography is a hobby for every generation, I agree that photography – or at least some forms of photography – can be a slow-paced, intentional hobby for boosting mental health.
Not all photography is slow-paced. Taking a snapshot with my phone doesn’t feel like the slowed-down, in-the-moment mental health break that the term granny hobby is meant to encompass.
Taking a wildlife hike with my mirrorless camera does, however, feel like a slow mental health break (although, I suppose, wildlife photography is really just a combination of two granny hobbies: bird watching and photography).
Shooting with my film camera or a screen-free camera comes with an even slower pace and intentional thinking.
Is photography a granny hobby? Photography could be a slow-paced hobby for multiple generations, but for it to be a real mental health break that the term granny hobby embodies, I don’t think smartphone photography counts. But let me know what you think!
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For photography at a slower pace, try a film camera, instant film, or a screen-free digital camera.
