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Young People Find Reasons To Get Out The Door Consistently
Mahjong, anyone?
Gen Z is meeting up for social hobbies that were once considered boring in a bid to build consistent community.
Why It Hits: There’s been plenty written about the loneliness epidemic in America, especially how it’s been affecting young people in recent years. But Gen Z has now wisened up to how the digital revolution has atomized their generation… and is doing whatever it can to reverse it.
Between The Meets Ups: Grab your favorite quilt — it’s time to go out on a Friday night.
According to Axios, chess clubs, birdwatching meet-ups, and even just reading in group silence have taken off.
Over the past year, there have been 151% more puzzle competitions than during the prior 12 months.
And the Chinese game mahjong has really taken off, with 94% more events this year than in 2025.
Last Call: Eventbrite calls this phenomenon the rise of “soft socializing,” which means being “with other people but networking is not the main focus.” Instead, people just want to be near each other, which is maybe why clothing retailers are turning stores into community hubs and new apps are popping up to help people find events near them.
Everyone now wants less of a reason to be on their phones.
The Future: Maybe everyone getting a grandma hobby won’t just partly cure loneliness, but also make us less anxious. Knitting can be very meditative.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.