Get in line, grandma: Young people are adopting geriatric hobbies

If you’re under the age of 80 and your ideal Friday night involves a cup of Sleepytime tea, a heating pad, and your bed — you’re not alone.

In fact, you might just be a trendsetter. Millennials and Gen Zers — burnt out from the pandemic, a dicey job market, and high cost of living — are increasingly dipping their toes into a more mature lifestyle.

Many pastimes traditionally favored by seniors are catching on with the younger crowd:

• Young people are sleeping more than ever, bedtimes are shifting earlier, and 5pm is the hot new dinner reservation time.
• They’re joining book clubs and visiting public libraries, trying their hands at needlepoint, clipping coupons, and listening to jazz.

They might even be inching toward the retirement home: Millennials are increasingly moving into private golf communities across the country in search of cheaper real estate, socialization, and access to activities while working from home.

Old souls

It’s not only hobbies — Gen Z is drinking less alcohol and spending more on health and wellness.

While that sounds like a good thing, it might actually be making young people believe they’re older. Many Gen Zers say they’re “aging like milk.”

And that’s driving a surge in “prejuvenation” and preventive cosmetic procedures like “baby botox.”

Feeling older makes sense: Younger generations are having children later or not at all, working remotely, and being priced out of traditional home ownership — making being in your 20s and 30s feel a lot more like being an empty nester.

If all of this has you overnighting balls of yarn, you should be ready to dress the part. Study up on “eclectic grandpa,” 2024’s hottest style trend.