Gen Zs are turning to the likes of TikTok and Instagram to learn new hobbies – including extreme makeup, roller-skating and ghost hunting

Research polling 1,500 18-25-year-olds found 72 per cent have been inspired to take up a new interest as a direct result of watching clips on popular social media channels.

Of those with a hobby, more than half (53 per cent) spend at least four hours a week watching them on their phones – equating to a whopping 208 hours per year.

Videos of past times such as ASMR, tie-dying and coin collecting have a loyal following among young adults, as do ‘how-to’ clips featuring interests like meditation, photography, and extreme couponing.

Commissioned to mark the launch of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, the study found more than four in 10 have stepped behind the camera themselves to share their hobbies on social media.

Annika Bizon, marketing and omnichannel director for the tech firm, said: “After two years of various lockdowns where our creativity could have been stiffened, it’s no surprise we’ve seen an increase in awesome and unconventional hobbies coming from this generation.

“This audience craves expression, turning to social media outlets like never before, to watch, create and share their content.”

Of those who post their own content on social media, 86 per cent said it has been well received – and so much so, they’ve seen their followers increase by 21 per cent.

Motivated to learn new skills

Key motivators for sharing include showing off their new skills (26 per cent), personal enjoyment (25 per cent), connecting with others (24 per cent), while 23 per cent do it to learn new things.

A fifth said it took them three months to perfect their content – to ensure followers would like it.

And on average, the content creators among those polled spend an average of four hours a week filming and editing to ensure it’s up to scratch.

As a result of their popularity online, 48 per cent have even turned their social media accounts into a business venture.

When asked what they think of their hobbies, four in 10 described it as ‘awesome’ and 32 per cent described it as ‘underrated’.