We’ve almost all been here before. It’s the first week of class, your teacher is asking around the room for everyone’s names, you squirm in your seat awaiting the answer you know will inevitably come next. It does. In a spine-chilling change of tone, your teacher lights up. “Let’s do an icebreaker!” they say. “Tell me something about yourself! Name a hobby or something you like to do!”
You groan, sinking lower into your seat. This is the worst question that could’ve been picked, by far.
Don’t get me wrong, icebreakers are not entirely unlikeable. In fact, there have been multiple icebreakers I rather enjoy. It comes down to the questions, however. I will gladly tell the class my favorite color and listen to a fifteen-minute spiel on what fast food restaurant chains we think are despicable. But there is something about the question of hobbies that brings forth a sort of dark intangible matter from the class. And it comes in the form of one answer: “Oh, I just really love watching Netflix.”
This answer is typically brought up and then followed by a proud blush or giggle in which they explain how their “ideal day” is spent binging some mediocre show that should’ve ended three seasons ago. Sometimes they’ll be extra quirky and take care to add in an overdone reference that results in half the class either grinning or maintaining blank stares.
I cannot stand the amount of people who will list watching Netflix as their favorite hobby or pastime. It sends off a siren in my head, an immediate red flag. Imagine announcing to an audience that your hobby is perceiving media. That your favorite thing to do is to simply sit and watch things, to be a complacent bystander in the world of the big screen.
Now, there is nothing wrong with enjoying movies. That’s not what this piece is about. I will happily go to the movie theatre or host a TV show night with my friends. There is something about a film that bonds people together, that makes you ponder plotlines and story themes and characters you either love or despise. Movies are a great conversation-starter, and a fun outing when you need something to do. I think movies and TV shows can hold a lot of weight to an individual and be a deep sense of comfort.
However, I do not believe they should be your one and only hobby. Unless you are a film critic, or a part of a movie watching club, I don’t even think they should be your main hobby. Someone listing their favorite pastime as watching TV is about as boring and unappealing to me as someone who would claim their favorite hobby is scrolling Instagram or watching YouTube. There is something to be said for videos when they promote and encourage creative thought or allow you to bond with the people around you. To watch them in solitude though, seems incredibly boring, and quite frankly, time that could be better spent elsewhere.
Hobbies are something every sound-minded individual should invest in, especially those of college-age. They’re a great way to stay active, maintain mental health, and learn new skills. I love hearing about interesting and unusual hobbies, like my old roommate who cross-stitched, or my high-school classmate who’s on a quidditch team. What I do not love is hearing about someone who has never attempted to try and pursue a hobby that requires them to do little more than simply sitting and watching.
We as humans have the unique and amazing ability to learn trades and share them with others, to spend hours of your time simply observing material and doing little with what you have watched seems as uninteresting to me as having no hobby at all. The next time someone in my class acts like watching The Office every weekend by themselves is a personality trait, I will not laugh, I will not give them the “OMG, same,” that they are hoping for. I will simply observe them and retain nothing from our interaction.