While Generation Z's life is characterized by high speed—everything is available with one click, food is delivered in minutes, and social media is constantly filled with new content and notifications—a part of this generation engages in something completely opposite.
Some learn crochet, engage in gardening, spend hours baking, while others return to old pastimes such as painting, pottery, knitting, and embroidery. This trend is now associated with the term 'Nonna-maxxing,' where Gen Z integrates the traditional activities and hobbies of grandmothers and grandfathers into their modern lifestyle.
The reason for this phenomenon lies in the daily overload of Gen Z with notifications, messages, reels, deadlines, and social media, which rarely allows the brain to fully rest. Even an attempt to relax via phone often turns into aimless scrolling through the feed for hours. In such conditions, slow hobbies offer a different kind of relaxation.
Crocheting, waiting for plants to grow in gardening, or following the entire baking process requires patience, not haste. These activities lack a skip button, and perhaps that is the main source of comfort. The appeal of Nonna-maxxing is linked to this slow and mindful life, where the process is valued more than the instant result.
These hobbies involve not just consumption, but creation. Whether it's a flower made from yarn, a cake made from ingredients, or a plant grown from a tiny seed—the progress is obvious. After long hours of scrolling through the digital world, you often forget what you saw, but when you create something, the result is visible before you, evoking the feeling: 'I made this.'
Therefore, Nonna-maxxing cannot be seen as merely a return to old hobbies; it is also a return to an experience that brings special satisfaction from creating something with your hands and observing the outcome.
Hobbies like crochet, knitting, and embroidery were traditionally considered the domain of the older generation. However, platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok have given them a new look. Handmade bags, crocheted flowers, homemade bread, pottery, and houseplants have become part of Gen Z's aesthetic and lifestyle.
This is where the interest of Nonna-maxxing manifests. Gen Z does not adopt these old hobbies in the same way as previous generations. They mix them with modern aesthetics, social media trends, and self-expression. But it is not just about aesthetics; the trend also includes creating things oneself instead of buying them and dedicating time to one activity instead of constantly viewing new content.
Today, productivity itself has become pressure. Among career, exercise, skills, and side jobs, hobbies sometimes turn into yet another task. However, the beauty of slow hobbies is that they do not require any specific goal. You don't have to start a business to crochet, you don't have to fill your whole house with plants to garden, and you don't have to become a baker to bake.
Part of Nonna-maxxing might be accepting those old pursuits that were not originally tied to career, money, or productivity. Sometimes, simply doing an activity is enough because it brings pleasure.
Gen Z's inclination towards old hobbies may be less about distancing themselves from technology and more about seeking balance. In a world where everything is becoming faster, easier, and more instantaneous, engaging in something slow becomes a respite in itself.
Perhaps through Nonna-maxxing, Gen Z is not completely returning to the past, but rather adapting some of its elements into their modern life. Crochet, gardening, baking, or knitting are no longer just old hobbies; they are becoming a way to regain the tranquility lost in the race for speed in everything.