To think that “watching YouTube videos” isn’t a hobby?

[Watchagotcha]

Big argument with my 12 yr old DS. He insists that watching videos on YouTube (mix of gaming, wildlife, Weapon / tool restoration, pranks etc) is a hobby. It’s something he enjoys and wants to do in his spare time.

My feeling is that it’s a waste of time, and that a hobby should be something more, that helps you learn / practice a skill. Or just be more - idk - worthy? Productive? Useful?

He counters that he does all his schoolwork, takes part in sports, spends time with friends away from the screens, and that he should be left to spend his free time as he wants to.

Who is BU?

YABU = he’s right, leave him to choose his own “hobby”, however vacuous you might think it is.

YANBU = watching Random YouTube videos teaches Him nothing and has no merit, make him find a more worthwhile hobby.

I'd call it a "pass time" rather than a hobby, but I don't see why you are so against it? He appears to have a well rounded life. What harm is watching You Tube videos during his down time?

I'm a fully grown woman, with kids, a full time job and hobbies. I still have You Tubers whose videos I watch. I class it as similar to watching the next episode in a tv series I enjoy.

I’d say it’s a good way of relaxing and it’s an interest. But I wouldn’t call it a hobby.

hobby /ˈhɒbi/
noun

1. an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.

He's right that it meets the definition of a hobby but I would limit how much time he's allowed to do it. I wouldn't ban it completely or tell him it's not a worthwhile use of his time but I would count it as screen time and set a daily limit for that.

(@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz it’s pastime not pass time.)

I can't think of any hobbies that are passive

Hobbies are 'doings'

It's not really a hobby but I will happily spend an hour watching YouTube videos so I can't judge my child for the same thing. Only rule I have is he can't come off the Xbox then immediately watch gaming videos!

Depending on what he's watching it can be very informative. My ds13 watches the tube all the time. I'd leave him to it as long as it's suitable.

As long as he's getting exercise/fresh air as well I can't see the issue. Once sports are back on mine will be at training and playing matches etc a few times a week. A bit of you tube is fine

I think it's fine.

He seems to have a good mix of things there that he likes to watch. It isn't possible for him to do these things as a 12 year old but as an adult he might want to take up tool restoration, sword forging etc. I am sure he will be learning lots of incidental facts as he watches older people going about their lives. You can liken it to him sitting with his Grandpa in his shed while the old fella oils his lawnmower. Is it a waste of time or is it learning for the future? I would leave him be as long as he is exercising and keeping up with his school work.

OP do you watch tv? It's the same thing. I wouldn't call it a hobby as such, but given that your ds seems to have a good balance of sport, and non screen time activity in his life, I would let him get on with it. And besides, plenty of YouTube videos already useful and educational.

It's not a hobby. It's just like reading a newspaper. It can be very informative though.

Stamp collecting and train spotting qualify as hobbies but are essentially pointless. Youtube can be a good or bad influence so I'd keep an eye on content.

Apologies to stamp collectors and train spotters, but your enjoyment IS the point isn't it. It's not meant to cure world hunger or bring peace.

Bum i pressed YANBU and i meant the other one!

Is reading a hobby? That's passive.

The semantics about weather or not a thing can be called a hobby and weather or not a kid should be allowed to watch youtube after they've

• done their homework
• spent time with friends and
• played sport

are two different arguments.

YABU let him unwind how he likes.

There is more to life than simply being productive or useful, in fact making sure that every single thing you do in life has a worthwhile purpose or teaches you something sounds stressful and exhausting. He sounds well rounded, he does his school work and has a good balance of exercise - he needs something that he actually enjoys doing and if watching YouTube videos (as long as the content is age appropriate obviously) is something he enjoys doing then so be it. That is his hobby as it fits the definition.

You can learn a lot from YouTube videos if you watch the right ones.

Hobbies are 'doings'

Even if you're watching TV you're 'doing' something. It doesn't have to be a physical / sports / craft activity.

I don't think it's a hobby but I think it's a perfectly reasonable thing to do.

I think it's fine to do it in moderation (though keep an eye on what he's watching, there is some very suspect stuff on youtube) but I don't think it's a hobby. To me, a hobby involves developing some kind of skill or doing something active. It's something you can actively improve on, so like you can get better at fencing or cycle faster to win your next race or make nicer vases out of clay, or even beating a video game. You might be able to get better at your game by watching someone else play, but you can't get better at the actual watching part of it! Just imagine..."I have increased my attention span watching game streams on youtube by 54% and now have enough stamina to watch videos over 15 minutes long. My ambition is to work my way up to 30 minute videos."

Also he should be careful - if he puts "watching youtube videos" down on the kind of job application that asks about hobbies outside work, it doesn't look great. We had someone put "watch TV" once on a job application as their only "outside interest" and the HR manager binned it!

I’ve always found it odd when people dismiss watching YouTube as not a hobby. If someone actively chooses content, follows creators, and spends time discovering new ideas, that’s engagement, not passive scrolling. For a lot of people, the real hobby is exploration finding voices and stories that don’t show up in traditional media. That’s why I enjoy smaller platforms that focus on indie and experimental content. I recently came across TabooTube, which leans into short films, underground music, and mini-docs that feel more intentional than algorithm-heavy feeds. If anyone’s curious about that side of video culture, this explains it well https://thetabootube.com.

Agree that it is the same as watching tv