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oxygenOnce upon a time, money Bragging used to be spectacular: a designer handbag on your Instagram story, perhaps a manicured hand on the steering wheel of a Porsche; gloating, we find morally objectionable, especially in the UK. Money talks, wealth whispers, we’ve all heard it said with a sense of superiority about a billion times. It’s clear that Logomania is best left in the 2000s.
Because in 2026, bragging looks a little different. Now, the greatest wealth elasticity is not dazzling high-end leather goods or souped-up sports cars, but similar sports like cricket, pottery and Pilates, which provide rest and calm to those in the upper tax brackets while the vast majority of people are busy working with their eyes glued to their mobile phones. Getting a beat is a privilege in itself.
Just look at model Kardashian sister Kendall. Like many other stylish faces (Lila Moss’ partner Olivia Neal, Romeo Beckham’s ex Mia Regan), she began posting footage of herself biking, swimming, horseback riding and hiking on Instagram. Of course, the expensive coats are there too. But the great outdoors is the highlight. When the photos were shared to her 284 million followers, she paradoxically shouted: “Look at me, I’m not on my phone.” Make that make sense.
Millennials and Gen Z are more likely than older generations to prioritize spending on hobbies, according to survey a study Published by Intuit. The study believes this is because the younger generation attaches great importance to personal growth and mental health. Of course, influence doesn’t hurt either. What’s the point of being the best version of yourself if no one knows?
hobbies Like skiing and sailing, there have historically been class associations – mostly because they cost a lot of money to complete. But in an age of rising inflation and trend-led interests, making a pot, or even exercising, can cost hundreds of pounds a month. despite this, More than half of Gen Z and Millennials View spending on hobbies as a necessity, not a luxury, and be willing to prioritize your pursuits over savings and the financial security of owning a home.
Essentially, this makes Pilates and pottery the new avocado toast.
Bea, 27, said: “I think what all my hobbies have in common is that I wanted something that would get me off my phone and into the real world; doing things with my hands.” Her most expensive hobby so far is a 12-week pottery course that cost £400. In recent weeks, she’s also tried horseback riding (free trial).
“When I entered the pottery industry, I expected it to be an older generation, but to my surprise, it was more of a younger generation,” she said. “It costs a fortune, but actually taking a two-and-a-half-hour class every Monday night from October to December is well worth it. You might feel stressed at the beginning of the week and then you’ll [that time] “Get off my phone, do things with my hands, learn new skills, meet new people… I like to do things that I can fully immerse myself in.”
Similarly, Londoner Amy pays £130 a month to do Pilates through membership app Classpass. “I tried a few different types of exercises,” she said. “One was bouncing, which is a popular exercise on a mini trampoline, and then I tried Pilates.” The 29-year-old ADHD sufferer said she dislikes standard gyms because she gets bored and distracted.
“I ended up falling in love with the Reformer because of the variety of classes and you can’t stop what you’re doing because you’re strapped to the machine and so is everyone around you. It made me sweat more,” she said. “I used to go to the gym, work out for five minutes and then sit on my phone… and knowing you’ve paid for the class and can’t cancel before encourages you to work hard.”
Elena, who lives in Barcelona, loves playing racket games so much that in 360 Wealth Flex, she became Turn hobby into careerorganizes padel retreats and tournaments in Spain for business people from all over Europe. “The amount I spend on a game is related to the club I go to and the time of year I play,” she said. “If you play after get off work, it’s more expensive. In Barcelona you can pay €15 per person for court fees. Depending on how many times you play per month, that total will obviously increase. I’d say on average you spend around €60 per month.”
Shockingly cheap compared to pottery and Pilates, then? “London is so different,” Elena makes clear. “It’s much more expensive there. An hour on the pitch in Canary Wharf costs £80.” Ouch.
The common thread here is damn cell phones – young people want to get rid of them because They are addicted. While other less expensive offline pastimes like knitting, coloring and even bingo are also growing in popularity, giving rise to something called a “mock bag,” which is a bit like an adult toy box, but one needs to be covered in clay or strapped to exercise equipment to resist the sticky lure of social media.
Posting about your hobbies online, then, becomes less of the “all gears-unknown” response of decades ago (think Bridget Jones in a pink ski suit) and more like a little digital reward for time spent without a phone in hand. An afternoon of unattended followers showed their approval.
The average UK adult checks their phone, according to Ofcom Every 12 minutesthanks to the power of obsessive push notifications, seductive algorithms and the inevitable WhatsApp group chat. A 2022 Uswitch survey found that UK adults have an average of 5 hours of screen time per day. If you can afford it, why not spend a few hundred pounds to regain your time and start living?
Where once people were simply bored and created new forms of entertainment out of sheer ingenuity, now they are plagued by blue light, disrupt sleep cyclecausing eye pain, headaches and daytime fatigue. lest we forget mental health impact The impact of social media and damage to our dopamine pathways. At the same time, pottery promotes concentration.
Clearly, being offline is ultimately becoming a new luxury that not everyone can afford. In a recent podcast, the comedian Aziz Ansari Revealing that he steps away from the digital world by owning a low-tech flip phone gives him more to think about. How would he organize his life without email? He has an assistant. I wonder how hard her head turns.