In recent years, there has been a noticeable decline in creative hobbies and crafts. Many factors have contributed to this trend, from busier lifestyles to changes in technology and interests. To understand what has happened to create and craft, it helps to look at some of the main reasons behind this shift.
Less Free Time
One of the biggest reasons creative hobbies have declined is that people have less free time today. Longer working hours and busier schedules mean there is less time available for leisure activities. In 1960, Americans had an average of 26 hours of leisure time per week. By 2000, that had dropped to 16 hours per week. With less time to spare, creative pursuits like arts, crafts, music, and writing are often pushed aside.
In a survey by Michaels arts and crafts store in 2017, 35% of millennials said they were too busy to explore creative hobbies. Multi-tasking has also taken a toll, as people find it harder to focus on single activities for a sustained period of time. The rise of scheduling and tightly-packed agendas means there are fewer open slots available for open-ended creative time.
Digital Distractions
The ever-growing influence of technology has also impacted time spent on hands-on hobbies. Time that may once have been filled with creative activities is now often spent on electronic devices. A Nielsen study found American adults devote over 11 hours per day to digital media – up from 9 hours in 2015. The abundance of digital entertainment makes it harder for traditional hobbies to compete for people’s time and attention.
Social media also provides constant distractions that can disrupt creative focus. The demands of social networking and instant communication make it challenging to spend an afternoon immersed in a craft project. Multi-tasking again plays a role, as people become accustomed to always having a device within reach. While technology has provided fantastic creative tools and resources, it has also influenced people to spend less time in focused creative practice.
Changes in Education
Changes in education and extracurricular activities over recent decades have also reduced time spent on artistic hobbies. Arts and crafts classes in schools have declined since the 1970s. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, the percentage of 18-year-olds who received any visual arts education dropped from 54% in 1982 to 50% in 2008. As schools focus more on standardized testing, creative subjects get less attention.
After-school programs have also changed, shifting away from creative learning. Structured sports and academic clubs have replaced more open-ended arts and crafts enrichment. A University of Michigan study found the percentage of 6-8 year olds participating in less structured after-school programs declined from 25% in 1981 to just 5% in 1997. With less opportunity for creative skill-building at school, overall engagement in arts and crafts has dropped.
Rise of Hyper-Scheduling for Children
Another societal shift that has reduced free time for creative pursuits is the rise in hyper-scheduling and regimenting of children’s leisure time. According to research by sociologists at the University of California Los Angeles, time spent in sports, homework, and other structured activities has increased for American children ages 6-12. Between 1981 and 1997, time in these activities rose from 2 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours and 15 minutes per week.
While structured activities provide benefits, there is less time for free play and creative exploration. Unscheduled time fuels imagination and allows crafting skills to develop organically. Sociologists note that hyper-scheduling children can limit their opportunities for identity development, as they are less able to discover their own interests. This excessive structuring of leisure time has yielded one less outlet for independent creative activities.
Developments in the Crafting Industry
Within the crafting industry, several changes have impacted engagement in creative hobbies. As demand decreased, many independent craft shops closed their doors. Between 2005 and 2011, the number of US independents scrapbook stores dropped from 3,000 to 1,700. Some consumers lost their access to specialty materials and tools, along with opportunities to connect with local crafters.
Big box and online retailers took a larger share of the market, often promoting pre-packaged kits over open-ended materials. This facilitated easier craft projects, but also represented a shift away from learning specialized creative skills.
Additionally, the rise of digital scrapbooking diminished interest in tangible albums and papers. Creative time that once went into cutting, gluing, painting, and stitching began flowing into photo editing apps and graphic design programs.
While exciting new outlets for creativity emerged, traditional hands-on making lost some of its appeal. The craft industry adapted to offer simplified projects that did not require lengthy practice. This enabled more casual engagement but reduced the depth of creative skills development.
Changing Gender Norms
Evolving gender norms have also contributed to the decline in some creative hobbies. Activities like sewing and knitting were once largely expected of women. As gender roles became less rigid, expectations surrounding traditionally feminine crafts eased. Sewing and embroidery had strong associations of domesticity. With more options open to them, many women moved away from these crafts.
According to Sewing and Craft Alliance, between 1979 and 1986, the number of women who sewed declined from 23.4% to 14.0%. Gender stereotypes that categorized activities like pottery and woodwork as masculine also discouraged some participation. While positive overall, dissolving gender boundaries reduced mass participation in certain crafts that were once ubiquitous parts of many girls’ and women’s education.
Changes in Social Traditions
Crafty hobbies that were once important social traditions have also declined as culture and technology shifted. For many, knitting provided opportunities to gather and converse. As communities became more diffuse, these social circles faded. Technology enabled new ways to communicate that were less dependent on in-person craft gatherings.
Holiday and birthday handmade gifts also became less central. As people spent more time online, digital replacements emerged for traditional cards and scrapbooks. Pinterest and photo sharing sites made it easy to appreciate others’ creations without crafting yourself. DIY goods became less essential for maintaining social bonds and showing care.
Organizations from quilting guilds to model train clubs once built meaningful community around crafts. With the internet providing endless options for connection and entertainment, membership in these social creative circles dropped. Opportunities for beginning new crafts within established communities grew scarce.
Changes in Disposable Income Patterns
Shifting household income patterns over recent decades have impacted engagement in pricier creative pursuits. Average wages have largely stagnated across many demographic groups since the 1970s. At the same time, costs for necessities like housing, education, medical care, and childcare have risen significantly. After covering basic expenses, less money remains for activities like painting, photography, or sewing.
Between 1972 and 2013, the percentage of household spending going towards apparel and services fell from 10% to 3.6%. Spending on supplies and gear for crafts and music dropped during the same period from 0.5% to 0.2%. For lower and middle income families especially, there is often little left over to finance hobbies once essentials are paid for.
Reduced discretionary income has meant crafting becomes seen more as an optional luxury rather than an everyday form of leisure. Without money to spend on materials and tools, many have lost access to artistic outlets.
Decreased Interest from Young People
One clear result of the various shifts over recent decades is decreased interest in crafting among young people. Reduced exposure through childhood education and activities sets the stage. Then, other priorities and fixed schedules prevent exploration of new creative pursuits.
In a Harris Poll survey, 79% of millennials reported having artistic hobbies as children. But only 59% expressed interest in crafting as adults. Making among younger people has evolved with more emphasis on digital mediums. However, engagement with traditional tactile arts and crafts has waned.
Since 2007, the DIY Network has seen a 15% drop in viewership among 18-34 year olds. Craft stores report declining sales among younger customers. Trend watchers observe millennials and Gen Z prefer purchasing finished decor pieces over crafting DIY goods. Making goods for personal use requires an investment of effort many young people do not seem willing or able to make.
The Rise of Passive Consumption
This decreased interest amongst youth points to a larger cultural shift away from creation in favor of consumption. Music streaming services, online shopping, and YouTube offer endless on-demand options for passive entertainment and consumption. The accessibility of consumption compared to learning the skills of creation has reduced engagement in crafts and hands-on hobbies across all ages.
Research fromNotifications.com found the average American spends 3 hours and 43 minutes per day consuming digital media. Easy access to content gives little incentive for more effortful creative pursuits. In leisure time, watching a cooking video often wins out over baking something from scratch.
Consumption-focused shopping also predominates for more of life’s milestones. A study by Nielson found only 24% of millennials enjoy making their own gifts, cards, and holiday goods. With Pinterest and one-click shopping dominating the market, fewer see the necessity of DIY options when consuming is convenient.
Changes in Retail and Space
Further enabling the shift to passive consumption are changes in the retail landscape. While big box craft stores offer supplies for major hobbies, small independently owned specialty shops have declined. These local stores once provided spaces to discover niche creative materials and develop expertise from knowledgeable staff.
Gathering spaces to work on projects and find community have also grown scarce. As infrastructure ages, creative spaces like woodshops close due to rising rents. Reconfiguring a garage or basement into a craft area has become less feasible. Without easily accessible spaces nearby to spark new creations, crafting’s appeal diminishes for potential hobbyists.
Decline in DIY Values
Underlying all of these factors is a larger shift away from DIY ethics in American culture. Self-reliance and skill-building through making have decreasing importance. As consumerism expands, building or fixing goods oneself seems antiquated and unnecessary. Knowledge to independently create, repair, or grow what one needs lacks perceived value.
Mending clothes or building a table offers little appeal when cheap replacements are constantly available. Repair cafes find few participants and struggle to compete with a culture of convenience. When productivity is prized over enrichment, dedicating leisure time to hobbies can feel frivolous rather than rewarding.
With crafting closely tied to DIY ethics, this cultural shift away from self-sufficiency impacts creative pursuits. Making things for personal use and pleasure appears outdated as consumerism takes over.
Positive Developments
While the trends are concerning for traditional crafts, there have also been some positive developments. The internet has enabled access to online crafting communities for inspiration, troubleshooting, and showing off creations. Platforms like Etsy and social media provide new ways for crafters to find an audience.
Some young people remain passionate about hands-on creativity. Movements like craftivism advocate art-making for social change. Indie arts scenes keep interests like zine-making and metalsmithing alive if less mainstream. Even as technology threatens old creative skills, new DIY ones like 3D printing and electronics gain popularity.
Crafting enjoys renewed purpose when united with contemporary values like sustainability. Mending clothes and building natural toys hold stronger appeal as environmental concerns grow. Seeking authenticity and meaning through making also resonates. Handmade goods carry added significance when mass-produced wares dominate daily life.
While overall participation in traditional crafting wanes, pockets of engaged makers persist. Established hobbyists remain committed alongside innovators bringing fresh perspectives. As needs and culture continue evolving, the enduring human drive for creativity finds new outlets for expression.
The Future of Making
What does the future hold for hands-on creativity amidst all these complex shifts? While engagement in traditional crafts may never return to former levels, purposeful making can persist.
More indie retailers and community workspaces would help spark interest and provide accessible creative spots. Educational programs integrating the arts and making could build skills starting at a young age. Avoiding over-scheduling kids may allow more free play to discover creative passions.
Most importantly, cultural values around DIY and active leisure over passive consumption must be reinforced. Pressures to maximize productivity could ease to allow more space for enriching hobbies. Making useful or decorative goods with one’s own hands may never dominate over digital life again. But the deep human need to create will find its place through new technologies and tools.
Rather than mourning the decline of legacy crafts, innovation and inclusivity can shape the future of making. New technologies like digital die cut machines and CNC routers open creative possibilities. Community studios with specialty equipment welcome broader participation. Blending digital skills with hands-on making brings out the best of both approaches.
Creating opportunities for makers of all backgrounds supports diversity and access. How-to education presented in inviting ways sparks curiosity in beginners. To stay relevant, the maker movement requires evolution and progress alongside tradition. By honoring craft’s legacy while embracing innovation, making can move forward responsibly.
The changing landscape has challenged traditional creative pursuits. But humans innately seek to make beauty, share stories, and shape materials with their hands. This drive endures regardless of the constraints. Giving it space to flourish through ethical evolution allows the essence of creating and crafting to remain vital – and to transform as needed for the future.