• Low-Key Learning-Based Leisure: Tired of doomscrolling and low‑value brainrot, many youngsters are embracing ‘knowledgemaxxing’ – actively trying to become more informed, skilled or intellectually sharp via books, long-form YouTube videos, academic platforms (like JSTOR or Google Scholar), podcasts, Substack essays and courses. This mindset is typified via TikTok posts like ‘Spend a Research Day With Me,’ ‘Media I Consumed This Week Instead of Doomscrolling’ and ‘Topics I Am Researching This Week’. For more on knowledgemaxxing, see The Brief.
  
  Meanwhile, US TikTok creator Elizabeth Jean (@xparmesanprincessx) is popularising a ‘curriculum’ approach to reducing passive scrolling by encouraging people to build monthly or semester‑style personal study plans. These intertwine learning, crafts, hobbies and self‑improvement, and can centre on any passion‑led topic, from practical skills to niche interests.

• Gen Z’s Paper Trail: Gen Z’s push for more considered media consumption is helping fuel a new wave of interest in print. British fashion magazine i-D and US lifestyle, arts and culture publication Vice both relaunched in 2025. Meanwhile, in Germany, US-headquartered fashion and lifestyle magazine InStyle introduced InStyle GenZ, a youth‑focused spin‑off shaped by a Gen Z editorial board. Its covers everything from rising interest in Formula One racing among youth (see ‘Motorsport Participation Skews Younger’ below) to harmful social media trends, like #SkinnyTok.

Elsewhere, catering to young fans of música Mexicana (contemporary and traditional Mexican music styles popular with Gen Z), US bilingual independent magazine Cynthia highlights emerging talent within the genre, such as cumbia‑pop artist Estevie. And Gen Z foodies can enjoy new independent print magazine Sandweegies, dedicated to Glasgow’s food culture.

Elsewhere, US publication Synonym, which debuted in 2024, has accrued a devoted following. Its fourth issue sold out on pre‑order in 2025, validating demand for thoughtful, globally minded food-centred storytelling. Synonym centres the voices of immigrants, exploring how trade, politics and colonial histories shape how consumers eat today. For more here, read The New Language of Food.

Screen overload is nudging young people back to analogue ways of documenting life and staying connected. Pinterest reports an uptick in letter‑writing searches such as ‘snail mail gifts’ (+110%), ‘cute stamps’ (+105%), ‘pen pal ideas’ (+90%) and ‘handwritten letters’ (+45%) from Gen Zers. This is echoed on TikTok, where a video, featuring a sticker‑ and stamp‑covered envelope and inviting viewers to find a pen pal, has attracted over 10,000 responses – the vast majority from users under 35.

Aligning with this trend, post offices on Indian university campuses are being redesigned as Gen Z‑friendly, digitally enabled community hubs. Alongside QR‑based services, many locations now feature digital kiosks for parcel booking and tracking, mobile phone charging stations, and interactive touchscreens explaining postal and financial services. The spaces also offer free wi‑fi, café‑style seating, study‑friendly ledges, mini‑libraries, board games, music corners and student‑designed artwork. 

• Haptic Hobbies: Gen Zers – particularly women – are embracing junk journalling, which merges traditional journal keeping with scrapbooking and collage. Using ticket stubs, packaging, postcards and everyday ephemera, junk journals offer a joyfully chaotic alternative to perfectly curated social media feeds. The pastime has grown into a social movement: in the US, IRL junk‑journalling clubs operate in San Francisco, Las Vegas and Texas. The trend is spreading globally too, with groups like The Good Gang (Philippines) and Silk Road Journeys (India) offering workshops.
  
  A similar offline revival is unfolding in South Korea through yundok, or shared reading. This involves annotating books and then passing them on, allowing each reader to build a layered record of reflections. Publishers are even formalising the trend: Hyundae Munhak, for example, launched a ‘matching programme’ for readers of The Children Who Returned by South Korean writer Kim Hye‑jung, pairing participants so they could exchange annotated copies. South Korean illustrator 2da also tapped into the movement by inviting readers of her book City Observation Diary to mail her their annotated editions. She then added her own notes before returning the books to owners.

• Creative Construction: Young Chinese creators are embracing hands‑on making practices. Perler beads – a childhood craft staple – have become a breakout medium, with individuals using them to create bead‑based home décor, accessories and character art.
  
  Gen Zers are also flexing their imaginations via tech‑enabled AI image tools and 3D‑printing techniques, producing their own guzi (collectible merchandise) where mini-figurines often depict themselves, a friend or pet.
  
  Elsewhere, Australia’s young men are embracing sewing to personalise their wardrobes and access the mental benefits of crafting. Influencers like @fletcherkiley, @creamjeans_ and @thebigrocka flaunt their creations online, inspiring other Gen Z men to create their own unique pieces. For more here, see The Happy Hobby Boom.

• Curated Collectorship: Gen Z’s approach to collecting is anchored in nostalgia, identity and strategy. Pen collecting is now attracting younger enthusiasts who treat fountain pens, inks and other stationery as craveworthy objects. Simultaneously, Pokémon and sports trading cards have become high stakes, with some cards delivering nearly 46% annual returns and outperforming major market indexes (Fortune, 2025).
  
  Meanwhile, Gen Zers continue to invest in art, allocating around 26% of their wealth to their collections in 2025 (Art Basel, 2025). This well-heeled cohort looks beyond traditional fine art pieces towards fashion and accessories, which they consider to be art. Here, they’re collecting items like high-end trainers, luxury handbags and collectible sports items.

• Steeped in Vibes – Gen Z’s Tea Moment: Tea‑centred experiences are a key expression of the Participation Generation, offering entertainment and Instagram‑ready aesthetics. See here Taylor Swift Galentine’s Tea Blending at The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, Wes Anderson-inspired afternoon tea at London’s Design Museum, and even a Don Quijote-themed tea at Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya.
  
  Stretching beyond tea, Chicago fast-casual restaurant Portillo’s and LA culinary concept Chains’ Hot Dog High Tea pop-up – which offered miniature gourmet hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches with Jameson-infused cocktails – sold out in NYC, LA and Chicago.
  
  Across Asia, matcha and coffee raves are reframing nightlife for sober‑curious Gen Z. These early morning or late‑night gatherings offer energising drinks, DJs and movement. For more, see Exploring New Coffee Culture.

• Social Dance Revival: Social dancing is reverberating globally amongst Gen Zers. In the UK, Northern Soul dancing venues – such as Rivoli Ballroom (London) and Bristol Northern Soul Club – have attracted twenty-somethings after going viral on social media, reports Timeout UK. The publication also notes that ‘old-fashioned’ dances – think Morris dancing, line dancing and Scottish cèilidhs – are becoming popular again.
  
  Validating this thinking, Australian Gen Zers are donning cowboy hats at line dancing  nights. See Saddle and Stomp (Adelaide), which teaches choreographed group routines, and Copper Face Jacks (Dublin), where beginner-focused jive and line-dancing courses saw significant uptake amongst under-35s in 2025.
  
  Stateside, the movement takes a Latin twist. Miami‑based writer and audio producer Elisa Baena launched Salsa Z, a Gen Z‑focused salsa night at Miami cultural hotspot ZeyZey, combining formal dance tuition and casual dancing with DJ sets and live music.
  
  Elsewhere, in August, Abu Dhabi-based K-pop fans could train like their idols at dance and singing sessions with professors and student artists from South Korea’s Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts (DIMA). Held at dance studio Dee Studio, the Kpop Academy X DIMA Dream School event invited youths and adults to choreography and vocal lessons based around the music of popular Korean groups BTS and Blackpink, and fictional groups like Huntr/X from animated Netflix series KPop Demon Hunters.

• The New Museum Playbook: In 2025, London contemporary art gallery Tate Modern extended its closing times from 6pm to 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate younger visitors. The move followed record attendance by Gen Z at the museum’s 25th birthday weekend in May, during which 70% of the 76,000 attendees were under 35.
  
  Also in London, the new V&A East Museum and V&A Storehouse settings offer a less intimidating experience than the original V&A gallery, whilst also showcasing more mature content than what’s available at the kid-friendly Young V&A. Designed with local students, the spaces strive to inspire Gen Z with “unapologetically diverse” collections.

Meanwhile, fans of US singer Taylor Swift are visiting Museum Wiesbaden in Germany to see Ophelia by German artist Friedrich Heyser, after the singer referenced the painting in her music video for The Fate of Ophelia.

• Old Worlds, New Voices: Heritage‑rich traditions are being recalibrated by Gen Zers. In Greece, village festivals, known as Panegyria, are attracting young locals and visitors seeking authentic cultural immersion. These gatherings – featuring live folk orchestras and circle and line/chain dances, like Nisiotika, Kalamatianos and Tsamikos – make ancient practices feel newly resonant.

In China, young women are reviving nushu, a women’s script developed around 400 years ago in the Jiangyong county, and used as a secret communication method in letters, song and embroidery. #Nushu has amassed over 73 million views on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (RedNote), with users showcasing their nushu-script-inspired crafts and even tattoos. 

The Neo Cheo project, created by students at FPT University Hanoi, is reintroducing Vietnam’s traditional Cheo opera to young audiences in more engaging, relatable ways. Their work has already produced an art exhibition and discussion event using digital projections to reimagine Cheo’s costumes and props, with an animated music video of a classic song now under way.

• Game On: Combining nightlife with gaming, US toy giant Mattel partnered with Irish multinational retailer Smyths Toys to host a 1920s speakeasy-themed games night in London in November 2025. The experience celebrated the launch of Uno Liars, a new version of the classic card game.

  In 2025, Uno Social Clubs – a series of branded pop‑up events created by Mattel to bring the card game into nightlife and hospitality spaces – also cropped up across the US, including an Uno-themed suite at Palms Casino Resort (Las Vegas) as well as bars in LA, NYC, Chicago, Atlanta and Austin. Here, revellers could try different game variants, like Uno Golf, Uno Teams and Uno Show 'em No Mercy, and enjoy Uno-themed drinks.

  Meanwhile, Zoomers worldwide are diving into analogue play via strategic card trading game Magic: The Gathering in China; tile-based numbers game Rummikub in LA; and Rummy-style card game burraco in Italy. See also Lisbon-founded Pieces Chess Club, which combines club nights with chess games and now hosts events across Europe. 

  Elsewhere, Ikea Italy tapped into tabletop culture with Drönjöns & Dragan, a limited‑edition “spellbook” made for Milan Games Week & Cartoomics. Inspired by Ikea catalogues, it turns product names into fantasy characters, weapons and locations. At the event, a cosy, fantasy‑themed booth, manned by a ‘game master’, helped visitors imagine how their characters could manifest.

• Motorsport Participation Skews Younger: Motorsport’s pivot toward young women is being driven most visibly by British high-performance automotive and racing brand McLaren, which is actively reshaping its talent pipeline through the recruitment of three rising female drivers – Ella Stevens (19, British), Ella Lloyd (20, British/Welsh) and Ella Häkkinen (14, Finnish)  – to its Driver Development Programme. Together, the “Ellas” embody McLaren’s deliberate move to make female participation central rather than symbolic, signalling a broader industry shift toward inclusivity, youth appeal and the cultivation of female role models who can reshape the sport’s future.
  
  The initiative also aims to increase female representation both on and off the track, signalling that motorsport careers are accessible to young women across driving, engineering and STEM roles. Women make up three in four of all new US fans and nearly one in two (47%) of them are 18-24 (McLaren, 2025).

Gen Z is reshaping wellness around social interactions, mind-body challenges and nature. Communal workouts and boutique wellness clubs are replacing traditional nightlife, while competitive events – from triathlons to hybrid run‑festival formats – are booming. At the same time, walking groups and outdoor gatherings reflect interest in meditative movement and real‑world connections. 

• The Social Fitness Era: Gen Z is redefining what it means to work out, treating fitness less as a solitary grind and more as a way to build community. This mindset has prompted British budget gym chain The Gym Group to launch its 'For Every Group, There's The Gym Group' campaign, positioning its spaces as social hubs where members can find their tribe rather than simply clock up reps.
  
  This leaning towards group-centred, high‑energy fitness is echoed globally. In New Zealand, fitness brand Les Mills’ Ceremony class – a full‑body functional circuit using SkiErgs, rowers and air bikes – blends strength and cardio with uplifting soundtracks and hands‑on coaching at every station. The format encourages participants to tailor intensity while feeding off the collective buzz. Les Mills reports that Ceremony has attracted a younger, more competitive crowd, lowering the average age of group‑training participants in its New Zealand clubs by a full decade.

• Gen Z’s New Club Culture: Exclusive wellness clubs – offering chic, health‑first alternatives to traditional bars and nightlife – are drawing Gen Zers. Among new entrants is Higher Order in West Palm Beach – a hybrid social, wellness and nightlife club that mixes Pilates, breathwork, mindfulness and contrast‑therapy workshops with live music and matcha‑fuelled socialising. Meanwhile, Saint Haven (opening in North Sydney in 2026) will offer members relaxation, social connection and personal restoration. In London, Tramp Health – the wellness-focused sister to London’s private members’ nightclub Tramp – will open in London’s Mayfair in spring 2026, signalling a broader shift towards nightlife spaces anchored in wellbeing principles.

• Competitive Fitness Frontiers: Gen Z is turning to endurance and competitive events to push their limits – and brands are responding. Nike has promoted its new 5K, 10K, and half marathon training plans on its Nike Run Club App with over 100 localised guided runs, coaching tips and city‑specific campaigns across Berlin, Barcelona, Paris and Milan to motivate runners of all levels.
  
  Hybrid event formats are also gaining traction. US DJ Diplo’s Run Club, blending 5K runs with music‑festival energy, launched in 2024. In 2025, it partnered with US strength-training app Ladder to add carnival‑style strength challenges and a mobile gym to its US tour, alongside an exclusive Diplo‑designed in‑app workout.

In Singapore, AIA’s Ultimate FitnessFest: University Edition invited students to compete in a multi‑station circuit – from rowing to burpee broad jumps – with prizes including entry to the global endurance event AIA Hyrox Singapore 2025.

Elsewhere, Swiss-headquartered mountain-running governing body the International Skyrunning Federation has announced a new high-altitude skyrunning championship – the Youth Skyrunning North & Central American Championships. Taking place in the Canadian Rockies in June 2026, this marks the first-ever Continental Championships dedicated to athletes aged 15-23.

See also Wellness Travel Trends: 26/27 for more on endurance sports as a compelling leisure trend.

• Walk It Out: In the UK, Gen Z-founded walking groups like Common Ground are a popular way to reset in nature among likeminded individuals. The collective partnered with rail company Southern Rail and mental health charity Mind (both UK) in March 2025 to host a walk at National Trust-protected ancient woodland Box Hill in Surrey, offering 100 free train tickets. They were snapped up in four hours, prompting Southern Rail to release an additional 100.
  
  Walking aligns with Gen Z’s desire to ‘touch grass’ – a slang term associated with putting devices down and interacting with the outside world, which has amassed over 87,000 posts on TikTok. In one video, liked by 2.9 million users, US content creator @aminathree nominates all viewers to step outside and complete what she calls the #TouchGrassChallenge. 

  Another nudge towards exploring the outdoors showed up on the platform through conker unboxing videos, where youngsters treat horse‑chestnut seeds like blind‑box collectibles – cracking open the shells on-camera to reveal the conkers inside.

  See also Gen Z Leisure Trends: 25/26 for earlier examples of Gen Z’s desire to return to nature.