Without an investment and return, true leisure is useless in a capitalist mode of production. Most Americans unknowingly monitor their own relaxation time to maintain their value as individuals in a capitalist society.
A hobby is either one of three things — an intentional outlet to recharge for the upcoming workday, a self-valorizing plan to perfect work ethic or an alternative side hustle in the new, precarious gig economy. It is the American worker’s false consciousness; the market pressure of unwavering productivity stops people from enjoying an activity for the sake of the activity itself.
Under capitalism, every passing second is framed in its relative efficiency. Watching a movie, to an untrained observer, is legitimate leisure — entirely unaffected by market pressures.
But the passivity of screen-staring has long been framed as a perfect way to end the workday. In the 1960s, prime time comedies like “The Andy Griffith Show” and “The Brady Bunch” were scheduled during the early evening hours. This was a designated time in which the middle-class, nuclear family could pretend to exit the capitalist mode of production and collectively soak into the numbing valium of staring at their television.
There is no evident productivity in this communal escape, however, it has long been framed as an after-work luxury to reward a hard day’s work. It keeps the American worker’s sanity intact. They have numbed their mind with the regularly scheduled television program, and now they have sufficient energy to get back onto the capitalist hamster wheel the next morning to be the good, productive citizen they are expected to be.
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the pinnacle human need is self-actualization — realizing one’s full potential. In America, becoming the best version of oneself often means being a disciplined worker with a high-paying job. The American worker’s existence revolves around their productivity of labor, making labor the highest aspiration in life. When the capitalist mode of production is internalized, it is difficult to break free of these patterns of thinking.
Wasted, unproductive leisure equates to a bad worker. A bad worker is viewed as a failed human being. While setting a goal and working towards it can lead to a fruitful, rewarding life, there needs to be a separation between work and play. Unfortunately, that too is gone.
Hobbies have become organized freedoms that mimic the work vigor of capitalism. They are competitive and have a clear means to an end. Practicing and perfecting them is a way for the American worker to not lose their intrinsic value. When people cannot view themselves outside of the capitalist mode of production, their hobbies are tampered with a need to be a good hobbyist. Every recreation is self-valorizing; the hobby is a new skill to add to the repertoire. People are inadvertently marketing themselves for the workforce, even when they are doing something they love.
When many company pensions transformed into 401(k)s in the 1980s, a secondary labor market of precarious side-hustles emerged. As e-commerce and less stable employment simultaneously grew, people looked for additional sources of income. A knitting hobby can now be easily monetized by selling sweaters on Etsy. By capitalizing on non-work-related interests, people are losing their passions to the market.
Until Americans deconstruct their need for constant productivity, their own joy will never be free. Yes, a good work ethic is important. But without meaningless dilly-dallying and fun for the sake of fun, people will never be able to wholly enjoy and embrace their favorite parts of life. There should be no guilt or expectation attached to a hobby. A person shouldn’t have to be good at painting to enjoy it. A stifled lifetime of eternal work will lead to a life half-lived.
Isabella Ehring is a 2024-2025 Assistant Opinion Editor. She can be reached at iehring@uci.edu or opinion@newuniversity.org.