In an effort to reduce screentime and stress, consumers are taking a page out of their grandmothers’ book and pursuing “Grandma hobbies.” Crafting is increasingly seen as a way to disconnect from staring at blue light, as 89% of US crafters feel that analog crafts offer stress relief, and a third are actively pursuing hobbies that step away from screens. After the rise of crocheting and knitting post-COVID, other traditionally old-fashioned hobbies are making a resurgence, with the likes of embroidery, quilting, and most recently, needlepoint.
The activity is particularly popular amongst crafting beginners, with a 208% YoY search increase for “beginner needlepoint items” on Etsy. This reflects a deeper craving amongst consumers, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, to emotionally disconnect from digital fatigue. Committing to repetitive manual activities allows consumers to create something that is tangible and long-lasting. A needlepoint project that required days of work is more rewarding and emotionally fulfilling than endless doomscrolling.
Despite the irony in an analog hobby garnering over 140,000 TikTok posts is how social media is largely used as a tool for project inspiration. Crafters also tend to multi-task projects while watching a movie or listening to a podcast. Rather than representing a full rejection of digital culture, needlepointing and other grandma hobbies reflect a broader shift towards intentional screentime, reframing leisure as a restorative counterbalance to digital overstimulation.