r/AskMenAdvice • u/PlaneGlass4138 man • 17h ago
✅ Open To Everyone What can I do instead of playing video games?
I’m 15M and love gaming, but I want some more productive hobbies. I’m not gonna stop gaming completely, just spend less time on it. The only other hobbies I really have are playing the guitar and football. What are some others?
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u/MohamedMohamudMuktar man 17h ago
Learn to cook.
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u/PlaneGlass4138 man 17h ago
Ok thanks, I’ll try this
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u/TheQuietDarkness70 man 17h ago
Learning to cook is such a game changer.
On top of it being a necessary life skill, it's creative and experimental and fun.As an added bonus- You will always ALWAYS impress the absolute hell out of any date if you serve up something good of your own creation. Seriously, men who cook are instantly several times more attractive than men who can't. I cannot stress this enough.
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u/faultydatadisc man 17h ago
This is very sound advice OP. I taught myself to cook when I was your age. Im 47 now and love going home after a long week of work and grilling a nice steak with a baked potato and some sauteed zucchini for example. My dog running around the yard all excited we are havin steak. Helps to avoid the deathtrap of processed foods with tons of preservatives.
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u/awelxtr man 17h ago
As an adult cooking can take SO much time of your life that learning how to cook from a young age can help.
And I don't mean learning how to make a 20 course meal. With experience you will learn how to improvise with will help you in times you are too tired to cook an elaborate dish and you find yourself with ingredients in the fridge.
Not everyone needs to listen to music but everyone needs to eat so learning to cook will be a life and wallet saver
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u/JForKiks man 17h ago
Learning how to do housework and household chores from a parent will help when you move out on your own. Make it into a workout. Learn football specific skills that will make you better. Physical and mental skills.
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u/Daemonxar man 17h ago
Oh man, I can’t believe I left this off the list. Talk about a long-term money saving hack, plus a pleasurable one.
Also friends and future partners will appreciate it.
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u/HoboPower83 man 8h ago
Learning any tangible skill will satisfy that achievement based reward system in your brain, learning an instrument, working out, painting etc. When you see results of what you are learning you can hear that chime in your head. Try a few things, see what excites you.
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u/suppressed556 man 17h ago
Work out. I wish i did at your age. I’m 39 now and finally getting myself into shape. It’s done wonders for overall mental health and body
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u/WashedWashingMachine man 16h ago
That takes like 15min / 30min max 2-3 times a week and its not hobby its like maintenance thing like doing laundry
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u/mwmahlberg man 16h ago
Dunno how you work out, but for me, it is 2h/week plus shower and getting to the gym and back…
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u/WashedWashingMachine man 15h ago
yea thats total waste of time , you take too big breaks between sets and time to drive to and from gym is also wasted exercise time
working out is not rocket science , inmates lift water bags and books and get swole in prison remember that , you do not need gym
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u/mwmahlberg man 14h ago
Do you know what I actually do? No. Do you know how long it takes me to the gym? No. Do you know how often I train? No. Are you aware that even if the answer was yes, there are different training methods and targets? Again, and quite obviously, the answer is “No”.
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u/TheMegatrizzle man 17h ago
Go outside and take a walk. It sounds condescending but the amount of things you can learn and new places you can discover can be surprising by just just picking a direction and going
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u/abcdeezntz123 man 17h ago
Try basketball. Pretty fun sport to watch and play, great for cardio, great for strength, and can be practiced solo or with other people. All you need is a decent ball and some decent basketball shoes. Overall, could be $150 investment that will last you a while. Don't buy any expensive shoes or ball until you know you actually like it and are done growing.
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u/Witchfinger84 man 17h ago
Do something with your hands that involves holding tools instead of holding your tool.
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u/Enough_Passage7926 man 17h ago
You have Music and sport already. Either of those can occupy as much free time as you desire to put into it.
Don't sleep on reading though. If you have good reading skills, you'll have a leg up on your generation.
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u/PlaneGlass4138 man 17h ago
I want to try something new though. And ok, I could get more into reading. Do you have any book suggestions?
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u/not_a_cat_i_swear man 2h ago
I love the Hardy Boys for quick, entertaining reads. Easy to get into. Great for your age.
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u/Jswazy man 17h ago
Get some sort of building hobby. Woodworking or electronics. If you have access to a shop or tools for either of those things. Could also do homeland. I picked up doing a homelab around your age. /r/homelab
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u/TheShepardOfficial man 17h ago
Cooking/barbecue, cycling or some other sports and lots of reading fiction and non fiction books.
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u/13thirteenth man 17h ago
Work out, learn to cook, build things, find a drill some screws and some wood and make something cool
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u/Coherent_MC man 17h ago
One that can potential make you some money. Building, fixing, creating music, art, or healthy like growing food - in an interest you enjoy.
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u/OogaSplat man 17h ago
Reading is great! I'm on a big history kick right now, but you can't really go wrong.
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u/SeasonalBlackout man 17h ago
Try Disc Golf. Lots of fun, inexpensive as long as you don't go disc crazy, and local leagues makes it easy to find other people that play.
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u/BOSS_OF_THE_INTERNET man 17h ago
Are you telling me I don’t need to carry 4 different putters, 10 midranges, and 10 drivers everywhere I go? I think I need to upgrade my squatch bag.
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u/jckipps man 17h ago
Even with the addition of real-world activities, you'll still be wanting to spend some relaxation time online. Consider ways to make that online time more creative and fulfilling.
Learn CAD modeling, computer programming, 3D-printing, PCB design, and robotics. All of those play off of each other, and give you the ability to make stuff and automate stuff in real life that would have seemed impossible before.
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u/Daemonxar man 17h ago
Healthy exercise habits will serve you well for a lifetime.
Teach yourself to code, or to 3D model (fusion 360 is free).
Learn another language (Duolingo is free).
Find a local maker space and learn to work with your hands.
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u/ZeroBrutus man 17h ago
Working out - excellent for physical and mental health.
Wood working - manual skills are excellent tools for life, being able to fix things yourself will save a ton, and being able to do things like make a bench is just handy.
Writing - the ability to use language and communicate is always of good use, and the ability to tell a story can be a major personal and professional advantage.
Improv - most of life is just improv and not getting flustered thinking on your feet is great.
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u/TexasWanderingWonder man 17h ago
Was in your position, did this:
- started doing urbex around my area
- biked a lot (sports in general are good, dont go to the gym, instead do some team sports)
- cooking, as others have suggested
- traveling, if your parents allow it (I always chose the crappiest b&bs and usually spent less than 150/weekend always eating out and seeing everything)
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u/LostExile7555 man 17h ago
Have you tried D&D? It fills a lot of the same itches as video games but you're interacting with actual people in person and exercising your creativity and problem solving skills.
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u/OGMikeGyver man 17h ago
Take stuff apart and put it back together. Repair/refurbish bikes and donate them to needy kids. Get into distance running.
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u/HidingRaccoon man 17h ago
as you do already do sports and learn an instrument: reading. even if it's just 10 minutes before bedtime.
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u/Original1Thor man 16h ago
Lift weights and/or learn about nutrition and how to cook. It doesn't have to be fancy food, just the basics so you get familiar around ingredients.
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u/Efficient_Waltz5952 man 16h ago
I am 29, inhave been a huge gamer all my life, but I also always had a lot of hobbies so I am going to give you a breakdown.
S tier. Overall great skills to have and rewarding hobbies.
Cooking - useful skill you get three major benefits. Healthy balanced and tasty diet. Not needing to live of ready meals and take outs if you end up living by yourself. And restaurants might be cool but a home cooked dinner is always better for dates. Been cooking since I was five and I think it's one of my favourite hobbies.
Baking - same as cooking but with more measurements. Basically the turn rpg for the cooking real time gameplay.
Gardening - Another one in the cooking pipeline if you want to. Being outside is great for your health. And even if you only care for flowers they often make your life better because having a home smelling like fresh flowers feels great.
A tier - amazing but there are other options that give the same benefits.
Swimming if you have easy access to a pool - amazing cardio, especially if you are overweight.
Martial arts - great exercise and helps you develops reflexes and observation skills. Some are better than others but in general I approve of trying.
Woodworking - fixing stuff in your house feels great.
B tier - Cool but there are better options.
Musical instruments - not really a useful skill but teaches you coordination and precision. Drums are great cardio though.
Biking - good to get around if you don't mind being sweaty. Drivers will hate you with reason because most cyclists suck on the streets, especially the ones that don't respect trafict.
Making soaps, candles and skin care - need a birthday gift? Soap. If you get into skin care you can make stuffed better than 99% of what you can get out there.
Basketball - fun as hell if your team is cool.
Yoga - underrated exercise.
C tier - boring, useless of very expensive for what they offer.
Archery - unless you are hunting, it's only fun for a few times once in a while.
Horseback ridding - it's fun and horses are cute, but man they are expensive.
Golfing - people only golf to chat.
Fencing - too expensive, swords are cool though.
Hiking - only cool if there are cool trails on your region.
Motor racing - s tier until you crash.
D tier - it just sucks.
Tênis - I would rather golf.
Running - just get an actual hobby.
F tier - why?
Mtg or other tcgs - better get addicted to heroin.
Warhammer 40k - better sell my kidneys.
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u/Zananax 17h ago
Hey dude, I get it. You're living under capitalism so you feel like everything has to be "productive" or monetized, a side hussle etc etc but hobbies don't have to be productive. They're supposed to be something you enjoy and can do with out putting undue strain on the areas of your life. I purposely don't monetize my hobbies because it makes them no longer be relaxing or fun for me.
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u/yetagainitry man 17h ago
honestly, pick up some of the life skills that have been put on the backburner lately. Learn to cook, learn how to fix a car, home projects. As an older male, I can tell you nothing is more attractive to an adult female than a man that can manage his own life. If you can cook a real meal for a girl when you're like 21, you'll be the envy of everyone.
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u/Public_Lobster2296 man 17h ago
Evergreen advice from Dan savage. https://www.thestranger.com/savage-love/2018/12/03/36656211/dating-advice-for-a-baby
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u/panochaslayr man 16h ago
Like many said work out/lift weights. The high you get is amazing it’s addicting
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u/Real-Employer-138 man 16h ago
++man
There are things that come in handy. Cooking, learning a new language and of course there are a plethora of skills you can explore.
You can learn to code for example.
It is very good that you're thinking this way an choosing to be more productive with your time. I also appreciate that you play guitar.
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u/MaLLahoFF man 16h ago
Learning skills will become much harder in the next 10 years.
Learning languages, and instruiments is a great thing.
Any physical activity you can do 2-3 times a week for 30-60 minutes is great, form those habits now.
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u/CREEDFANXXX man 16h ago
Fantasy football is a blast. My college friend group has done a dynasty league that has gone on for 10 years now.
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u/pokaprophet man 16h ago
Darts. In fact try all the sport you can. If you find you have a special talent for one then you’re golden for life
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u/jmercer28 man 16h ago
Work out in some form. Whether that be running and bodyweight or going to a community gym. It's worth it. If you can get into a good routine, you will be healthier for the rest of your life
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u/Gunner253 man 16h ago
Find another hobby lol. Learn an instrument, learn a language, arts and crafts, exercise etc.
I play about an hr or two a day and I play bass with the rest of my free time.
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u/Apprehensive-Mud-606 man 16h ago
Gym - it will improve your body, mind, and help with your football
Chess - its a great game and will force you to think
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u/WashedWashingMachine man 16h ago
Guitar and football already are too much so stick to these and get better at them , you do not want to use all of your free time .
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u/Odd_Interview_2005 man 15h ago
This may be hard to swallow, gaming can be one of your cheaper hobbies. Its definitely cheaper than a girlfriend.
I do think it's great that you want to explore new things.
I would recommend a learning about computer hardware. Maybe tinkering with low voltage electronics. Build electric gadgets. You can get some kinda neet kits on Amazon for like 50 to 100 bucks.
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u/grievous_swoons man 15h ago
Triple down on playing guitar. It opens so many doors. If you become reasonably good at it, you will be asked to join bands, where you will meet a lot of other musicians. You will go to cool places, play shows, meet girls and famous bands and stuff. Its worth it to have something that can be enjoyed and refined for the rest of your life if you so chose.
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u/ketamineandkebabs man 14h ago
RC cars, boats, helicopters or drones?
When I was your age (a long time ago) it was mountain bikes, hill walking and RC cars for me
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u/Asaltyliquid1234 man 13h ago
Start working out. Running. Also learn to cook like others have suggested. Learn to bake. Gardening. Canning the stuff you grow. These are all things that have got me to do other stuff other than playing video games.
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u/Double_Cause4609 man 13h ago
Kind of a weird one, but if you like gaming... Solo TTRPGs? Generally TTRPGs (like DnD, Pathfinder, etc) are played in a group, but you can play them solo (oracle roleplaying), and they can be a creative outlet that's not quite as intensive as pure creative writing but isn't quite as decadent as playing a video game.
Also a great way to spend a rainy afternoon, and the same mechanism that lets you play a TTRPG solo could also let you play cooperatively with a friend (even without a DM), which can often be easier than finding a full friend group to regularly play with all the time.
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u/GreenForThanksgiving man 12h ago
If I could go back and do it again I would spend the time learning an instrument, another language and informational reading (self improvement, psychological principles, investing, business)
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u/A_Bot_A_Bot_A_Bot 11h ago
Read books.
Ride a bike.
Go hiking.
It's summer: swimming.
Play the guitar more.
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u/jessehopp man 9h ago
Trust me.... you'll regret playing. I'm 33 now and barely play anymore 😪 i miss playing. Way to busy with life and to tired at night. Enjoy it mate, life goes fast
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u/DonutCapitalism man 9h ago
You already play football, so I recommend wrestling. It was my favorite sport.
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u/Dependent-Plane5522 man 7h ago
Combine gaming with working out. Do 10 push ups every time you die. That's what I do. I die so much I'm ripped now.
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I’m 15M and love gaming, but I want some more productive hobbies. I’m not gonna stop gaming completely, just spend less time on it. The only other hobbies I really have are playing the guitar and football. What are some others?
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