I wonder if this trend of "Kidults" (as in adults buying toys or having other very "child-like" hobbies and preferences) is fueled by how little pathways to joy we leave to adults so many revert back to when Ninja Turtles made them happy.
If you actually like toys or Cartoons or whatever, go apeshit. (I also love me some Invader Zim and other things). But It feels a bit regressive when the only path to joy is leading backwards and not in the present or the future.
Like what are established forms of joy for adults that are
a) not based on competition/"excellence"/job-like performance
b) not talked about as wasteful/frivolous
c) accessible to people without a lot of spare cash?
@tante Seriously. Scratching b) off the list gives a bit more opportunities — mainly in arts.
@haverholm sure. But at least in Germany where I live these things are sometimes looked down on a bit (unless you make them a business or something).

@tante Yeah. I'm Danish living in Sweden, I don't think the (work) cultures diverge so much. But I've worked in arts and media all my life, eventually you get asked "is that a real job?" enough that you just stop paying attention.

Real job? Fake job? Play pretend? It's paid the bills so far (if barely) 🤷