I used to play a lot of videogames as a teenager, and I was into animu & mango too. I'm 24. I've kinda started picking hobbies for what they'll do for me rather than their apparent attractiveness / glitteriness. Most things turn out to be interesting.

Partly this is because everything appeals to me and I'm trying to apply the concept of opportunity cost more thoroughly. But also I have been getting tired of the kind of hobbies (like anime and gaming and the normal people equivalent "lots of netflix") where you can spend a ton of time "studying" them and not really get anything useful out of it. Or worse, scale madoka figures when I still need to replace my shoes and fix my bicycle.

I still feel very different from normal people but I recognize that their company benefits me immensely (through social connections, career networking, and of course the reduction of loneliness). I think that trying to learn about the stuff that they care about helps me empathise somewhat and also blend in. When it comes down to "i learn about consumerist stuff like clothes and cars", it feels superficial and materialistic to type it out. I'm trying to learn about the composition of music right now.

There's a certain amount that I'm appreciating depth of knowledge more as an adult, but that really only applies to my job, which is technical in nature. I don't think I have really found a hobby that is creative that I have wanted to dive into. It could happen I suppose.

I've not become tired of browsing the internet, though. People are more honest online, and there's the fact that it bridges physical distance and thereby puts me into contact with people I wouldn't irl. But it's partly just a dumb hobby and I keep up because I like to be in touch with something, including the latest maymays and ironical shitposting trendz. I think the critical factor is when I go online and I read, I feel like there's people here who understand me, fundamentally.