10 Hobbies You Should Avoid like the Plague if You Want Friends

Hobbies make us unique. They are the things we do for fun, whether we get paid or not. More often than not, we’ll even pay to do them with our hard-earned cash or our time. 

However, not all hobbies are created equally. Some of the fun things we engage in earn questionable side glances from others, while others have seedy reputations. 

Red Flag Hobbies

Expressionless man holding a red flag.
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These ten hobbies may be fun, but they also offer glaring red flags concerning the people participating. When scrolling through Reddit, I found a fun question on my favorite sub, R/Askreddit asking users to dish: what hobby is an immediate red flag?

 Although the red flags are often just stereotypes, some folks may give you the side eye if you admit to engaging in any of these hobbies. 

Reddit Mods

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Of course, Reddit would ban together to disparage the sea of volunteers that make the website useful. 

Reddit mods are unpaid users who moderate specific subreddits. Unfortunately, some let the slight taste of power get to their heads. They set arbitrary rules for subs and delete comments seemingly at a whim. 

Collecting Nail Clippings

man clipping finger nails.
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What started as a joke about an anime character quickly turned south when we realized that some people really do collect nail clippings. 

“Dead serious, I knew someone who’s roommate did this. She even showed me the JAR THAT THE ROOMMATE KEPT THEM IN,” exclaimed one user. 

Another told on themselves, saying, “I was in an art museum exhibition because I collected my nail clippings lol. (looks in the mirror) Yeah, you’re probably right.” they said, admitting it was a strange thing to collect. 

Teeth Collections

Close up of woman's mouth and teeth as she smiles.
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One Redditor said collecting teeth was a weird hobby, but others jumped in to defend their collections.

“My wife has a box of teeth. Should I be concerned? They did belong to our children.” said one. “I wouldn’t say I’m a red flag, but I do have some of my old baby teeth,” admitted another. 

Apparently, people like to keep teeth from pets and relatives as keepsakes. 

Child Beauty Pageants

Angry child screaming.
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“I always find parents who partake in or force their kids to do beauty pageants as terrible,” stated one user. “Those thing are raw degeneracy, egocentrism and leave a —— time bomb inside the child’s mind.” said another. 

One user thought child beauty pageants should be illegal. “The parents who make their kids go through this whole circuit and create this super high-stress environment for them, emphasizing superficial beauty and fakeness as the highest virtues, deserve to be tarred and feathered,” they said. 

Gambling

Slot machine in a casino.
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“I work in a casino. I’ll go ahead and confirm that for ya,” said one Redditor.  “People get addicted to pressing the button on slots, they don’t even care about winning or losing. They just wanna feel like they might win,” they added. 

Others admitted that gambling is fun every once in a while but is problematic when you can’t stop. “I won a grand on slots on New Years Eve. It was exciting and fun, and then I stopped playing and took my winnings to take my family out for a nice dinner,” admitted one user.

However, they added that seeing others waste their lives at the machines was upsetting. “Nevertheless, watching some of the zombies nearby working 2 machines at once while chain smoking was a bit depressing.”

Pranking People

three mean people, a woman in front and two men behind her.
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“Anything involving humiliation of other (non-consenting) people or enjoying suffering of other people. Making mean prank videos, for example,” said one user. These folks go out of their way to humiliate or enrage others just for the sake of views. 

Others mentioned another humiliating video trend that they referred to as “let’s see what we can get poor people to do for money,” which is also dehumanizing and not okay. 

Influencers

Stylish rich couple near the water, likely on a boat
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Reddit’s misogyny is showing with this response. “Any girl that calls herself an influencer,” said one user. “Any girl who calls herself an influencer anywhere in the world is a red flag,” said another. 

Funny how men trying to make a living via social media and online presence are celebrated as entrepreneurs, while women doing the same thing get labeled as “influencers” and red flags. 

Celebrity Worship

celebrity signing autographs for a group of ecstatic fans.
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It’s one thing to enjoy a certain fandom or follow a certain celebrity, but it’s a red flag when the hobby becomes obsessive. If all your life decisions are based on what a certain celebrity says, you may want to rethink your hobbies. 

Collecting Empty Alcohol Containers

Small collection of various bottles.
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Once you get out of the frat house, beer can collections are no longer cool. “Had a buddy who called theirs “beer mountain,” said one user. 

“You mean that doesn’t count as interior design?” questioned another. We hope they’re still young. 

No Hobby

A guilty looking man shrugs his shoulder as if he doesn't really care that what he did is wrong.
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Lacking a hobby is also a red flag. Hobbies make us interesting, if you don’t have anything you enjoy, people might think you’re dull. 

Horseback Riding

A line of horseback riders riding a trail with the ocean view in the background.
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Another misogynist comment claimed that women who are into horses would drain your bank account. “Correct, never get involved with a horse girl,” said another. 

While it’s true that horses are expensive, singling out women who enjoy horses and claiming they will take all your money is a much bigger red flag than the women who enjoy the hobby.

Excessive Social Media Use

Woman using her phone with social media icons floating out of it. She also has a laptop open.
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Everyone loves social media, but it can be problematic when it morphs into your favorite hobby. “Posting everything, everything, everything on social media,” said one user. “spamming on social media,” commented another. 

One user said he had a friend who posted every thought that entered their head. “I had to turn off seeing his posts,” they said. 

Any Hobby that Becomes an Obsession

Happy obsessed woman typing on a keyboard looking happily into what would be a computer screen.
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Most hobbies are fine, in moderation. But any hobby that becomes your entire life can be a red flag. Enjoy your hobbies, don’t obsess over them. 

Want A Hobby that Won’t Hinder Friendships and Will Put Extra Cash in Your Pocket?

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Consider one of these excellent hobbies that make money!

Read it here: Cash in on Your Passions with the Best Hobbies that Make Money

101 Fun Things To Draw When You’re Bored

female artist drawing a human portrait with pencil
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Want to learn to draw? Start with simple images you can sketch while waiting in the doctor’s office, riding the bus, or when you have a few moments of free time. 

Don’t worry if it’s good or not, all that matters is you start!

Here are 101 Things To Draw, with Examples Showcasing that Starting is What Really Matters

27 Creative Hobbies You Can Start Today

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Develop new skills with a new hobby. Check out an epic list of new hobbies to try.

Read it here: 27 Unique & Creative Hobbies To Enhance Your Life

62 Cheap Hobbies To Enhance Your Life

Craft supplies for kids including pencils, paint, safety scissors and brushes.
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Hobbies don’t have to be expensive. Here are 62 more cheap hobbies you can try to enjoy your life in your spare time!

Read it here: 62 Free and Cheap Hobbies You Can Start Today

Explore Color Theory

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Understanding how colors interact and balance each other is essential for fine art painting. Learn how it works!

Read it here: Understanding Color Theory
 

Source: Reddit