What resolutions have you made for 2026? I am specifically talking about your hobbies.
People neglect this aspect of their lives, probably because they are ignorant of the substantial impact hobbies can have on their mental and emotional well-being. To clarify, if football, drinking, clubbing, and the like are your idea of fun, I have nothing to offer.
I can only speak about the nerdy corner I typically inhabit. I recommend rethinking the two most important components of nerd culture, namely: money and fandoms. Let’s start with fandoms; the communities that populate entertainment mediums and properties.
Your approach to fandoms will depend on where you are. If you consume your favourite properties and titles in isolation (video games, movies, TV shows, comics, novels, etc), break that habit.
Most forms of fiction can be enjoyed in isolation. But do you know what makes a great movie better? Gushing about it with people who loved it as much as you did. Think back to the Game of Thrones craze.
Think about the millions of viewers around the world who would congregate online or in person whenever a new episode aired. They would spend the next seven days losing their minds over the episode, heaping praise on its strengths, attacking the weaknesses, and speculating about upcoming events.
Do you know why that happened? Watching the average Game of Thrones episode in isolation will allow your enjoyment to linger for a few hours after the credits roll, whereas talking about it with other fans will multiply that sensation exponentially, fueling it for days.
Think of fandoms as a fire. Every individual who joins the conversation is essentially adding a new log to the fire. Their presence compels you to talk about the properties you love, which, in turn, takes you back to that exhilarating moment when you first consumed them.
It is comparable to getting high on a drug and keeping that high going for months, even years. But what if fandoms are stealing your joy? Do you find yourself stewing in misery because you enjoyed a novel, but everyone in your book group thinks it is stupid?
Or maybe you hated a video game, and everyone keeps telling you how unsophisticated you are because you somehow failed to perceive the genius of the writing? Or maybe you have dropped the franchises you adore, against your will (Star Wars, Doctor Who, Lord of the Rings) because the conversations they ignite are exhausting.
Consider doing the opposite of what I recommended above. You have become a little too dependent on the online communities you frequent, and you should step back. Instead, carefully curate the groups and forums you join.
Avoid spaces where loud, unregulated arguments have become commonplace. Look for platforms that soothe your soul as opposed to agitating your spirit. This brings me to our second resolution.
Don’t be afraid to invest financially in your hobbies. Obviously, you should apply some common sense. Anyone spending 50 per cent or more of their income on their hobbies is crazy.
That said, many Ugandans are hesitant to spend their hard-earned money on their nerdy interests. It feels wasteful. A soccer fan will happily sink 100K into a ticket to watch a football match, but nerds act as though $20 is too much for Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Enjoy yourself. Buy that video game. Get that console. Go to the cinema. Get an official subscription for your favourite anime platform. And if someone asks why an adult like yourself is squandering so much money on ‘cartoons’, remind them that others are paying far more for drugs and alcohol.
Which is worse? Throwing $60 at a PS5 video game or spending that money in a brothel? If ‘brothel’ is your answer, get help.
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