All the Cool Kids Are Birding
Birding is seeing a surge in popularity among younger generations, shifting the hobby away from its traditional retiree demographic. Competitive events like the World Series of Birding are attracting athletic, tech-savvy participants.
Why it matters
This shift illustrates how traditional hobbies are being rebranded and revitalized by younger cohorts through technology and competitive gamification.
Illustration by Sally Nixon Being Human All the Cool Kids Are Birding A younger crowd is flocking to a hobby once dominated by retirees—and transforming it along the way.
Save N ot long before the sun rose on a Saturday in May, five men in their mid-20s were standing alongside an unassuming wetland in New Jersey, searching for birds. Ryan Zucker, a 23-year-old who could do an impressive impersonation of an eastern screech owl, had just taken a small branch to the eye, but still the group was exuberant.
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