Gen Z Is Now Embracing A New Way To Hang Out With Each Other Called 'Soft Socializing'
PeopleImages | Shutterstock It seems Gen Z has decided to take a new approach to hanging out with their friends. This new phenomenon called "soft socializing" is less about packed schedules and over-the-top or even expensive activities and more about low-pressure, easygoing time spent together.
Rather than making big plans together, Gen Z adults are simply prioritizing being around each other, without the constant need to do anything. Basically, young people are embracing shared hobbies like game nights and spending time together while embracing their favorite activity. Socializing happens organically without any forced fun.
Gen Z is now embracing a new way to hang out called 'soft socializing.'
Gen Z is choosing to spend much more time on tactile, analog hobbies together. In Eventbrite's latest social study report, this trend originated: simple activities like flower arranging were up 280% among Gen Z adults, while puzzle competitions and music bingo were up 150%.
Basically, Gen Z has discovered the joys of game nights, book clubs, and socializing without the pressure of socializing. Gen Z adults are truly prioritizing communal experiences over just going to the bars and clubs. They're expanding their leisure time from just eating, drinking, and partying to gathering over a shared interest or hobby.
"It's gonna be all the rage this year because we've realized that socializing over interests is curation. There's a higher chance you'll find your people here than out in the wild. We're craving structure and regularity," a spokesperson from Eventbrite said in a TikTok video.
The idea of 'soft socializing' has its roots in 'parallel play.'
Parallel play is part of childhood development between the ages of 3½ and 4 years, when children engage with similar toys or activities but do not actively share or communicate. Basically, they play near each other but not exactly together.
Researchers have drawn connections between soft socializing and parallel play as a "comforting middle ground where participants can enjoy the presence of others without the demands of conversation, leading to reduced stress and anxiety." It's something that's mostly done by children, where they play side-by-side, absorbed in their own activities and comforted by each other's presence.
Traditional socializing activities usually demand that people be "on," in terms of being charming, engaged, and sociable. But being able to engage in low-pressure activities, like flower arranging or even birdwatching, helps people relax as they interact with their friends.
Gen Z usually finds social connections to be hard.
Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki found that young adults increasingly report lower levels of happiness than middle-aged and older adults. Zaki and Rui Pei, a postdoctoral scholar in his lab, recently co-authored a chapter on the importance of social connection to the mental health of young people in the 2025 World Happiness Report.
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Their report found that "the decline in young adult well-being has coincided with two large trends. The first being a rise in economic inequality, which has left millions of young people feeling rather worried about their futures. The second is the media constantly inundating Gen Z adults with negative news relating to the world around them."
Even in the polarized time that we're living in, social connection is more important than ever. There's a beauty in coming together with like-minded individuals and spending a few hours doing anything that can take our minds off what might be stressing us in the real world. With soft socializing, you get the benefits of community and connection without any additional stress.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
