Whether we want to admit it or not, humans tend to be pretty judgmental creatures. One thing we examine closely to form our opinions of others is their hobbies. This makes sense because you can learn a lot about someone based on what they enjoy doing. Josh Gonzales, a PhD candidate in consumer psychology, explained, “What you tell people you do in your downtime shapes how they perceive you. Not just as a professional, but as a human.”
Depending on who you are and the experiences you’ve had, it can be easy to look at certain hobbies and automatically categorize the people who participate in them as just not being very good people. Maybe the hobby seems pretentious or annoying, or it requires a lot of money to participate in, so people just naturally pass judgment on those who do it. Whatever the reason is, there are some hobbies that will make people think you’re just not a good person. They’d never admit it to you, but it’s true.
Here are 4 hobbies that make people think you’re not a very good person:
1. Social media
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Technically, almost everyone has social media as a hobby at this point. Statista reported that there were 5.66 billion social media users in October 2025. But people aren’t shocked and annoyed if you’re just scrolling through Instagram or TikTok. The problem they have is with people who make social media their entire lives, or perhaps their entire careers.
People just don’t like it when you’re an influencer, or trying to be one. Of course, some influencers are doing quite well for themselves and probably don’t care what anyone else thinks, but when you’re a smaller content creator, it can be hard.
Marketing researchers in the U.K. discovered that people often develop parasocial relationships with influencers, meaning they think of them as friends even though they don’t know them. “These parasocial relationships can turn sour, with love and adoration replaced by feelings of hostility and even hatred,” they said.
Whether you’re trying to create content and become an influencer, or you’re just known for always trying to get the perfect picture to post, it’s very possible people are judging you for it. They just think it’s vain and superficial.
2. Cars
While cars seem like nothing more than a mode of transportation to some people, others are deeply interested in them. Not everyone has the money to keep up a collection, of course, but that doesn’t deter them from knowing everything there is to know about all of the best models and passionately defending their opinions.
People tend to have a very stereotypical image of anyone who’s really into cars. They think of a big, muscular man who appreciates all things masculine. That’s not an accurate portrayal of everyone involved in the hobby, but it’s enough to cause a lot of people to think that if you’re into cars, you must be obnoxious.
The fact that you have to have money if you actually want to collect cars doesn’t really help either. Some might just assume that anyone who likes cars must have enough money to buy them, and then judge them for being so wealthy. It’s kind of a lose-lose situation.
3. Crypto
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This is a newer hobby that some people might still not be aware of, or at least might not understand. This general confusion could be what makes some people think you’re a bad person if you’re into crypto. Unless you’re actively involved in it, no one really knows just what it entails.
It definitely doesn’t help that the crypto world is rife with scams and fraud. According to the Federal Trade Commission, “Scammers are using some tried and true scam tactics — only now they’re demanding payment in cryptocurrency. Investment scams are one of the top ways scammers trick you into buying cryptocurrency and sending it on to scammers. But scammers are also impersonating businesses, government agencies, and a love interest, among other tactics.”
Crypto is also often thought of as a get-rich-quick scheme where a lucky few benefit from insane wealth and everyone else loses out. The hobby just doesn’t have a good reputation, leading people to question anyone who participates.
4. Music
Music is another one of those interests that everyone seems to have as a hobby. Not everyone plays an instrument or sings, but listening to music, discovering new artists, and going to shows count too. A study published in the journal Cerebrum examined why music seems universally liked. “Rather, it is music’s power to communicate emotions, moods, or affective mental states that seems beneficial to our quality of life,” researchers said.
Just because a lot of people like music doesn’t mean they’re all super serious about it, though. Many are just casual listeners who use music as a way to get through the day or a fun way to unwind with friends. Others take their music very seriously, and it’s getting on people’s nerves. In the r/unpopularopinion forum on Reddit, one user declared, “People who have picky tastes in music are awful and annoying.”
So, if you’re really into music, it’s very possible that some people think you’re a little too obsessed and that you’re ruining things for everyone else by always talking about your taste or opinions. Obviously, it doesn’t really matter what other people think, but no one likes to be perceived as a bad person.
It’s important to remember that everyone has different tastes and interests. What seems cool to one person will be helplessly boring to another, and that’s OK. The world would be a terribly dreary place if we all liked the same things. Instead of judging others for their hobbies, it would be good to accept that it’s just a part of who they are, and they don’t mean anything hurtful by it.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
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