Review of the Problem

Review of the Problem

This research examined how Covid-19 has changed the way students interact with their hobbies. The pandemic has led to many avenues of stress ranging from a lack of social contact to concern for the future (Whitehead & Torossian, 2020). With the added stress caused by government restrictions and increased time spent at home, these hobbies could be relied upon more to help individuals manage their problems. Certain activities, such as screen-based hobbies, have proven to decrease self-esteem, life satisfaction, cause depressive symptoms, and in some cases, self-harm, when unregulated (Twenge & Farley, 2020). Physical activities, such as soccer, proved to be beneficial for the physical and mental health of patients with severe mental illness (Ng et al., 2020). It is clear that to ensure positive mental health, individuals need to maintain a balance of multiple hobbies as well as a consistent sleep pattern (Ali et al., 2021; Pressman et al., 2009). University students will likely not have the time to dedicate themselves to many hobbies and may rely on just a few to keep life balanced. Ideally, an individual should have at least one activity they enjoy that fits under all four types of hobbies to keep them active, relaxed, and mentally stimulated.