Some leisure activities become fashionable for a short time and disappear when a new trend comes along, whereas others seem to be perennially popular. I can therefore only partly agree with the assertion that hobbies reflect changing fashions rather than our true interests. 1. On the one hand, it is true that many hobbies are simply passing trends. 2. Children and teenagers, in particular, are attracted to whatever activity is currently popular among their peers. 3. My 10-year-old niece, for example, seems to have a new interest every month, as she joins in with the latest craze that sweeps through her primary school. 4. Over the last year or so, she has been obsessed with Rubik’s cubes, fidget spinners, squidgies and slime. 5. In a similar way, there have been several different fitness trends for adults over recent years, from jogging to yoga to circuit training, and I doubt whether the majority of participants continued to enjoy those activities in the long term. 1. On the o...