[azzentys]

and boredom, so the kids would venture into the field of interest on their own vs forced to do.

[banannaise]

You could also approach this from the other direction: our focus on productivity, efficiency, monetization, etc. prevent people from pursuing things they are interested in and developing skills that don't directly translate into profit.

[germinalphrase]

I had a lot of niche interests as a kid that apparently make me interesting as an adult. All of them are because I grew up in a small Wisconsin river town with parents who worked in the arts. Lots of time, minimal media exposure, and plenty of freedom to just… putter, learn and make. As my dad would say back then, ‘only boring people get bored, go find something to do’.