Hobby v/s Additction

According to me, there is a thin line of difference between the two words, hobby & addiction. I hope everyone knows the meaning of hobby and addiction. The dictionary meanings of both the words are as mentioned below:-

Hobby: - an activity which is done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.

Addiction: - the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance or activity

These might be the actual definitions, but I understood and realized them in my own way and have my own way of defining and identifying them. Let me explain my own analogy of differentiating whether a particular task is a hobby or an addiction!

If you read all previous blogs, or if you know me well, then no need to justify about me being crazy about movies/films & TV series or sitcoms. So whenever I thought about these activities, I use to tell proudly to myself and everyone that watching movies, TV series are my hobbies.

But few months before, one day, somebody told me to reduce watching movies as they pointed out that I watch too many films and it is an addiction & not a hobby. They even justified by asking me a question – “Can you stay without watching any film for a week?” and my answer was straight NO. I can’t live without watching films for a week. I was totally confused now. Am I really addicted to films/sitcoms or is it really my hobby? How to identify & differentiate?

That just one interaction between that ‘somebody’ made me think a lot. Based on the dictionary definition of these two words, I was lost to know myself whether, I must stop/reduce watching films from now on as it’s my addiction (or) let me be as I was earlier watching loads of films/sitcoms continuing considering it as my hobby. How do I come to a conclusion?

Finally, I figured out my own way of identifying whether an activity is a hobby or an addiction. According to me, the thin line of differentiation lies within us (each individual). The way we look at the activity, makes the whole difference. If an activity is very much interesting & you are passionate about it and you won’t regret spending time doing it then whatever it is, don’t consider it as an addiction. If you are able to enjoy doing it without affecting anything else, then its clear sign of a hobby.

On the other hand, if you are doing an activity which you later regret after doing it, then clearly it is sign of an addiction. I suggest to get rid of it. Addictions are like that only. While doing it, it will be fun & you enjoy doing it but later yourself will regret about it or it will be affecting your day-to-day life or activities or health or something (otherwise you won’t regret).

So based on these rules of mine, I clearly came to a conclusion that, I enjoy watching films/sitcoms and when I’m done watching, I won’t regret about it. I’m not watching so many films that it is affecting me in any way. So I am going to clearly put it into hobby zone.

Similarly, somebody also use to tell me that, I’m addicted to twitter or basically to my mobile phone as I always look at it & will be busy with it. Yes, I’m addicted according to them (who look at me from that angle) but according to me, I’m not addicted because I won’t regret using it later, instead, I enjoy. I take out time to do it. So as I said, it’s all in your realization whether an activity is a hobby or an addiction.

Coming to addiction part, few people smoke, drink but later they regret telling that, I mustn't do it anymore. I must stop it but then again, they are driven towards such activity. That is a clear sign of addiction. You might think, smoke & drink are anyway addiction, why to mention obvious. But consider other examples like, somebody might consider reading novel as an addiction because they regret later telling, I won't study/read for exams but instead i spend time reading novels. Who can think, such obvious "reading" novel activity can also be addiction? 

Few watch TV too much. I won’t say, its addiction, but later if you regret yourself that, I watched too much of TV today ruining my studies then its sign of addiction. On the other hand, if you watch TV (may be for long time) but don’t have any regrets and you continue your work as it is without affecting anything then I tell you to not consider it as an addiction (even if people say so).

On the closing note, I just want to re-iterate that there is a very thin line differentiating hobby and addiction & it lies within yourself & how you realize or take it. Activity might be hobby or addiction, both will be very much fun & enjoyable while doing but the differentiation part comes afterwards, based on your thinking whether you regret it or not.