Be it participating in an Abhay Deol lookalike contest or attending a pottery class tucked inside a cafe, Gen-Z’s latest obsession is a “side quest.” Done with predictable Instagram trends, they’re gamifying their lives, turning everyday moments into spontaneous, low-stakes adventures.
The term “side questing,” borrowed from games originally referred to optional tasks taken up alongside the main storyline. Now, it’s found a second life offline, describing small, whimsical (or sometimes not so whimsical) detours to break the monotony of daily routines.
As a frequent side quester myself, I can assure you, this is a far better dopamine hit than doom-scrolling on Instagram. There’s something deeply satisfying about choosing curiosity over convenience, and whimsy over routine. Whether it’s taking the longer route home or wandering into a cafe you’ve never noticed before, side questing recodes the mundane.
With side questing, Gen-Z are taking back control of their lives, one random, quirky or useless activity at a time. It is sprinkling magic into the everyday grey of “adulting.” It’s telling yourself that “with side questing, you, too, can remember what fun used to be like.”
Although this trend has taken the internet by a storm, the truth is that not everyone has the luxury to “side quest.” What may be a laid-back detour for one person could carry real stakes for another. For instance, someone with a safety net might treat an internship as an exploratory experience, while for someone else, it represents a critical career opportunity that could determine financial stability. We cannot reduce the same activity to a whimsical “side quest” without ignoring these differences in circumstance.
Gen-Z Side Questing versus Milennial Hobbies
Side questing is often mistaken for a hobby, and one might argue that the idea of doing activities in one’s free time has always existed. So what makes this any different? The distinction lies in the framing.
Hobbies are intentional, structured, and often tied to self-improvement or skill-building. Side questing, on the other hand, isn’t about productivity or mastery; it’s about spontaneity, momentary curiosity, and even purposelessness. There is no commitment with side questing; it does not tie you down.
The joy of side questing is that it draws you away from the mundane, which sometimes even hobbies can feel like. For example, in the Hangover movies, the hangover and the resulting catastrophe is the side quest.
It could be picking up a colouring book just because it feels fun, or spending hours on a 1000-piece puzzle. The difference lies in how these moments are experienced: as small adventures, not tasks to complete.
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Like shopping, side questing, too, is therapeutic
Side questing has, in many ways, become a coping mechanism. This isn’t an accidental shift in the Gen-Z mindset. Having grown up amid global pandemics, Gen-Z have grown used to finding meaning in small, immediate moments.
It might’ve begun with making the viral dalgona coffee or binge-watching the entirety of Dark (2020) during lockdown—a way to stay sane at home, even exciting.
Now, as Gen Z steps into the corporate world, side questing offers a quiet form of resistance to monotony. It’s a way of reclaiming agency. As the everyday realities of the adult world and the current geopolitical situation weigh down on our collective mindset, side quests provide a fun detour. And while this gamification of our lives is definitely very privileged, it does provide us with that small glimmer of sanity necessary for facing reality.
Surely, side quests aren’t just a Gen-Z trend, but a reminder that life could use a little more lightness. A bit of spontaneity, a bit of frivolousness, like indulging in some ice cream after dinner once in a while.
My side quest for today was writing this article. Yours could start right after this. The joy of side questing exists in its serendity. You can’t plan it but you can plan on it happening it.
Mrinalini Manda is a TPSJ alumnus currently interning with ThePrint.
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(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)