I guess it does become harder over time, though it does depend on the company. I know two of my mates are happy throwing darts at a dartboard for an afternoon, and if I join them I will be happy too, though I know other people (who are still good mates) who I could quite easily spend £30-£40 socialising with them for an afternoon.

You know, another thing is the development of “taste”, which is definitely consumer driven. When I was a kid, I crocheted using a 99 cent skein of acrylic yarn. Today, if the yarn isn’t an alpaca (or something else soft and luxurious) at 10 bucks per small skein, it’s no fun. But…if I didn’t know about alpaca yarn, then I wouldn’t “need” to buy it.

I also include massages and pedicures in my definition of fun now. I miss my friend from college that I could trade both with.

I think it’s a mix of maturing and being part of a consumer culture. Peoples’ interests are also constantly changing. For me, I like to read blogs and books, as well as write in my spare time (both free) – two things I had little interest in as a child.

I am happy that you wrote this post because it is a much better life not living on a consumer based lifestyle. When you get older your tastes become more expensive but they do not nessarily become better. I remember when I was a kid the fun I had in the woods in the park with my friends. We would track animals and catch bugs. Now it seems to have fun we have to drive someplace and go to some theme park. It is too sad.

So to answer your question from my perspective it iss a combination of both but we can see how this consumer culture is affecting the children of today.