I would prefer to see people pursuing the activities they love and engaging in projects that inspire them. For some it's a needle and thread. Others are thrilled by technology, robotics, or far flung things to come.
There's a lot of romanticizing about the way things were. Oftentimes people did these things out of necessity and cost efficiency. For many today it's a matter of choice and that's the difference.
I employ many of the activities of yesteryear: cooking and seasonal eating, sewing, baking, preserving, DIY detergents/cleaners/scents, gardening, soapmaking, scrapbooking, papercrafting, and needlework to name a few. But in the same breath I write, can build a website, repair my computer, use graphic software, golf, travel, and know my way around a camera.
And I'm not a retiree or an empty nester. My way of being is a matter of choice and the provision of time that I've been afforded. That's the difference. If I had little ones in tow, work demands, or other things on my plate my list would be significantly shorter.