I haven't come across people who think *finance* as a hobby is to be frowned upon. *Crypto* as a hobby, yes. I feel terrible for all those of my friends, now mostly retired, who are watching the stock market, and their retirement "savings" fall. But those same folks have been telling me I'm crazy for investing in crypto, property, instruments, and art. Unlike them, I'm not crying over the stock market today, because I sold it all a year ago to put it into property. 

So what is frowned upon is finance as a hobby that does not follow scripted, expected norms. This is true of most things these days it seems - conform, or you are an alt-right, Q crazy, conspiracy theorizing, domestic terrorist. 

Give it a go!