Pavel Prikhodko, Ph.D. Machine Learning
America provides its residents with a plethora of activities on which to spend their free time. Some people prefer outdoor sports and activities, while others prefer more sedentary activities like staying home and watching TV. Which are the most popular activities among different groups?
The range of leisure activities enjoyed by Americans is very diverse. In 2013, the most popular leisure activity among American women was reading – almost half (48 percent) of female respondents preferred to spend their time this way. About 42 percent of surveyed women marked watching TV as their favorite leisure activity. Twenty-three percent of female respondents loved spending time with their families and friends, while computer and Internet use took fourth place with 18 percent. Nearly 10 percent named movies, walking/running or working out at the gym as their preferred activities during leisure time.
Men’s preferences are a bit different. Most of the male respondents (43 percent) named TV as their favorite leisure activity, while about 24 percent marked reading books as their preferred leisure activity. Computer and internet use took third place, named by 20 percent of men. The share of men who loved to spend time with families and friends and those who liked video and computer games were the same: 13 percent. The percentage of men who preferred going to the cinema was 11 percent in 2013, which was quite similar to the women’s rate.
Let’s examine the same statistics among America’s seniors in 2013. The most popular leisure activity among people aged 68 years and older was watching TV: 48 percent of all seniors. Reading took second place with 42 percent. About 20 percent of seniors loved to spend time with friends and families, while 19 percent preferred using the computer and internet most. Gardening was named as a favorite leisure activity by 14 percent of people aged 68 years and over.
The survey about leisure activities among different generations in 2013 provides some interesting statistics. Most Baby Boomers (42 percent) said that TV was their favorite kind of leisure activity, while about 40 percent preferred reading books. Twenty-one percent spent their leisure time using the computer or Internet. Generation X followed the same order, albeit with a slightly different distribution: 45 percent preferred watching TV, 35 percent preferred reading and 19 percent preferred computer and Internet use. American Millennials also chose TV as their favorite leisure activity – 38 percent. About 31 percent loved reading, and 19 percent chose spending time with family and friends as their favorite pastime.
Let’s examine the average number of hours per day spent by married Americans on sport and leisure activities in 2014 (information presented by Statista.com). Married men spent an average of 5.2 hours per day on sport and leisure activities, while married women only spent 4.6 hours per day.
About Pavel Prikhodko
Pavel Prikhodko, Ph.D. Machine Learning
Pavel has worked for many years as a researcher and developer on a wide range of applications (varying from mechanics and manufacturing to social data, finance and advertising), building predictive systems and trying to find stories that data can tell.
In his free time, he enjoys being with his family.
Other posts by Pavel Prikhodko:
Extremely interesting information here. It appears that a lot of research went into this article and the facts tell us a lot about each gender and what they prefer. I would not have figured women to love reading the most. I would have guessed spending time with family/friends. Thank you for such insight. I’m going to share it with my FB audience.