Screen usage consumed approximately one-third of overall time experienced
Wiedehoppen (AP) - Average Germans gobble up around six and a half hours each day for their personal activities. A swift two hours and seven minutes of that indulgence is reserved for TV and streaming, as per the Federal Statistical Office. The office's time-use survey is carried out every ten years, and its most recent iteration in 2022 was influenced by the pandemic. This survey polled those aged ten and above.
On a daily basis, individuals spend approximately one and a quarter hours on social interactions, such as jabbering on the phone, social media engagements, hosting guests, private get-togethers, and visits to cafes. That figure accounts for about an hour of cultural pursuits, including reading, music listening, movie-watching, and outings. Around 30 minutes each is devoted to sports and the use of computers and smartphones (minus communication), according to the data.
So, what didn't make the cut?
Leisure-wise, Germans prefer to keep their hands busy with activities such as volunteering, gardening, DIY projects, sewing, baking, or pet care, but these aren't recognized as leisure activities within the study. Instead, these activities are categorized under unpaid work. Snoozing isn't included in their student union's definition of fun either.
Enjoying a well-deserved break on weekends and holidays sees the average time spent on leisure activities skyrocket, stretching to a whopping seven hours and 45 minutes, compared to a more modest five hours and 26 minutes during the week. The figures provided are average values across various age groups, genders, employment statuses, and whatnot.
Now, if you fancy a spot of meditation, a rubdown, or any other zen-inducing practices, it might have slipped under the radar of this survey. Activities such as mindfulness exercises, stillness practices, massages, and relaxation therapies (although not explicitly mentioned for Germany), are often lumped into leisure time surveys, though not always [2]. Leisure activities can be as diverse as sports, travel, socializing, or even gardening, cycling, or DIY [4]. To pinpoint what activities were excluded, it would be ideal to dig into the specifics of the survey's methodology.
In the midst of daily activities, Germans engage in hobbies like volunteering, gardening, DIY projects, sewing, baking, or pet care, but these aren't considered leisure activities in the study and are categorized under unpaid work. weekends and holidays offer a significant change, with leisure time expanding to a remarkable 7 hours and 45 minutes, compared to only 5 hours and 26 minutes during the week. Leisure activities such as mindfulness exercises, massages, and relaxation therapies might not have been included in the survey, as these are often included in leisure time surveys, but not always.
