How american spend their free time эссе

Imagine that you are doing a project on what teenagers do in their free time. You have collected some data on the subject (see the diagram below).

Comment on the data in the diagram and give your personal opinion on

the subject of the project.

другие сочинения формата 2022 года >>>>>

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Essay 2022 Sample 01

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Comment on the following statement:

Project on what teenagers do in their free time (2022)

What is your opinion? Do you agree with this statement?
Write 200-250 words.
Use the following plan:
—   make an opening statement on the subject of the project work;
—   select and report 2–3 main features;
—   make 1–2 comparisons where relevant;
—   outline a problem that can arise with the insufficient physical activity in adolescents and suggest the way of solving it;
—   draw a conclusion giving your personal opinion on the role of sport in the life of teenagers.

pir 1

linking words 1

soch 001 001

Undoubtedly, leisure time is becoming more and more popular nowadays. I am currently working on the project which focuses on studying popular free time activities that teenagers in Zetland do. I have found some relevant data on the subject and I am going to use them in my project. 

soch 001 002

According to the information provided in the pie chart, the majority of adolescents, accounting for more than one third, surf the Internet.The next popular activities is playing computer games. The figure is 21%. Surprisingly, just few teenagers do sports. The figure stands at 9%.

soch 001 003

Comparing the data given in the pie chart, it becomes obvious that that almost three times more teenagers surf the Internet than those engaged in sports. Hanging out with friends seems less popular than chatting on social networks. 

soch 001 004

The pie chart clearly illustrates that adolescents mostly spend their pastime on sedentary activities. However, some problems can arise with the insufficient physical activity. One of them is obesity.One of the probable solutions to the problem is organizing free recreation centers for youngsters where they can do sports that appeal to them. другие проблемы >>>>

soch 001 005

Having analyzed the data in the pie chartit can be concluded that sedentary activities are in priority with adolescents. In my opinion, sport plays a notable role in teenagers’ life because exercise involved in most sports improves teenagers’ emotional balance, reduces heart disease and diabetes, among other health benefits. All in all, teens should lead a more active life.

245 words

Read by George William Dole

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– make an opening statement on the subject of the project work;

1

(вводное предложение)

Undoubtedly, leisure time is becoming more and more popular nowadays.

2

(перифраз) 

I am currently working on the project which focuses on studying popular free time activities that teenagers in Zetland do. 

3

(разъяснение)

I have found some relevant data on the subject and I am going to use them in my project. 

– select and report 2–3 main facts;

1

(1-е предложение — инфо. из таблицы)

According to the information provided in the pie chart, the majority of adolescents, accounting for more than one third, surf the Internet.

2

(2-е предложение — инфо. из таблицы)

The next popular activities is playing computer games. 

3

(подтверждение — инфо. из таблицы)

The figure is 21%. 

4

(удивление — самое маленькое значение)

Surprisingly, just few teenagers do sports. The figure stands at 9%.

– make 1–2 comparisons where relevant;

1

(вводное предложение + сравнительная конструкция)

Comparing the data given in the pie chart, it becomes obvious that that almost three times more teenagers surf the Internet than those engaged in sports. 

2

(второе предложение + сравнительная конструкция)

Hanging out with friends seems less popular than chatting on social networks. 

– outline a problem that can arise due to the leisure activities preferred by senior citizens and suggest a way of solving it;

1

(вводное предложение + обобщение)

The pie chart clearly illustrates that adolescents mostly spend their pastime on sedentary activities. 

2

(вводное предложение)

However, some problems can arise with the insufficient physical activity. 

3

(сама проблема)

One of them is obesity. 

4

(решение проблемы)

One of the probable solutions to the problem is organizing free recreation centers for youngsters where they can do sports that appeal to them.

– conclude by giving your opinion on the role of leisure activities in life of senior citizens.

1

(общая фраза)

Having analyzed the data in the pie chartit can be concluded that sedentary activities are in priority with adolescents.

2

(дать пояснение почему я так думаю)

In my opinion, sport plays a notable role in teenagers’ life because exercise involved in most sports improves teenagers’ emotional balance, reduces heart disease and diabetes, among other health benefits. 

3

(обобщение)

All in all, teens should lead a more active life.


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5 graphs that reveal how Americans spend their free time

Money is a major factor.

By Eleanor Cummins | Updated Jul 28, 2021 3:07 PM

THE WORD LEISURE —time that belongs to you, free from work or other duties—dates to 14th-century Europe. But for much of its existence, the term was an abstract concept to all but the wealthy. That began to change in the United States in the late 1800s as laborers pushed for a 40-hour week. At long last, the masses could unwind at parks, theaters, and beaches.

Screen time

Kids get a bad rap for watching too much TV. But folks 65 and up are getting the most screen time: Older Americans take in more than four hours daily. It’s a great source of entertainment, yet it’s not universally good for you; excessive tube time encourages people to stay sedentary, which doesn’t do anyone’s heart, muscles, or bone density any favors.

Kidding aside

Children dictate how their caretakers spend their days. People with little ones under six, who require constant attention and active playtime, got just 18.6 minutes of relaxation a day in 2019. But it’s the parents of teens who get the least: They spend 11 minutes a day chilling out, and the rest of the time worrying what trouble their young adults are getting into.

Pushy notifications

The one thing money can’t buy is time. Too bad, because those with hefty salaries tend to have too little of it: just nine minutes of calm a day among top earners. Several social factors are at fault, but smartphones deserve the most blame. Those devices make it easy to play games or chat with friends at work, but they also let your boss ping you at all hours.

Workout break

If you want to get swole, consider getting rich first. High earners often have less downtime, but those in the top 25 percent spend an average of 21 minutes a day on sports and exercise—almost twice that of folks in the bottom 25 percent. But it’s not all good news. Although more money is correlated with more frequent trips to the gym, it’s also linked to more drinking.

Home life

Women typically enjoy less free time than men. It’s a sizable deficit too: 40.2 minutes daily in 2019. That’s because many work outside the home and also bear the most responsibility for child care and household chores. While they’re busy crossing things off their to-do lists, dudes are whiling away their extra time gaming or watching TV.

This story originally ran in the Spring 2021 Calm issue of PopSci. Read more PopSci+ stories.

The Free-Time Paradox in America

The rich were meant to have the most leisure time. The working poor were meant to have the least. The opposite is happening. Why?

How american spend their free time

«Every time I see it, that number blows my mind.”

Erik Hurst, an economist at the University of Chicago, was delivering a speech at the Booth School of Business this June about the rise in leisure among young men who didn’t go to college. He told students that one “staggering” statistic stood above the rest. «In 2015, 22 percent of lower-skilled men [those without a college degree] aged 21 to 30 had not worked at all during the prior twelve months,” he said.

«Think about that for a second,” he went on. Twentysomething male high-school grads used to be the most dependable working cohort in America. Today one in five are now essentially idle. The employment rate of this group has fallen 10 percentage points just this century, and it has triggered a cultural, economic, and social decline. «These younger, lower-skilled men are now less likely to work, less likely to marry, and more likely to live with parents or close relatives,” he said.

So, what are are these young, non-working men doing with their time? Three quarters of their additional leisure time is spent with video games, Hurst’s research has shown. And these young men are happy—or, at least, they self-report higher satisfaction than this age group used to, even when its employment rate was 10 percentage points higher.

It is a relief to know that one can be poor, young, and unemployed, and yet fairly content with life; indeed, one of the hallmarks of a decent society is that it can make even poverty bearable. But the long-term prospects of these men may be even bleaker than their present. As Hurst and others have emphasized, these young men have disconnected from both the labor market and the dating pool. They are on track to grow up without spouses, families, or a work history. They may grow up to be rudderless middle-aged men, hovering around the poverty line, trapped in the narcotic undertow of cheap entertainment while the labor market fails to present them with adequate working opportunities.

But when I tweeted Hurst’s speech this week, many people had a surprising and different take: That it was sad to think that a life of leisure should be so scary in the first place. After all, this was the future today’s workers were promised—a paradise of downtime for rich and poor, alike.

In the classic 1930 essay “Economic Possibility of Our Grandchildren,” the economist John Maynard Keynes forecast a future governed by a different set of expectations. The 21st century’s work week would last just 15 hours, he said, and the chief social challenge of the future would be the difficulty of managing leisure and abundance.

“For the first time since his creation man will be faced with his real, his permanent problem,” Keynes wrote, “how to use his freedom from pressing economic cares, how to occupy the leisure, which science and compound interest will have won for him, to live wisely and agreeably and well.»

The same idea was echoed in a 1957 book review for The New York Times, in which the writer Erik Barnouw predicted that, as work became easier and more machine-based, people would look to leisure to give their lives meaning.

The increasingly automatic nature of many jobs, coupled with the shortening work week, seem to be creating parallel tensions, which lead an increasing number of workers to look not to work but to leisure for satisfaction, meaning, expression … Today’s leisure occupations are no longer regarded merely as time fillers; the must, in the opinion of both social worker and psychiatrist, also perform to some extent as emotional buffers.

But 60 years later, it seems more true to say that it is not leisure that defines the lives of so many rich Americans. It is work.

Elite men in the U.S. are the world’s chief workaholics. They work longer hours than poorer men in the U.S. and rich men in other advanced countries. In the last generation, they have reduced their leisure time by more than any other demographic. As the economist Robert Frank wrote, “building wealth to them is a creative process, and the closest thing they have to fun.”

Here is the conundrum: Writers and economists from half a century ago and longer anticipated that the future would buy more leisure time for wealthy workers in America. Instead, it just bought them more work. Meanwhile, overall leisure has increased, but it’s the less-skilled poor who are soaking up all the free time, even though they would have the most to gain from working. Why?

Here are three theories.

1. The availability of attractive work for poor men (especially black men) is falling, as the availability of cheap entertainment is rising.

The most impressive technological developments since 1970 have been “channeled into a narrow sphere of human activity having to do with entertainment, communications, and the collection and processing of information,” the economist Robert Gordon wrote in his book The Rise and Fall of American Growth. As with any industry visited by the productivity gods, entertainment and its sub-kingdoms of music, TV, movies, games, and text (including news, books, and articles) have become cheap and plentiful.

Meanwhile, the labor force has erected several barriers for young non-college men, both overt—like the Great Recession and the decades-long demise of manufacturing jobs—and insidious. As the sociologist William Julius Wilson and the economist Larry Katz have both told me, the labor market’s fastest growing jobs are not historically masculine or particularly brawny. Rather they prize softer skills, as in retail, education, or patient-intensive health care, like nursing. In the 20th century, these jobs were filled by women, and they are still seen as feminine by many men who would simply rather not do them. Black men also face resistance among retail employers, who assume that potential customers will regard them as threatening.

And so, at the very moment that the labor market obliterated manufacturing jobs and shifted toward more soft-skill service jobs, diversion became a vastly discounted experience that could provide a moment’s joy at home. As a result, entertainment has become an inferior good, where the young and poor work less and play more.

2. Social forces cultivate a conspicuous industriousness (even workaholism) among affluent college graduates.

The first theory doesn’t do anything to explain why rich American men work so much harder than they used to, even though they are richer. That’s odd, since the point of earning money is ostensibly to afford things that make you happy, like free time.

But perhaps that’s just it: Rich, ambitious Americans are already spending more time on what makes them fulfilled, but that thing turned out to be work. Work, in this construction, is a compound noun, composed of the job itself, the psychic benefits of accumulating money, the pursuit of status, and the ability to afford the many expensive enrichments of an upper-class lifestyle.

In a widely shared essay in the Wall Street Journal last week, Hilary Potkewitz hailed 4 a.m. as «the most productive hour.» She quoted entrepreneurs, lawyers, career coaches, and cofounders praising the spiritual sanctity of the pre-dawn hours. As one psychiatrist told her, «when you have peace and quiet and you’re not concerned with people trying to get your attention, you’re dramatically more effective.»

Keynes envisioned a life with a little less work and a little more leisure, not a social competition to see who could maximize their pre-dawn productivity. But a 2016 essay about why Americans should sleep less to be more productive appeals specifically to a readership that considers downtime a worthy sacrifice upon the altar of productivity.

While some of the hardest-working rich Americans certainly love their jobs, it’s also likely that America’s secular religion of industriousness is a kind of pluralistic ignorance. That is, rich people work long hours because they are matching the behavior of similarly rich and ambitious people—e.g.: “he went to Bowdoin and Duke Law just like me, so if he stays in the office for 13 hours on Wednesday, I should too”—even though many participants in this pageant of workaholism would secretly prefer to work less and sleep at least until the sun is up.

3. Leisure is getting “leaky.”

Here is a third theory that applies equally to all income brackets: Thanks to smartphones and computers, leisure activity is leaking into work, and work, too, is leaking into leisure.

The radio set used to be a living room fixture. In order to listen to the radio, it was necessary to be at home. Then the car radio liberated the radio from the living room, and the television set replaced its corner of the living room. Then the smartphone liberated video from the television screen and put it on a mobile device that fit in people’s pockets.

Now somebody can listen to music, watch video, and read—while checking on social media feeds that can act as the cumulative equivalent of newspapers, magazines, and phone calls with friends—on their phone, while at work. Meanwhile, these same mobile instruments of leisure are also instruments of professional connectivity: When a boss knows that each of her workers have smartphones, she knows that they can all read her email on a Saturday morning (sent, naturally, at 4:01 a.m.).

My job fits snugly into this category. Writing is a leaky affair, where the boundaries between work and leisure are always porous. When I open Twitter, or watch the news on a Sunday morning, am I panning for golden nuggets of insight, taking a mental-health break, or something in between? It’s difficult to say; sometimes, I don’t even know. A novel that I read can become an article’s lede. A history book on my desk can inspire a column. Because the scope of non-fiction journalism is boundless, every moment of my downtime could theoretically surface an idea or stray comment that becomes a story. As a result, my weekdays feel more like weekends (and my weekends feel more like weekdays) than a 20th-century reporter’s.

Keynes got a lot wrong in 1930. He did not envision the rich working more, he did not foresee so many young men in poverty giving up on work, and he could not see the allure of cheap and personalized entertainment. But he accurately forecast the difficulty of a wealthy class transitioning to a more leisurely lifestyle. «The strenuous purposeful money-makers may carry all of us along with them into the lap of economic abundance,” Keynes wrote. “But it will be those peoples, who can keep alive, and cultivate into a fuller perfection, the art of life itself and do not sell themselves for the means of life, who will be able to enjoy the abundance when it comes.”

. How Americans Spend Their Leisure Time

The form and type of play and sports life which evolve in any group or nation mirror the development in other segments of the culture.

4. Some people are particularly concerned about the injuries that high school players get in football games. The pressure to “hit hard» and win high school games is intense.

5. In the past, teams and most players stayed in one city and bonded with the fans. Now professional sports are more about money and less about team loyalty.

6. The people who enjoy these physical activities often say that they find them very relaxing mentally because the activity is so different from the kind of activity they must do in the world of work, often indoor office work involving mind rather than body.

8. Computers are also extremely popular with children and teenagers, and this of course raises questions of where they are traveling on the Internet and what are they seeing. Now parents have to worry about monitoring the computer, in addition to monitoring the TV.

___________ 1. willing to work very hard at something

————— 2. parts or features of a whole system

____________ 3. develop by gradually changing

____________ 4. clear, direct

____________ 5. shown, faced with

____________ 6. very strong

————— 7. including something as a necessary part

____________ 8. affecting the mind

—————– 9. watching carefully

____________ 10. developed a special relationship

В. Classification: Recreational activities are usually not competitive and are done for fun, relaxation, and sometimes self-improvement. Sports are more organized and usually involve competition and rules of how to play.

do-it-yourself projects professional tennis going to the theater video games helicopter skiing*

A. Think about the quotation by the American Academy of Physical Education at the beginning of the chapter. Then discuss these questions with your classmates.

1. How do you think Americans like to spend their leisure time?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of playing competitive sports?

3. What do you know about Americans’ eating habits? What is “junk food»?

4. What is the impact of television on children?

5. How has technology impacted leisure time?

Most social scientists believe that the sports that are organized by a society

generally reflect the basic values of that society and attempt to strengthen them in the minds and emotions of its people. Therefore, organized sports may have a more serious social purpose than spontaneous, unorganized play by individuals. This is certainly true in the United States, where the three most popular organized sports are football, basketball, and baseball, with soccer gaining in popularity. Among young people, soccer is the game of choice. Boys and girls can play on the same team, and not much equipment is required. Nowhere are the ways and words of democracy better illustrated than in sports.

Organized sports are seen by Americans as an inspiring example of equality of opportunity in action. In sports, people of different races and economic backgrounds get an equal chance to excel. For this reason, notes sociologist Harry Edwards, Americans view organized sports as “a laboratory in which young men, regardless of social class, can learn the advantages and rewards of a competitive system.” Although Edwards specifically mentions young men, young women also compete in organized sports without regard to their race or economic background. The majority of American football and basketball players, both college and professional, are African- American, and about one-quarter of baseball players are Hispanics or Latinos. Women’s sports have grown in popularity in the United States, and they now have more funding and stronger support at the college level than in the past. The Olympics provide evidence of the increased interest in womens organized sports. American women have won gold medals for several team sports—softball, basketball, and soccer.

The American ideal of competition is

also at the very heart of organized sports in

the United States. Many Americans believe

that learning how to win in sports helps

develop the habits necessary to compete

successfully in later life. This training, in

turn, strengthens American society as a

whole. “It is commonly held,” says one

sports writer, “that the competitive ethic

taught in sports must be learned and

ingrained1 in youth for the future success of

American business and military efforts.”

The competitive ethic in organized

sports contains elements of hard work and

physical courage. Hard work is often called

“hustle,” “persistence,” or “never quitting” in

the sports world, while physical courage is

referred to as “being tough” or “having guts.” Mia Hamm, star of the American women’s soccer

team that has won two Olympic gold medals

How american spend their free time

1 ingrained: attitudes or behavior that are firmly established and therefore difficult to change

How american spend their free time

How american spend their free time

How american spend their free timeSlogans arc sometimes used to drive home the competitive virtues for the young participants:

Hustle—you cant survive without it.

A quitter never wins; a winner never quits.

It’s easy to be ordinary, but it takes guts to excel.

6 A Ithough sports in the United States are glorified by many, there are others who./JLare especially critical of the power of sports to corrupt when certain things are carried to excess. An excessive desire to win in sports, for example, can weaken rather than strengthen traditional American values.

7 Critics have pointed out that there is a long tradition of coaches and players who have done just this. Vince Lombardi, a famous professional football coach, was often criticized for stating that winning is the “only thing” that matters in sports. Woody Hayes, another famous football coach, once said: “Anyone who tells me, ‘Don’t worry that you lost; you played a good game anyway,’ I just hate.” Critics believe that such statements by coaches weaken the idea that other things, such as fair play, following the rules, and behaving with dignity when one is defeated, are also important. Unfortunately, many coaches still share the “winning is the only thing” philosophy.

9 When the idea of winning in sports is carried to excess, however, honorable competition can turn into disorder and violence. In one game the players of two professional baseball teams became so angry at each other that the game turned into a large-scale fight between the two teams. The coach of one of the teams was happy about the fight because, in the games that followed, his team consistently won. He thought that the fight had helped to bring the men on his team closer together. Similarly, a professional football coach stated, “If we didn’t go out there and fight, I’d be worried. You go out there and protect your teammates. The guys who sit on the

bench, they’re the losers.” Both coaches seemed to share the view that if occasional fights with opposing teams helped to increase the winning spirit of their players, so much the better. Hockey coaches would probably agree. Professional hockey teams are notorious[100] for the fights among players during games. Some hockey fans seem to expect this fighting as part of the entertainment.

10 How american spend their free timeThere are some who criticize this violence in American sports, particularly in football, which is probably America’s favorite spectator sport. From time to time articles appear in newspapers or magazines such as Sports Illustrated, one of the nation’s leading sports magazines, criticizing the number of injuries that have resulted from the extreme roughness of the game, increased by a burning desire to defeat one’s opponent. Some people are particularly concerned about the injuries that high school players get in football games. The pressure to “hit hard” and win high school games is intense. In some parts of the country, especially in the South, boys start playing tackle football in elementary school, bringing the risks of competitive pressure to nine – and ten-year-olds.

11 Most Americans would probably say that competition in organized sports does more to strengthen the national character than to corrupt it. They believe that eliminating competition in sports and in society as a whole would lead to laziness and vice rather than hard work and accomplishment. One high school principal, for example, described the criticism of competitive sports as “the revolutionaries’ attempt to break down the basic foundations upon which society is founded.” Comments of this sort illustrate how strong the idea of competition is in the United States and how important organized sports are as a means of maintaining this value in the larger society.

12 Another criticism of professional sports is that the players and the team owners get too much money, while fans have to pay more and more for tickets to the games. Basketball, baseball, and football stars get multi-million-dollar contracts similar to rock singers and movie stars. Some have asked whether these players are really athletes or entertainers. Furthermore, players are traded to other teams, or choose to go as “free agents,” and a whole team may move to another city because of money. In the past, teams and most players stayed in one city and bonded with the fans. Now professional sports are more about money and less about team loyalty. College football and basketball programs are also affected by big money. The teams of large universities generate millions of dollars, and there is enormous pressure on these sports programs to recruit top athletes and have winning seasons.

13 Another problem facing organized sports is the use of performance-enhancing drugs.[101] With the pressure to win so strong, a number of athletes have turned to these drugs. Although the use of most performance-enhancing drugs is illegal, it has now spread from professional sports down to universities and even high schools and middle schools. The use of these drugs puts the health of the athletes in danger and it is ethically wrong. It goes against the American values of equality of opportunity and fair competition. By 2004, the problem had become so significant that President George W. Bush mentioned it in his State of the Union address. He said, “Athletics play such an important role in our society, but, unfortunately, some in professional sports are not setting much of an example. The use of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and other sports is dangerous, and it sends the wrong message—that there are shortcuts to accomplishment, and that performance is more important than character.”

How american spend their free timeHow american spend their free timeHow american spend their free timenlike organized sports, what is generally called recreation in the United States is not expected to encourage competition. For this reason, it is much more spontaneous and serves the individual’s needs beyond the competitive world of work. Nevertheless, much can be learned about the values of Americans from an examination of the kinds of recreation in which they engage.

Some Americans prefer recreation that requires a high level of physical activity. This is true of the most popular adult recreational sports: jogging or running, tennis, and skiing. It would seem that some Americans carry over their belief in hard work into their world of play and recreation. The well-known expression “We like to work hard and play hard” is an example of this philosophy.

How american spend their free timePhysical fitness has become a way of life for many. A number of people regularly work out at sports clubs—lifting weights, swimming, playing squash or racquetball, participating in aerobic exercise classes, or using exercise bikes, treadmills, rowing machines, or stair-steppers. Long-distance marathon races are so popular that the organizers often have to limit the number of people who can participate. In addition to the famous Boston and New York marathons, there are races in many other cities and even in small towns, drawing from several hundred to as many as 80,000 participants. Few of the people expect to win—most just want to finish the race. Most races are open to all, young and old alike, even those in wheelchairs.

The high level of physical activity enjoyed by many Americans at play has led to the observation that Americans have difficulty relaxing, even in their leisure time. Yet the people who enjoy these physical activities often say that they find them very relaxing mentally because the activity is so different from the kind of activity they must do in the world of work, often indoor office work involving mind rather than body.

18 The interest that Americans have in self-improvement, traceable in large measure to the nations Protestant heritage (see Chapter 3), is also carried over into their recreation habits. It is evident in the joggers who are determined to improve the distance they can run, or the people who spend their vacation time learning a new sport such as sailing or scuba diving. The self-improvement motive, however, can also be seen in many other popular forms of recreation which involve little or no physical activity.

19 Interest and participation in cultural activities, which improve people’s minds or skills, are also popular. Millions of Americans go to symphony concerts, attend live theater performances, visit museums, hear lectures, and participate in artistic activities such as painting, performing music, or dancing. Many Americans also enjoy hobbies such as weaving, needlework, candle making, wood carving, quilting, and other handicrafts.[102] Community education programs offer a wide range of classes for those interested in anything from using computers to gourmet cooking, learning a foreign language, writing, art, self-defense, and bird-watching.

20 How american spend their free timeThe recreational interests of Americans also show a continuing respect for the self-reliance, and sometimes the adventure and danger, of frontier life. While some choose safe pastimes such as handicrafts, gardening, or “do-it-yourself” projects like building bookcases in their den, others are ready to leave home and take some risks. Adventure travel has grown to be a multi – billion-dollar business, perhaps as much as a fifth of the U. S. leisure travel market. Millions of Americans have bought mountain bikes to explore the wilderness on their own. Many others are choosing to go white – water rafting, mountain climbing, rock climbing, skydiving, helicopter skiing, and bungee jumping. U. S. park officials complain about the number of people who take life-threatening risks in national parks and have to be rescued.

“It is as if they are looking for hardship,” one park official stated. “They seem to enjoy the danger and the physical challenge.”

Not all Americans want to “rough it” while they are on their adventure holidays, however. There are a number of travelers in their forties or fifties who want “soft adventure.” Judi Wineland, who operates Overseas Adventure Travel, says, “Frankly, it’s amazing to us to see baby boomers seeking creature comforts.” On her safari trips to Africa she has to provide hot showers, real beds, and night tables. The Americans’ love of comfort, mentioned in Chapter 5, seems to be competing with their desire to feel self-reliant and adventurous.

22 ot all Americans are physically fit, or even try to be. The overall population is

І. ЛІ becoming overweight, due to poor eating habits and a sedentary[103] lifestyle. Government studies estimate that less than half of Americans exercise in their leisure time. Experts say that it is not because Americans “don’t know what’s good for them”—they just don’t do it. By mid-2000, the Centers for Disease Control sounded the alarm—almost two-thirds of Americans were overweight, and more than one in five were obese. The CDC reported that obesity had become a national epidemic.

The sharp increase in childhood obesity has officials concerned that future generations will develop ailments such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease at earlier ages than previous ones.

How american spend their free time

ф I960 О 1980 О 2000

Source: American Demographics, December 2003/January 2004, www. demographics. com.

After smoking, obesity was the number-two preventable cause of death in the United States. The government began a campaign to urge people to lose weight and get more exercise.

23 It’s not that Americans lack information on eating well. Newspapers and magazines are full of advice on nutrition, and diet books are best-sellers. Indeed, part of the problem may be that there is too much information in the media, and much of it is contradictory. For thirty years the government encouraged people to eat a diet high in

carbohydrates and low in fat, to avoid health risks such as heart disease and certain types of cancer. Many Americans ate low-fat, high-carbohydrate foods and gained weight. Then in the early 2000s, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets became popular.

24 Many Americans have tried a number of diets, searching for the magic right one for them. Some overweight people say the diet advice is so confusing that they have just given up and eat whatever they want. Since 1994, the government has required uniform labeling so that consumers can compare the calories, fat, and carbohydrates in the food they buy. More than half of Americans say they pay attention to the nutritional content of the food they eat, but they also say they eat what they really want when they feel like it. For example, they have switched to skim milk but still buy fancy, fat-rich ice cream. As one American put it, “Lets face it—if you’re having chips and dip as a snack, fat-free potato chips and fat-free sour cream just don’t taste as good as the real thing.”

25 Experts say that it is a combination of social, cultural, and psychological factors that determine how people eat. A Newsweek article on America’s weight problems refers to “the culture of over – indulgence”7 seemingly ingrained in American life. “The land of plenty seems destined to include plenty of pounds as well,” they conclude. Part of the problem is that Americans eat larger portions8 and often go back for second helpings, in contrast to how much people eat in many other countries.

26 Another factor is Americans’ love of fast food. Although the fast – food industry is offering salads on its menus, most Americans still prefer “junk food.” They consume huge quantities of pizza, hamburgers, French fries, and soft drinks at restaurants, not only because they like them, but also because these foods are often the cheapest items on the menu. Another significant factor is Americans’ busy lifestyle. Since so many women are working, families are eating a lot of fast food, frozen dinners, and restaurant takeout. Some experts believe that Americans have really lost control of their eating; it is not possible to limit calories when they eat so much restaurant and packaged food. It takes time to prepare fresh vegetables and fish; stopping at a fast-food chain for fried chicken on the way home from work is a much faster alternative. Often, American families eat “on the run” instead of sitting down at the table together.

Amount hr torvlne

Calories! 10 Calories from Fat 50

27 T ronically, as Americans have gotten heavier as a population, the image of a

JL beautiful woman has gotten much slimmer. Marilyn Monroe, a movie star of the
1950s and 1960s, would be overweight by today’s media standards. Television shows,
movies, and TV commercials feature actresses who are very slender.9 Beer and soft
drink commercials, for example, often feature very thin girls in bikinis. As a result,
many teenage girls have become insecure about their bodies and so obsessed10 with
losing weight that some develop eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia.

7 overindulgence: the habit of eating or drinking too much

8 portions: the amount of food for one person, especially when served in a restaurant

9 slender: thin, graceful, and attractive

10 obsessed: thinking about a person or a thing all the time and being unable to think of anything else

Another irony is that although television seems to promote images of slender, physically fit people, the more people watch TV, the less likely they are to exercise. Television has a strong effect on the activity level of many Americans. Some people spend much of their free time lying on the couch watching TV and eating junk food. They are called “couch potatoes,” because they are nothing but “eyes.” (The small marks on potatoes are called eyes.) Couch potatoes would rather watch a baseball game on TV than go play softball in the park with friends, or even go to a movie. Cable and satellite TV bring hundreds of stations into American homes, so there is an almost limitless choice of programs.

29 With so many programs to choose from, it is not surprising that the average family TV set is on about six hours a day. Estimates are that some children spend twenty hours or more a week watching TV programs and DVDs. Many adults are worried about the impact of so much television on the nation’s children. They are not getting as much exercise as they should, and the level of childhood obesity is alarming. But the effect on their minds may be as serious as the effect on their bodies. Many children do not spend enough time reading, educators say. And some studies have shown that excessive watching of television by millions of American children has lowered their ability to achieve in school.

30 One effect of watching so much TV seems to be a shortening of children’s attention span.11 Since the advent of the remote control device and the proliferation[104] [105] of channels, many watchers like to “graze” from one program to the next, or “channel surf”—constantly clicking the remote control to change from channel to channel, stopping for only a few seconds to see if something catches their attention.

34 Others argue that parents are responsible for supervising their children’s TV viewing. But how? Children are often watching television when their parents are not in the room, or even at home. Many parents think they can use help in monitoring what their children see. The reality is that one in four families is headed by a single parent, and in two-thirds of the two-parent families, both parents are working. Furthermore, about half of the children between the ages of six and seventeen have their own TV sets in their bedrooms. The possession of their own TV is an indication of both the material wealth and the individual freedom that many children have in the United States. We will explore these issues more in the next chapter.

How Americans Spend Their Free Time, Part 2

How american spend their free time

Last week, we showed you how Americans spend their free time, as divided by different income groups. This week’s visualization is a continuation of that theme – it also comes from data scientist Henrik Lindberg, and it shows the peak times that Americans do certain leisure activities.

Again, data is coming from the American Time Use Survey that is produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Peak Leisure Times

It’s clear that some activities have very distinct peaks for when participation rates reach their maximum share.

After work, for example, in the time period between 6:00pm and 9:00pm is when most Americans play softball, bowling, and volleyball in their free time. Later on, is when they would go dancing or play late-night billiards – often not coming back until the early morning hours.

Other team sports like football, baseball, and soccer also have distinct maximums. These ones are a little earlier in the afternoon or evening, before softball, bowling, and volleyball reach their peaks.

Keeping It Steady

Other activities have local peaks found throughout the day, or they simply have flatter distributions that represent steadier participation rates over time.

Fitness is particularly interesting to look at – for solo physical activities like running, working out, doing aerobics, or using cardiovascular equipment, there are two peaks: one in the morning, and one in the evening. The local peaks in the evening are usually not as high as their morning counterparts.

On the other hand, some activities are done at fairly equal rates throughout the day. When people go fishing, they are usually holding their rods pretty equally from 9am through to 6pm. Hunting is similar, though it starts far earlier in the day, and tails off faster than fishing as well. Two other activities that have pretty even distributions throughout the day are biking and racket sports like tennis, badminton, or squash.

How american spend their free time

The Least and Most Trusted News Sources in America

Here’s How Americans Spend Their Time, Sorted by Income

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Technology

Every Mission to Mars in One Visualization

This graphic shows a timeline of every mission to Mars since 1960, highlighting which ones have been successful and which ones haven’t.

How american spend their free time

Timeline: A Historical Look at Every Mission to Mars

Within our Solar System, Mars is one of the most similar planets to Earth—both have rocky landscapes, solid outer crusts, and cores made of molten rock.

Because of its similarities to Earth and proximity, humanity has been fascinated by Mars for centuries. In fact, it’s one of the most explored objects in our Solar System.

But just how many missions to Mars have we embarked on, and which of these journeys have been successful? This graphic by Jonathan Letourneau shows a timeline of every mission to Mars since 1960 using NASA’s historical data.

A Timeline of Mars Explorations

According to a historical log from NASA, there have been 48 missions to Mars over the last 60 years. Here’s a breakdown of each mission, and whether or not they were successful:

The first mission to Mars was attempted by the Soviets in 1960, with the launch of Korabl 4, also known as Mars 1960A.

As the table above shows, the voyage was unsuccessful. The spacecraft made it 120 km into the air, but its third-stage pumps didn’t generate enough momentum for it to stay in Earth’s orbit.

For the next few years, several more unsuccessful Mars missions were attempted by the USSR and then NASA. Then, in 1964, history was made when NASA launched the Mariner 4 and completed the first-ever successful trip to Mars.

The Mariner 4 didn’t actually land on the planet, but the spacecraft flew by Mars and was able to capture photos, which gave us an up-close glimpse at the planet’s rocky surface.

Then on July 20, 1976, NASA made history again when its spacecraft called Viking 1 touched down on Mars’ surface, making it the first space agency to complete a successful Mars landing. Viking 1 captured panoramic images of the planet’s terrain, and also enabled scientists to monitor the planet’s weather.

Vacation to Mars, Anyone?

To date, all Mars landings have been done without crews, but NASA is planning to send humans to Mars by the late 2030s.

And it’s not just government agencies that are planning missions to Mars—a number of private companies are getting involved, too. Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX has a long-term plan to build an entire city on Mars.

Two other aerospace startups, Impulse and Relativity, also announced an unmanned joint mission to Mars in July 2022, with hopes it could be ready as soon as 2024.

As more players are added to the mix, the pressure is on to be the first company or agency to truly make it to Mars. If (or when) we reach that point, what’s next is anyone’s guess.

How Americans Spend Their Time

DEFINING LEISURE AND RECREATION

The word «leisure» comes from the Latin word licere, which means «to be allowed.» A common American view considers leisure as something allowed after one’s work is done: time that is free after required activities. Recreation, however, is a different matter. The Oxford American Dictionary defines recreation as «a process or means of refreshing or entertaining oneself after work by some pleasurable activity.» Its Latin and French roots, which mean «restore to health» or «create anew,» suggest rejuvenation of strength or spirit. While leisure activities are pastimes, recreational activities are intended to restore physical or mental health.

HOW MUCH FREE TIME?

Americans enjoy some of the highest standards of living in the world. Although the United States trails other countries in such significant measures of health and wellbeing as infant mortality and life expectancy, the world generally respects—even envies—the quality of life enjoyed by most Americans.

Americans do work hard. Although the number of hours of nonwork time available to Americans has not changed significantly since the 1970s, public opinion surveys consistently report that Americans believe they have less free time today than in the past. Workers who participated in the Shell Poll, a study conducted by Shell Oil Company in 2000, indicated that if given a choice between an extra day off from work or an extra day’s wages every two weeks, they preferred more time off by a margin of 58% to 40%. For workers aged thirty-five to sixty-four, 67% indicated that they would rather have more time off.

Working parents report the least free time. According to the Shell Poll, only 48% of mothers believe they have enough personal leisure time. This reflects a dramatic decline from a Gallup survey conducted in 1963, when 70% of mothers were happy with their free time. Almost three-quarters of working mothers reported to Shell that on Sunday nights, after doing household chores and running errands on weekends, they do not feel rested and ready for a new work week.

In the free time Americans do have, they are sleeping less. According to Sleep in America, a survey published in 2002 by the nonprofit National Sleep Foundation, 68% of poll respondents admitted getting less than eight hours’ sleep on weeknights. Nearly a quarter of those surveyed believed they were not getting the minimum amount needed to avoid feelings of drowsiness during the day.

A PERSONAL CHOICE

People who perform certain activities all day at a job often pursue dramatically different activities during their time off. For example, someone who sits behind a desk at work may choose a physically active pastime, such as recreational walking. Similarly, a person with a job that requires demanding physical labor may choose a more sedentary activity, such as playing computer games, reading, or painting. A person who lives in a flat region may go to the mountains to seek excitement, while someone living in the mountains might seek a sandy ocean beach on which to relax.

Other people may enjoy one field so much that they perform that activity not only professionally but also as a form of recreation. For workers who derive little satisfaction from their occupation, recreation can become even more important to personal happiness.

HOW DO AMERICANS LIKE TO SPEND THEIR LEISURE TIME?

A survey conducted in October 2003 by Humphrey Taylor of the Harris organization asked Americans to name their two or three favorite ways to spend leisure time. The top response was reading, chosen by 24% of those polled, with watching television and spending time with family or children each following closely, both being cited by 17% of those asked. Other popular activities included fishing (9%), going to movies (7%), socializing with friends or neighbors (7%), playing team sports (6%), exercise activities such as weights and aerobics (6%), and gardening (6%). To a lesser extent the respondents also mentioned using a computer, participating in church activities, dining out, and watching sports (5% each); and walking, listening to music, shopping, traveling, hunting, and making crafts (4% each), among other choices.

Over the eight-year span this poll was conducted, the popularity of most of these activities remained relatively constant, although watching television and reading showed slight declines over that time, with perhaps the most significant change being the decline in activities that involved exercise, which fell from 38% in 1995 to 29% in 2003.

Although Americans named these as their favorite recreational activities, the way they actually spent their leisure time was not necessarily the same, according to a 2001 survey conducted by the Leisure Trends Group. While this poll found reading to be the most-cited activity, when asked how they had spent their leisure time the previous day, twice as many survey respondents reported watching television as reading. Americans may also not always have a choice of how to spend their free time. For example, housecleaning ranked eighth in the survey of how Americans spent leisure time but did not rank at all among the top ten favorite leisure-time activities.

Teenagers

The 2003 Gallup Youth Survey found that teens’ favorite ways to spend an evening included hanging out with friends or family (34%); watching television, movies, or sports (19%); playing video games (8%); or playing sports/exercising (7%). Only 3% each said they liked to read or talk on the phone, and using the Internet or a computer, sleeping, shopping, listening to music, and eating were each mentioned by just 1%.

There were significant differences in responses between boys and girls—only 26% of boys liked to hang out with friends or family, while this activity was preferred by 43% of girls. On the other hand, 15% of boys mentioned playing video games, while no girls cited this activity. Five percent of girls liked to read, while only 1% of boys did, and 5% of girls liked to talk on the phone, while less than 1% of boys did. More than twice as many boys (10%) as girls (4%) said they liked to play sports or exercise.

READING

Reading is one of the favorite leisure activities of Americans. A 2002 Gallup poll found that the overwhelming majority (83.5%) of Americans said they had read all or part of at least one book in the year preceding the survey. The average number of books read per year was sixteen among those who had read one book or more.

Choosing Books to Read

According to a 2002 Gallup poll, Americans had a wide range of reading interests. Thirty percent of those polled said they were «very likely» to choose biographies or books about history, with thriller or suspense novels appealing to 24% of those who were asked. Books about religion or theology followed close behind, at 24%, while self-improvement books (23%), mystery novels (21%), current fiction (20%) and books about current events (16%) were also popular. When asked what motivated them to read, 32% said they did so for entertainment, while 47% said they primarily read to learn.

Reading interests differed depending on age, although there was some overlap in the subjects that drew the most readers. In Do Reading Tastes Age? (2003), Gallup researchers Jennifer Robison and Steve Crabtree found that a higher percentage of those aged eighteen to twenty-nine said that they were «very likely» or «somewhat likely» to read horror novels (44%) than those age sixty-five and older (7%); the same relationship held up for science fiction novels, with 40% of young adults citing these compared to 23% of seniors. Americans between thirty and forty-nine had the most interest in business management and leadership books (48%) and personal finance books (44%) of any age group, perhaps due to their need to enhance careers or pay for the costs of raising children and sending them to college. Biographies and books about history (the most popular category overall), mystery novels, thriller or suspense novels, classic literature, current events books, books on religion and theology, and current literary fiction held relatively steady among age groups, with the last-named category most popular with adults aged fifty to sixty-four (59%) and least popular with young adults and seniors (44% each). (See Table 1.1.)

SOCIALIZING

Second in popularity as a leisure-time activity, according to the Harris poll conducted by Taylor in 2003, was the time-honored tradition of socializing with family or children. When the 17% who named this activity were added to the 7% who cited socializing with friends or neighbors, the total who chose socializing was 24%, the same amount as the number one choice of reading.

TELEVISION VIEWING

Americans also spend a considerable amount of their leisure time in front of the television, according to Harris Interactive. Where once all television viewers had only a handful of broadcast networks to choose from, by 2003

Public opinion on book selection, by age, 2003
WHEN CHOOSING BOOKS TO READ, HOW LIKELY ARE YOU TO SELECT A BOOK FROM EACH OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES?
(Base: Those who read at least one book in past year)
Percent saying «somewhat likely» or «very likely»
Type of book 18–29 30–49 50–64 65 +
source: Jennifer Robison and Steve Crabtree, «Book Selection by Age,» in Do Reading Tastes Age?» http://www.gallup.com/content/default.aspx?ci=7732&pg=1 (accessed September 10, 2004). Copyright © 2003 by The Gallup Organization. Reproducedby permission of The Gallup Organization.
Biographies or books about history 72% 72% 74% 76%
Business management and leadership books 38% 48% 39% 23%
Classic literature 46% 50% 45% 43%
Current events books 49% 53% 57% 53%
Current literary fiction 44% 54% 59% 44%
Horror novels 44% 21% 17% 7%
Mystery novels 48% 56% 58% 53%
Personal finance books 29% 44% 31% 27%
Religion and theology 47% 60% 52% 58%
Self improvement books 60% 60% 60% 49%
Thriller or suspense novels 58% 54% 53% 48%
Science fiction novels 40% 36% 29% 23%
Romance novels 36% 24% 22% 27%

there were 283 different cable and satellite channels available, according to Screen Digest. A 2003 study done by Nielsen Media Research found that 73.9 million American households with televisions subscribed to at least a basic package of cable channels, while another 19.4 million had satellite systems. Combined, the two made up close to 90% of all viewing households.

The types of programs Americans watch has evolved over time as well. Hour-long dramas and half-hour comedies once dominated the prime time schedules of the three major networks (NBC, CBS, and ABC), but the success of Survivor and other so-called reality shows has changed the landscape of television. Some observers suggest that, like any fad, such programs will fade into the background after their novelty value has worn thin, while others believe that they will remain a permanent part of the major networks’ programming.

Many television viewers enjoy watching rented digital videodisc (DVD) or videocassette copies of movies at home. A 2001 Gallup poll found that 83% of all respondents stated that they had watched a movie at home in the month preceding the poll. Among young adults aged eighteen to twenty-nine, this figure was 96%. Older adults tended to watch the fewest movies at home.

COMPUTERS IN DAILY HOME USE

Personal computing is an important leisure activity for many Americans. Accessing the Internet, using educational or entertainment software, playing music, and communicating with friends or family are all typical activities of home computer users.

Internet Use

Americans’ use of the Internet has grown dramatically since the mid-1990s. In 1995 the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press found that just 14% of American adults were «online users,» a number that had increased to 46% of adults by March 2000, or eighty-six million people. By mid-2004 the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that nearly 63% of American adults (128 million) had gone online.

Internet access in public schools has increased dramatically since the mid-1990s, giving school children more opportunity to go online. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994-2002 (2003), by 2001 99% of American public schools had gained access to the Internet, up from just 35% in 1994. The report further noted that 92% of public schools offered Internet connections in instructional rooms in 2002, up from 3% in 1994.

Americans without Internet access in their homes or at school could also go online at local public libraries. According to researchers John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure in Public Libraries and the Internet 2002: Internet Connectivity and Networked Services (December 2002), by 2002 95% of all public libraries provided public access to the Internet, and 100% of urban public libraries did.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project (Pew/Internet) found that in 2004 the Internet audience was not only growing but also increasingly resembled the population as a whole. Whereas white males were once by far the most common users of the Internet, women, African-Americans, and Hispanics were using it more and more. A Pew/Internet tracking survey conducted in May and June 2004 found that almost 66% of American males and 61% of American females went online, along with 59% of English-speaking Hispanics and 43% of African-Americans. (See Table 1.2.)

Pew/Internet found significant differences among age groups in Internet use in 2004. While 78% of those eighteen to twenty-nine were online, and 74% of Americans aged thirty to forty-nine were using the Internet, the number dropped to 60% of those fifty to sixty-four and just 25% of those aged sixty-five and over. (See Table 1.2.)

In Counting on the Internet, a 2002 Pew/Internet report, researchers concluded that the popularity and reliability of the Internet as a source of information had raised Americans’ expectations about the scope and availability of information online. Three-quarters of Internet users reported positive experiences in finding information about health care, government agencies, news, and shopping. Many users cited the Internet as the first place they turned to for news and information.

According to Pew/Internet surveys conducted from 2001 to 2004, nearly all persons with Internet access were sending e-mail (93%), while 84% used online search engines to find information, 84% looked for maps or driving directions, and more than three-quarters of users researched products before they bought them or went online in pursuit of information about their hobbies. Other common uses included looking for weather forecasts (75%), seeking travel information (73%), getting news (72%), looking for health or medical information (66%), or simply surfing the Web for fun (67%). Many also found the Web useful for shopping and other transactions, with 65% of Internet users buying a product online, 55% making travel reservations, 34% doing online banking, and 23% participating in an online auction. (See Table 1.3.)

In June 2004 Pew/Internet researchers estimated that 53% of American adults with Internet access, or sixty-eight million, went online on an average day. Typical daily Internet activities included sending e-mail (45%), using a search engine to find information (30%), getting news (27%), looking for information on a hobby or interest (21%), checking the weather (20%), and performing job-related research (19%). Only 2% said they downloaded music files, or went to a Web site to meet other people, while just 1% of those surveyed said their typical daily Internet activities included gambling or visiting adult Web sites. Nearly one-quarter went online for recreation—that is, to surf the Web with no specific purpose in mind. (See Table 1.4.)

A survey conducted in November and December 2003 by Pew/Internet found that music downloads declined dramatically after the RIAA began suing specific individuals. While a survey conducted in March through May 2003 found that 29% of Internet users (thirty-five million) regularly downloaded music files, by year’s end this had declined to just 14% (eighteen million). In February and March 2004, however, Pew/Internet found that the percentage of downloaders had rebounded to 18% (twenty-three million). (See Table 1.5.) Many were now using such paid services as Apple’s iTunes, Musicmatch.com, or the relaunched, fee-charging Napster.

As Internet connection speeds and computer data storage capacity continued to increase, data-intensive video downloads were becoming popular as well, with 15% of Internet users reporting to Pew/Internet researchers in February and March of 2004 that they had downloaded videos from the Web. (See Table 1.5.) While some downloads, like movie trailers and commercials, were from legitimate Web sites, others were not. The Motion Picture Association of America issued a number of warnings in 2004 that copyright infringement lawsuits

Internet activities, 2001–04
Percent of those with Internet access Most recentsurvey date
source: «Internet Activities,» in Pew Internet & American Life Project Tracking Surveys (March 2000–Present), Pew Internet & American Life Project, http://www.pewinternet.org/trends/Internet_Activities_4.23.04.htm (accessed July 7, 2004)
Send e-mail 93 May-June 2004
Use a search engine to find information 84 May-June 2004
Search for a map or driving directions 84 Feb-04
Do an Internet search to answer a specific question 80 Nov-Dec 2003
Research a product or service before buying it 78 Feb-04
Look for info on a hobby or interest 76 March-May 2003
Check the weather 75 Jun-03
Get travel info 73 May-June 2004
Get news 72 May-June 2004
Surf the Web for fun 67 March-May 2003
Look for health/medical info 66 Dec-02
Look for info from a government website 66 Aug-03
Buy a product 65 Feb-04
Research for school or training 60 May-June 2004
Buy or make a reservation for travel 55 May-June 2004
Go to a website that provides info or support for a specific medical condition or personal situation 54 Dec-02
Look up phone number or address 54 Feb-04
Watch a video clip or listen to an audio clip 52 March-May 2003
Do any type of research for your job 51 Feb-04
Look for political news/info 49 May-June 2004
Get financial info 44 March-May 2003
Check sports scores or info 43 Feb-04
Look for info about a job 42 May-June 2004
Download other files such as games, videos, or pictures 42 Jun-03
Send an instant message 42 May-June 2004
Play a game 39 March-May 2003
Listen to music online at a website 34 May-June 2004
Look for info about a place to live 34 May-June 2004
Bank online 34 Jun-03
Look for religious/spiritual info 29 March-May 2003
Search for info about someone you know or might meet 28 Sep-02
Chat in a chat room or in an online discussion 25 June-July 2002
Research your family’s history or genealogy 24 March-May 2003
Look for weight loss or general fitness info 24 Jan-02
Participate in an online auction 23 Feb-04
Look for info about a mental health issue 23 June-July 2002
Share files from own computer w/ others 23 Feb-04
Use Internet to get photos developed/display photos 21 August-October 2001
Download music files to your computer 20 May-June 2004
Create content for the Internet 19 Oct-02
Look for info on something sensitive or embarrassing 18 June-July 2002
Read someone else’s web log or «blog» 17 Feb-04
Log onto the Internet using a wireless device 17 Feb-04
Take part in an online group 16 Oct-02
Download video files to your computer 15 Feb-04
Visit an adult website 15 May-June 2004
Buy or sell stocks, bonds, or mutual funds 12 Feb-04
Buy groceries online 12 March-May 2003
Take a class online for college credit 10 Jun-03
Go to a dating website or other sites where you can meet other people online 9 May-June 2004
Take any other class online 8 Jun-03
Look for info about domestic violence 8 Dec-02
Make a phone call online 7 Jun-03
Make a donation to a charity online 7 Dec-02
Create a web log or «blog» 5 Feb-04
Check e-mail on a hand-held computer 5 August-October 2001
Play lottery or gamble online 4 March-May 2003

would be brought against those sharing movies via peer-to-peer networks.

Teens and College Students on the Internet

The Pew Internet & American Life Project estimated in 2003 that 78% of Americans aged twelve to seventeen were online. Of these, 92% used e-mail, 84% surfed the Web for fun, 74% used instant messaging, and 71% had used the Internet as the major source for their most recent major school project.

According to the 2002 Pew/Internet report The Internet Goes to College, college students were among the heaviest users of the Internet. This finding was not surprising since about one-fifth of the surveyed college students had begun using computers as young children. All

Daily Internet activities, 2001–04
Percent of those with Internet access Most recent survey date
*Percentage of Internet users who do these activities on a typical day is less than 1%
source: «Daily Internet Activities,» in Pew Internet & American Life Project Tracking Surveys (March 2000–Present), Pew Internet & American Life Project, http://www.pewinternet.org/trends/Daily_Activities_4.23.04.htm (accessed July 7, 2004)
Go online 53 May-June 2004
Send e-mail 45 May-June 2004
Use a search engine to find information 30 May-June 2004
Get news 27 May-June 2004
Surf the Web for fun 23 March-May 2003
Look for info on a hobby or interest 21 March-May 2003
Do an Internet search to answer a specific question 21 Nov-Dec 2003
Check the weather 20 Jun-03
Do an Internet search to answer a specific question 19 Sep-02
Do any type of research for your job 19 February 2004
Research a product or service before buying it 15 Feb-04
Look for political news/info 13 May-June 2004
Send an instant message 12 May-June 2004
Get financial info 12 March-May 2003
Check sports scores and info 11 Feb-04
Watch a video clip or listen to an audio clip 11 March-May 2003
Research for school or training 11 May-June 2004
Look for info from a government website 9 Jun-03
Play a game 9 March-May 2003
Bank online 9 Jun-03
Get travel info 8 May-June 2004
Look up phone number or address 7 Feb-04
Search for a map or driving directions 7 Feb-04
Log onto the Internet using a wireless device 6 Feb-04
Look for health/medical info 6 Dec-02
Take part in an online group 6 Oct-02
Listen to music online at a website 6 May-June 2004
Download other files such as games, videos, or pictures 6 Jun-03
Create content for the Internet 4 Oct-02
Look for religious/spiritual info 4 March-May 2003
Chat in a chat room or in an online discussion 4 June-July 2002
Look for info about a job 4 May-June 2004
Go to a website that provides info or support for a specific medical condition or personal situation 4 Dec-02
Look for info about a place to live 3 May-June 2004
Buy or make a reservation for travel 3 May-June 2004
Participate in an online auction 3 Feb-04
Read someone else’s web log or «blog» 3 Feb-04
Buy a product 3 Feb-04
Search for info about someone you know or might meet 3 Sep-02
Look for weight loss or general fitness info 3 Jan-02
Share files from own computer w/ others 2 February 2004
Download video files to your computer 2 Feb-04
Download music files to your computer 2 May-June 2004
Go to a dating website or other sites where you can meet other people online 2 May-June 2004
Visit an adult website 1 May-June 2004
Buy groceries online 1 March-May 2003
Create a web log or «blog» 1 Feb-04
Buy or sell stocks, bonds, or mutual funds 1 Feb-04
Look for info about a mental health issue 1 June-July 2002
Play lottery or gamble online 1 March-May 2003
Use Internet to get photos developed/display photos 1 August-October 2001
Check e-mail on a hand-held computer 1 August-October 2001
Research your family’s history or genealogy 1 March-May 2003
Take a class online for college credit * Jun-03
Take any other class online * Jun-03
Make a phone call online * Jun-03
Make a donation to a charity online * Dec-02
Look for info about domestic violence * Dec-02
Look for info on something sensitive or embarrassing * June-July 2002

college students who responded to the survey had used computers by age 16, and most were Internet users.

A study published in 2004 in the Journal of College and University Student Housing found that of 253 freshmen and sophomores living in residence halls at Ball State University, 94% had access to a computer in their living quarters, and 75% reported using computer technology more than five hours per week. Seventy percent of the students reported using a computer daily or several times per week to complete assignments or papers, and 59% reported

Internet music and video downloads, 2004
(In percent)
I’M GOING TO READ YOU [A] SHORT LIST OF ACTIVITIES. PLEASE TELL ME IF YOUEVER DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU GO ONLINE. DO YOU EVER…/DID YOU HAPPEN TO DO THIS YESTERDAY, OR NOT?
Total have ever done this Did yesterday Have not done this Don’t know/refused
source: Peter Rainie, Mary Madden, Dan Hess, and Graham Mudd, «February 2004 Pew Internet Tracking Survey Excerpt,» in Pew Internet Project and Comscore Media Metrix Data Memo, Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 2004, http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Filesharing_April_04.pdf (accessed July 22, 2004)
Download music files onto your computer so you can play them at any time you want
Feb/March 2004 18 1 82 *
Nov 2003 14 1 85 *
June 2003 30 3 70 *
April/May 2003 30 4 70 *
March 12–192003 28 5 72 *
Oct 2002 32 5 68 *
Sept 12–192001 26 3 73 *
Aug 2001 26 3 73 *
Feb 2001 29 6 71 *
Fall 2000 24 4 76 *
July/August 2000 22 3 78 *
Share files from own computer, such as music, video or picture files, or computer games with others online
Feb/March 2004 23 2 77 *
Nov 2003 20 4 79 *
June 2003 28 5 72 *
Sept 12–19,2001 28 4 72 1
August 2001 25 4 75 *
Download video files onto your computer so you can play them at any time you want
Feb/March 2004 15 2 85 *
Nov 2003 13 2 86 *

using one to surf the Internet. E-mail or instant messaging was used daily by 78%, with another 17% using such communications programs several times per week.

Computer Use among Older Adults

According to Pew/Internet, persons over age sixty-five were dispelling myths about their reluctance to embrace new technology, as they surfed the Web in record numbers. In 2000 an estimated 12% of older Americans were online, but this number had grown to 20% by 2002 and to 25% in the spring of 2004.

Computers have been readily integrated into the lives of older adults in many settings, ranging from nursing homes to senior recreation centers. For older adults who are homebound as a result of illness or disability, Internet access can offer opportunities to socialize, contact friends and family, and purchase food, medications, and other necessities without leaving their homes.

SPORTS AND FITNESS ACTIVITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO MANY AMERICANS

Like tastes in food, fashion, and music, American exercise habits have undergone significant shifts. Participation in sports and other fitness activities is important to many Americans. In Sports Participation Topline Report (2004), the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) described facts about Americans who were frequent or occasional sports participants, along with Americans’preoccupation with fitness and trends in fitness activity (see Table 1.6):

The SGMA report also concluded that Americans preferred noncompetitive sports and fitness activities that were less intense. Of the top twenty most popular sports, basketball was the only team sport named. It claimed 35.4 million participants, twice as many as football’s eighteen million, soccer’s 17.7 million, and softball’s sixteen million.

America’s Most Popular Sports

The SGMA’s list of the top thirty most popular sports in America based on the number of participants for 2003 was topped by bowling, with fifty-five million. It was followed by treadmill exercise (45.6 million), freshwater fishing (43.8 million), stretching (42.1 million), tent camping (41.9 million), and billiards (40.7 million). Twelve of the top thirty were fitness-related activities. (See Table 1.7.)

Gender and Age Influence Sports and Fitness Choices

Athletically inclined American men seemed to prefer individual rather than team sports. Fourteen out of the top fifteen most popular sports for male participants were solo activities. The most popular sports activity for men in 2003 was freshwater fishing, with 9.2 million participating in it at least fifteen days during the year. Men also found fitness activities appealing, with 8.5 million of them lifting barbells a hundred or more days a year, and 7.9 million lifting dumbbells. Stretching (7.6 million),

Sports participation trends, reported by SGMA International, selected years 1987–2003
1987 Benchmark 1993 1998 2001 2002 2003 1 year% change (2002–2003) 16 year% change (1987–2003)
Fitness activities
Aerobics (high impact) 13,961 10,356 7,460 6,401 5,423 5,875 +8.3 −57.9
Aerobics (low impact) 11,888 13,418 12,774 10,026 9,286 8,813 −5.1 −25.9
Aerobics (step) n.a. 11,502 10,784 8,542 8,336 8,457 +1.5 −26.5 2
Aerobics (net) 21,225 24,839 21,017 16,948 16,046 16,451 +2.5 −22.5
Other exercise to music n.a. n.a. 13,846 13,076 13,540 14,159 +4.6 +2.3 4
Aquatic exercise n.a. n.a. 6,685 7,103 6,995 7,141 +2.1 +6.8 4
Calisthenics n.a. n.a. 30,982 29,392 26,862 28,007 +4.3 −9.6 4
Cardio kickboxing n.a. n.a. n.a. 6,665 5,940 5,489 −7.6 −27.8 5
Fitness bicycling n.a. n.a. 13,556 10,761 11,153 12,048 +8.0 −11.1 4
Fitness walking 27,164 36,325 36,395 36,445 37,981 37,945 −0.1 +39.7
Running/Jogging 37,136 34,057 34,962 34,857 35,866 36,152 +0.8 −2.6
Fitness swimming 16,912 17,485 15,258 15,300 14,542 15,899 +9.3 −6.0
Pilates training n.a. n.a. n.a. 2,437 4,671 9,469 +102.7 +444.5 6
Stretching n.a. n.a. 35,114 38,120 38,367 42,096 +9.7 +19.9 4
Yoga/Tai Chi n.a. n.a. 5,708 9,741 11,106 13,371 +20.4 +134.3 4
Equipment exercise
Barbells n.a. n.a. 21,263 23,030 24,812 25,645 +3.4 +20.6 4
Dumbells n.a. n.a. 23,414 26,773 28,933 30,549 +5.6 +30.5 4
Hand weights n.a. n.a. 23,325 27,086 28,453 29,720 +4.5 +27.4 4
Free weights (net) 22,553 28,564 41,266 45,407 48,261 51,567 +6.9 +128.6
Weight/resistance machines 15,261 19,446 22,519 25,942 27,848 29,996 +7.7 +96.6
Home gym exercise 3,905 6,258 7,577 8,497 8,924 9,260 +3.8 +137.1
Abdominal machine/device n.a. n.a. 16,534 18,692 17,370 17,364 0 +5.0 4
Rowing machine exercise 14,481 11,263 7,485 7,089 7,092 6,484 −8.6 −55.2
Stationary cycling (upright bike) n.a. n.a. 20,744 17,483 17,403 17,488 +0.5 −15.7 4
Stationary cycling (spinning) n.a. n.a. 6,776 6,418 6,135 6,462 +5.3 −4.6 4
Stationary cycling (recumbent bike) n.a. n.a. 6,773 8,654 10,217 10,683 +4.6 +57.7 4
Stationary cycling (net) 30,765 35,975 30,791 28,720 29,083 30,952 +6.4 +0.6
Treadmill exercise 4,396 19,685 37,073 41,638 43,431 45,572 +4.9 +936.7
Stair-climbing machine exercise 2,121 22,494 18,609 15,117 14,251 14,321 +0.5 +575.2
Aerobic rider n.a. n.a. 5,868 3,918 3,654 2,955 −19.1 −49.6 4
Elliptical motion trainer n.a. n.a. 3,863 8,255 10,695 13,415 +25.4 +247.3 4
Cross-country ski machine exercise n.a. 9,792 6,870 4,924 5,074 4,744 −6.5 −25.8 1
Team sports
Baseball 15,098 15,586 12,318 11,405 10,402 10,885 +4.6 −27.1
Basketball 35,737 42,138 42,417 38,663 36,584 35,439 −3.1 −0.8
Cheerleading n.a. 3,257 3,266 3,844 3,596 3,574 −0.6 +17.6
Ice hockey 2,393 3,204 2,915 2,344 2,612 2,789 +6.8 +16.5
Field hockey n.a. n.a. 1,375 1,249 1,096 n.a. n.a. n.a.
Football (touch) 20,292 21,241 17,382 16,675 14,903 14,119 −5.3 −30.4
Football (tackle) n.a. n.a. n.a. 5,400 5,783 5,751 −0.6 +16.6 5
Football (net) n.a. n.a. n.a. 19,199 18,703 17,958 −4.0 −4.1 5
Lacrosse n.a. n.a. 926 1,099 921 1,132 +22.9 +22.2 4
Rugby n.a. n.a. 546 573 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Soccer (indoor) n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 4,563 n.a. n.a.
Soccer (outdoor) n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 16,133 n.a. n.a.
Soccer (net) 15,388 16,365 18,176 19,042 17,641 17,679 +0.2 +14.9
Softball (regular) n.a. n.a. 19,407 17,679 14,372 14,410 +0.3 −25.7 4
Softball (fast-pitch) n.a. n.a. 3,702 4,117 3,658 3,487 −4.7 −5.8 4
Softball (net) n.a. n.a. 21,352 20,123 16,587 16,020 −3.4 −25.0 4
Volleyball (hard surface) n.a. n.a. n.a. 12,802 11,748 11,008 −6.3 −14.0 7
Volleyball (grass) n.a. n.a. n.a. 10,330 8,621 7,953 −7.7 −23.0 7
Volleyball (beach) n.a. 13,509 10,572 7,791 7,516 7,454 −0.8 −35.5 1
Volleyball (net) 35,984 37,757 26,637 24,123 21,488 20,286 −5.6 −43.6
Racquet sports
Badminton 14,793 11,908 9,936 7,684 6,765 5,937 −12.2 −59.9
Racquetball 10,395 7,412 5,853 5,296 4,840 4,875 +0.7 −53.1
Squash n.a. n.a. 289 n.a. 302 473 +56.6 n.a.
Tennis 21,147 19,346 16,937 15,098 16,353 17,325 +5.9 −18.1
Personal contact sports
Boxing n.a. n.a. n.a. 932 908 945 +4.1 +4.5 5
Martial arts n.a. n.a. 5,368 5,999 5,996 6,883 +14.8 +28.2 4
Wrestling n.a. n.a. n.a. 2,360 2,026 1,820 −10.2 −28.5 5

calisthenics (6.7 million), and fitness walking (6.6 million) followed closely behind. The highest-ranked team sport, basketball, was played by 5.6 million men at least once a week. (See Table 1.8.)

Women also chose individual fitness activities over team sports. In 2003 the most popular choices of female fitness enthusiasts included stretching (10.7 million participants), fitness walking (9.8 million), treadmill exercise

Indoor sports
Billiards/Pool 35,297 40,254 39,654 39,263 39,527 40,726 +3.0 +15.4
Bowling 47,823 49,022 50,593 55,452 53,160 55,035 +3.5 +15.1
Darts n.a. n.a. 21,792 19,460 19,703 19,486 −1.1 −10.6 4
Table tennis n.a. 17,689 14,999 13,239 12,796 13,511 +5.6 −32.7 1
Wheel sports
Roller hockey n.a. 2,323 3,876 2,733 2,875 2,718 −5.5 +17.0 2
Roller skating (2×2 wheels) n.a. 24,223 14,752 11,443 10,968 11,746 +7.1 −56.7 1
Roller skating (inline wheels) n.a. 13,689 32,010 26,022 21,572 19,233 −10.8 +309.6 1
Scooter riding (non-motorized) n.a. n.a. n.a. 15,796 13,858 11,493 −17.1 −17.2 6
Skateboarding 10,888 5,388 7,190 12,459 12,997 11,090 −14.7 +1.9
Other sports/activities
Bicycling (BMX) n.a. n.a. n.a. 3,668 3,885 3,365 −13.4 −9.8 5
Bicycling (recreational) n.a. n.a. 54,575 52,948 53,524 53,710 +0.3 −1.6 4
Golf 26,261 28,610 29,961 29,382 27,812 27,314 −1.8 +4.0 4
Gymnastics n.a. n.a. 6,224 5,557 5,149 5,189 +0.8 −16.6 4
Swimming (recreational) n.a. n.a. 94,371 93,571 92,667 96,429 +4.1 +2.2 4
Walking (recreational) n.a. n.a. 80,864 84,182 84,986 88,799 +4.5 −9.8 4
Outdoors activities
Camping (tent) 35,232 34,772 42,677 43,472 40,316 41,891 +3.9 +18.9
Camping (recreational vehicle) 22,655 22,187 18,188 19,117 18,747 19,022 +1.5 −16.0
Camping (net) 50,386 49,858 50,650 52,929 49,808 51,007 +2.4 +1.2
Hiking (day) n.a. n.a. 38,629 36,915 36,778 39,096 +6.3 +1.2 4
Hiking (overnight) n.a. n.a. 6,821 6,007 5,839 6,213 +6.4 −8.9 4
Hiking (net) n.a. n.a. 40,117 37,999 37,888 40,409 +6.7 +0.7 4
Horseback riding n.a. n.a. 16,522 16,648 14,641 16,009 +9.3 −3.1 4
Mountain biking 1,512 7,408 8,611 6,189 6,719 6,940 +3.3 +359.0
Mountain/Rock climbing n.a. n.a. 2,004 1,819 2,089 2,169 +3.8 +8.2 4
Artificial wall climbing n.a. n.a. 4,696 7,377 7,185 8,634 +20.2 +83.9 4
Trail running n.a. n.a. 5,249 5,773 5,625 6,109 +8.6 +16.4 4
Shooting sports
Archery 8,558 8,648 7,109 6,442 6,650 7,111 +6.9 −16.9
Hunting (shotgun/rifle) 25,241 23,189 16,684 16,672 16,471 15,232 −7.5 −39.7
Hunting (bow) n.a. n.a. 4,719 4,435 4,752 4,155 −12.6 +12.0 4
Paintball n.a. n.a. 5,923 7,678 8,679 9,835 +13.3 +66.0 4
Shooting (sport clays) n.a. 3,100 2,734 3,324 3,017 3,867 +28.2 +31.9 1
Shooting (trap/skeet) 5,073 n.a. 3,800 3,904 3,696 4,496 +21.6 +11.4
Target shooting (rifle) n.a. n.a. 14,042 13,979 14,336 15,176 +5.9 +8.1 4
Target shooting (handgun) 8 n.a. n.a. 12,110 11,402 11,064 13,836 +25.1 +14.3 4
Target shooting (net) 8 18,947 23,498 18,330 17,838 17,558 19,788 +12.7 +4.4
Fishing
Fishing (fly) 11,359 6,598 7,269 5,999 6,034 6,033 0 −46.9
Fishing (freshwater-other) 50,500 50,198 45,807 43,547 42,605 43,819 +2.8 −13.2
Fishing (saltwater) 19,646 18,490 15,671 13,871 14,874 15,221 +2.3 −22.5
Fishing (net) 58,402 55,442 55,488 53,137 51,426 52,970 +3.0 −9.3
Winter sports
Ice skating n.a. n.a. 18,710 16,753 14,530 17,049 +17.3 −8.9 4
Skiing (cross-country) 8,344 6,489 4,728 4,123 4,080 4,171 +2.2 −50.0
Skiing (downhill) 17,676 17,567 14,836 13,202 14,249 13,633 −4.3 −22.9
Snowboarding n.a. 2,567 5,461 6,797 7,691 7,818 +1.7 +269.5 1
Snowmobiling n.a. n.a. 6,492 6,451 4,515 5,509 +22.0 −15.1 4
Snowshoeing n.a. n.a. 1,721 2,042 2,006 2,479 +23.6 +44.0 4

(6.2 million), lifting hand weights (4.6 million), and running or jogging (4.2 million). The preferred activity of men, fishing, ranked eleventh for women, with 3.1 million participants. (See Table 1.9.)

Popular Sports for Children and Seniors

America’s love of sports and fitness was not bounded by age. The SGMA studied recreational activities that were «frequent» among youths aged six to seventeen during 2003. Active American children and teens enjoyed both team and individual sports, with their top choices being basketball (4.1 million participants), fishing (3.5 million), inline skating (3.5 million), and running/jogging (3.1 million). Stretching, calisthenics, baseball, outdoor soccer, skateboarding, and touch football rounded out the top ten most popular pursuits of younger Americans. (See Table 1.10.)

Many of America’s older adults (those over age fifty-five) have embraced exercise as a strategy for enhancing health and wellness, and the 2003 SGMA survey found that seniors were frequent participants in recreational and fitness activities. Thirteen of the fifteen most popular sports and activities were fitness or outdoor pursuits, led by fitness walking (6.3 million participants), stretching (four million), treadmill exercise (3.1 million), golf (three

1 Thirteen-year change
2 Ten-year change
3 Six-year change
4 Five-year change
5 Four-year change
6 Three-year change
7 Two-year change
8 2003 figure is elevated due to change in category definition from «Pistol» to «Handgun.»
source: «SGMA Sports Participation Trends,» in «Sports Participation Topline Report,» Superstudy of Sports Participation, SGMA International, 2004, http://www.sgma.com/reports/2004/report1081955240-11847.html (accessed September 9, 2004)
Water sports
Boardsailing/Windsurfing 1,145 835 1,075 537 496 779 +57.1 −32.0
Canoeing n.a. n.a. 13,615 12,044 10,933 11,632 +6.4 −14.6 4
Kayaking n.a. n.a. 3,501 4,727 5,562 6,324 +13.7 +80.6 4
Rafting n.a. n.a. 5,570 4,580 4,431 4,553 +2.8 −18.3 4
Jet skiing n.a. n.a. 11,203 10,593 9,806 10,648 +8.6 −5.0 4
Sailing 6,368 3,918 5,902 5,230 5,161 5,232 +1.4 −17.8
Scuba diving 2,433 2,306 3,448 2,744 3,328 3,215 −3.4 +32.1
Snorkeling n.a. n.a. 10,575 9,788 9,865 10,179 +3.2 −3.7 4
Surfing 1,459 n.a. 1,395 1,601 1,879 2,087 +11.1 +43.0
Wakeboarding n.a. n.a. 2,253 3,097 3,142 3,356 +6.8 +49.0 4
Water skiing 19,902 16,626 10,161 8,301 8,204 8,425 +2.7 −57.7
Water sports

million), and fishing (2.6 million). Other popular choices in the seniors’ top ten included recreational vehicle camping, free weight training, bowling, weight and resistance machines, and day hiking. (See Table 1.11.)

PETS—COMPANIONSHIP, PLEASURE, AND WELL-BEING

Pets often provide more than recreation for their owners—they may become companions and family members, and most pet owners report that their pets bring pleasure to their lives. Many pet owners, wanting to extend their pets’ lives and improve their health, are willing to spend large amounts on veterinary care; some purchase health insurance for their pets. Some even send their pampered pets to day camps and spas and make arrangements for the care of their pets in the event of their own illness or death.

The numbers of dog and cat owners are almost equal. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association’s 2003–2004 National Pet Owners Survey, there were about sixty-five million owned dogs in the United States and 77.7 million owned cats. Nearly four out of ten households (40.6 million) owned at least one dog, and a third (35.4 million) owned at least one cat. Seven out of ten dogs that were owned and eight out of ten owned cats were spayed or neutered.

Eighteen percent of owned dogs, and 16% of owned cats, were adopted from animal shelters. Sixty-five percent of owners had just one dog, while half of cat-owners had one cat and the remaining half owned two or more. The

Pets Contribute to Health and Wellness

Research conducted during the late 1990s found that pet ownership was related to better health. At first, it was believed that the effects were simply increased well-being—the obvious delight of hospital and nursing home patients petting puppies, watching kittens play, or viewing fish in an aquarium clearly demonstrated pets’ abilities to calm frayed nerves and make people smile.

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (March 1999) reported that attachment to a companion animal was linked to maintaining or slightly improving the physical and psychological wellbeing of older adults. Following nearly a thousand older adults for one year, researcher Parminder Raina and her associates found that pet owners were more satisfied with their physical health, mental health, family relationships, living arrangements, finances, and friends.

The physiological mechanisms responsible for these health benefits were as yet unidentified; however, some

Most popular sports for women (age 6 and older) based on «frequent» participation, 2003
Activity Year 2003
source: «Most Popular Sports for Women Based on ‘Frequent’ Participation (Age 6 and Older),» in «U.S. Women Set Their Sights on the Gym,» Superstudy of Sports Participation, SGMA International, May 24, 2004, http://www.sgma.com/press/2004/press1085420837-20560.html (accessed September 9, 2004)»
1 Stretching (100+ days/year) 10,710,000
2 Fitness walking (100+ days/year) 9,788,000
3 Treadmill exercise (100+ days/year) 6,160,000
4 Free weights: Hand weights (100+ days/year) 4,587,000
5 Running/jogging (100+ days/year) 4,247,000
6 Weight/resistance machines (100+ days/year) 4,073,000
7 Calisthenics (100+ days/year) 3,921,000
8 Day hiking (15+ days/year) 3,749,000
9 Bowling (25+ days/year) 3,552,000
10 Recreational vehicle camping (15+ days/year) 3,373,000
11 Fishing (freshwater/other) (15+ days/year) 3,103,000
12 Free weights: Dumbbells (100+ days/year) 3,011,000
13 Billiards/pool (25+ days/year) 2,973,000
14 Other exercise to music (100+ days/year) 2,942,000
15 Abdominal machine/device (100+ days/year) 2,208,000

researchers think that pets connect people to the natural world, enabling them to focus on others rather than simply themselves. Other investigators have observed that dog owners walk more than persons without dogs do and credit pet owners’ improved health to exercise. Nearly everyone agrees that the nonjudgmental affection pets offer boosts health and wellness.

Other research has revealed some specific health benefits of human interaction with animals. Several researchers have observed that petting dogs and cats lowers blood pressure. Preliminary results of a study presented in 2004 by Rebecca Johnson, of the University of Missouri—Columbia Center for the Study of Animal Wellness, showed that after human subjects petted a dog, they experienced a massive release of beneficial hormones, including serotonin, beta endorphin, prolactin, dopamine, oxytocin, and beta phenylethalamine. A similar release was also observed in the dog.

HOBBIES

A hobby is an activity or pastime that is performed primarily for pleasure rather than for business. Hobbies were once the mainstay of leisure time. While this sort of activity still exists, industry observers believe it is less popular, seeming to have been surpassed by collecting, a profit-motivated activity.

Some of the most common hobbies are cross-stitching/embroidering, crocheting, quilting, knitting, cake decorating, model train collecting, wreath making, art/drawing, photography, gardening, studying genealogy, floral arranging, woodworking, and solving crossword puzzles. Children and teens often enjoy playing board games; drawing,

painting and sculpting; playing musical instruments; and card collecting.

The Hobby Industry Association (HIA), an industry trade group, in the 2002 Nationwide Craft and Hobby Consumer Usage and Purchases Study, found that 77% of surveyed households reported that at least one member engaged in a craft or hobby, a slight increase from 76% in 2001. Craft and hobby participants were often married, had children, were better educated, and had higher household incomes than noncrafters.

Collecting as Recreation

Collectors devote time, energy, and often considerable financial resources to amassing, compiling, and organizing their collections. Along with more common pursuits, such as stamp, coin, and sports card collecting, there are individuals and groups devoted to collecting

everything imaginable, from antique automobiles, celebrity autographs, and memorabilia from events such as the 1939 World’s Fair, to toys, action figures, and favors distributed with children’s meals at fast-food restaurants.

Unity Marketing’s Collectibles Industry Report 2002 found that 40% of U.S. households were involved with collectibles and characterized the typical collector as someone who was «younger, smarter, more affluent and shop[ped] in a much wider range of retail venues than yesterday’s collector.» While collectors had traditionally been female, men were now emerging as collectors, attracted by online auction sites such as eBay.

VOLUNTEER WORK

Many Americans spend their leisure time in volunteer work helping others. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) survey Volunteering in the United States 2003 found that 63.8 million people did volunteer work of some type between September 2002 and September 2003, up from 59.8 million a year earlier. During the same period the rate of Americans volunteering rose from 27.4% of those age sixteen or older to 28.8%. The median number of hours a volunteer gave during the year was fifty-two. (See Table 1.12.)

Who Volunteers?

The BLS survey found that women were more likely to volunteer, with 32.2% of females over sixteen giving their time compared with 25.1% of men. Americans between the ages of thirty-five and forty-four volunteered the most, at 34.7%, followed by forty-five- to fifty-four- year-olds at 32.7%. Those ages sixty-five and older were least likely to volunteer, at 23.7%, but senior citizens who

Volunteers, by selected characteristics, September 2002 and 2003
(Numbers in thousands)
September 2002r September 2003
Characteristic Number Percent of population Median annual hours Number Percent of population Median annual hours
1 Beginning in 2003, persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group are not included. Prior to 2003, persons who reported more than one race group were in the group they identified as the main race.
2 Data for Asians were not tabulated in 2002.
3 Data refer to persons 25 years and over.
4 Includes high school diploma or equivalent.
5 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree.
6 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs.
7 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs.
r = revised. Estimates for 2002 have been revised to reflect the use of Census 2000-based population controls.
Note: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African-American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino maybe of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.
source: «Table A. Volunteers by Selected Characteristics, September 2002 and 2003,» in Volunteering in the United States, 2003, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 17, 2003, http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/archives/volun_12172003.pdf (accessed September 9, 2004)
Sex
Total, both sexes 59,783 27.4 52 63,791 28.8 52
Men 24,706 23.6 52 26,805 25.1 52
Women 35,076 31.0 50 36,987 32.2 52
Age
Total, 16 years and over 59,783 27.4 52 63,791 28.8 52
16 to 24 years 7,742 21.9 40 8,671 24.1 40
25 to 34 years 9,574 24.8 33 10,337 26.5 36
35 to 44 years 14,971 34.1 52 15,165 34.7 50
45 to 54 years 12, 477 31.3 52 13,302 32.7 52
55 to 64 years 7,331 27.5 60 8,170 29.2 60
65 years and over 7,687 22.7 96 8,146 23.7 88
Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
White 1 52,591 29.2 52 55,572 30.6 52
Black or African American 1 4,896 19.1 52 5,145 20.0 52
Asian 1 2 2 2 1,735 18.7 40
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 4,059 15.5 40 4,364 15.7 40
Educational attainment 3
Less than a high school diploma 2,806 10.1 48 2,793 9.9 48
High school graduate, no college 4 12,542 21.2 49 12,882 21.7 48
Less than a bachelor’s degree 5 15, 066 32.8 52 15,966 34.1 52
College graduates 21,627 43.3 60 23,481 45.6 60
Employment status
Civilian labor force 42,773 29.3 48 45,499 30.9 48
Employed 40,742 29.5 48 43,138 31.2 48
Full time 6 32,210 28.3 46 33,599 29.6 48
Part time 7 8,532 35.4 52 9,539 38.4 52
Unemployed 2,031 25.1 50 2,361 26.7 48
Not in the labor force 17,010 23.7 72 18,293 24.6 66

did participate gave more of their time, putting in a median number of eighty-eight hours in 2003.

Among ethnic groups in 2003, volunteer work was performed by 30.6% of whites, 20% of African-Americans, 18.7% of Asians, and 15.7% of Hispanic Americans. Educational attainment was a significant predictor of volunteer status, with 45.6% of college graduates participating, as compared to 9.9% of those who did not graduate from high school. Job status was also important, with 31.2% of employees giving of their time contrasted with 26.7% of those unemployed. The largest percentage of volunteers came from those working part-time, at 38.4%.

The BLS found that the leading reason volunteers became involved in 2003 was that they had been asked (43.6%), while slightly more than two-fifths (40.7%) approached the organization themselves. These figures held relatively constant between men and women and among the various economic and ethnic groups, although Asians were more likely to approach an organization about joining (48.2%) and less likely to have joined because they were asked (38.7%). (See Table 1.13.) When volunteers stopped participating, the reasons they cited most were lack of time (44.7%), health or medical problems (14.7%), and family responsibilities or childcare problems (9.5%).

What Do Volunteers Do?

The BLS found that the most popular ways volunteers gave their time was working with religious groups

Volunteers, by how they became involved with the volunteer organization and by selected characteristics, September 2003
Percent distribution of how volunteers became involved with 1
Was asked by:
Characteristics in September 2003 Total volunteers (thousands) Total Approached the organization Total 2 Boss or employer Relative, friend, or co-worker Someone in the organization/school Someone else Other Not reporting how became involved
1 Main organization is defined as the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours during the year.
2 Includes persons who did not specify who asked them to volunteer, not shown separately.
3 Data refer to persons 25 years and over.
4 Includes high school diploma or equivalent.
5 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree.
6 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons.
7 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children.
8 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs.
9 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs.
Note: Data on volunteers relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at any point from September 1, 2002, through the survey period in September 2003. Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African-American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.
source: «Table 6. Volunteers by How They Became Involved with Main Organization for Which Volunteer Activities Were Performed and Selected Characteristics, September 2003,» in Volunteering in the United States, 2003, United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 17, 2003, http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/archives/volun_12172003.pdf (accessed September 9, 2004)
Sex
Total, both sexes 63,791 100.0 40.7 43.6 1.2 14.4 26.8 1.0 13.4 2.3
Men 26,805 100.0 40.6 44.3 1.2 15.9 26.0 1.1 12.8 2.3
Women 36,987 100.0 40.9 43.0 1.1 13.3 27.4 1.0 13.8 2.3
Age
Total, 16 years and over 63,791 100.0 40.7 43.6 1.2 14.4 26.8 1.0 13.4 2.3
16 to 24 years 8,671 100.0 41.8 41.8 1.0 16.6 22.5 1.5 13.8 2.7
16 to 19 years 4,758 100.0 41.7 41.4 .4 16.3 23.1 1.5 14.7 2.2
20 to 24 years 3,912 100.0 41.8 42.2 1.8 16.9 21.7 1.4 12.7 3.3
25 years and over 55,121 100.0 40.6 43.8 1.2 14.0 27.5 1.0 13.4 2.2
25 to 34 years 10,337 100.0 39.3 44.3 1.7 14.9 26.4 1.2 14.3 2.1
35 to 44 years 15,165 100.0 41.0 44.2 1.4 13.0 28.9 .8 12.6 2.1
45 to 54 years 13,302 100.0 40.6 43.6 1.2 13.7 27.7 .7 13.3 2.5
55 to 64 years 8,170 100.0 40.3 43.2 1.1 14.4 26.2 1.1 14.3 2.3
65 years and over 8,146 100.0 41.7 43.7 .2 14.8 27.4 1.2 12.6 2.1
Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
White 55,572 100.0 40.8 43.8 1.1 14.4 27.1 1.0 13.2 2.2
Black or African-American 5,145 100.0 39.2 41.7 2.0 13.5 25.3 1.0 15.6 3.5
Asian 1,735 100.0 48.2 38.7 1.3 12.1 23.3 2.0 11.1 2.0
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 4,364 100.0 38.2 46.8 1.1 15.6 29.1 .9 12.6 2.4
Educational attainment 3
Less than a high school diploma 2,793 100.0 38.6 46.2 .4 15.5 29.4 .6 12.8 2.4
High school graduate, no college 4 12,882 100.0 39.1 45.9 .9 15.4 28.6 .8 13.2 1.8
Less than a bachelor’s degree 5 15,966 100.0 40.9 42.7 1.3 13.7 26.3 1.2 14.2 2.2
College graduates 23,481 100.0 41.4 43.2 1.3 13.2 27.5 1.0 12.9 2.4
Marital status
Single, never married 13,670 100.0 41.0 41.4 1.3 16.9 21.6 1.4 14.5 3.0
Married, spouse present 40,486 100.0 40.9 44.4 1.1 13.2 29.0 .9 12.7 2.0
Other marital status 6 9,635 100.0 39.8 43.0 1.4 15.5 25.1 .9 15.1 2.1
Presence of own children under 18 years 7
Men
No own children under 18 years old 16,969 100.0 40.7 43.6 1.2 16.7 24.3 1.1 13.6 2.2
With own children under 18 years old 9,836 100.0 40.4 45.6 1.2 14.4 28.9 1.0 11.6 2.3
Women:
No own children under 18 years old 21,938 100.0 40.9 42.0 1.2 15.2 24.3 1.0 14.7 2.4
With own children under 18 years old 15,049 100.0 40.8 44.5 1.1 10.5 32.0 .9 12.6 2.1
Employment status
Civilian labor force 45,499 100.0 40.0 44.2 1.5 14.6 26.9 .9 13.6 2.3
Employed 43,138 100.0 39.9 44.2 1.6 14.6 27.0 .9 13.6 2.3
Full time 8 33,599 100.0 39.3 45.0 1.9 15.4 26.6 .8 13.3 2.4
Part time 9 9,539 100.0 42.0 41.6 .6 11.5 28.2 1.2 14.5 1.9
Unemployed 2,361 100.0 40.4 43.7 1.0 15.6 25.4 1.4 13.7 2.2
Not in the labor force 18,293 100.0 42.7 41.9 .2 13.7 26.6 1.2 13.1 2.3
Volunteers, by type of volunteer organization and by selected characteristics, September 2003
Percent distribution of volunteers by type of main organization 1
Characteristics in September 2003 Total volunteers (thousands) Total Civic, political, professional, or international Educational or youth service Environmental or animal care Hospital or other health Public safety Religious Social or community service Sport, hobby, cultural, or arts Other Not determined
1 Main organization is defined as the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours during the year.
2 Data refer to persons 25 years and over.
3 Includes high school diploma or equivalent.
4 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree.
5 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons.
6 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children.
7 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs.
8 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs.
Note: Data on volunteers relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at any point from September 1, 2002, through the survey period in September 2003. Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African-American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.
source: «Table 4. Volunteers by Type of Main Organization for Which Volunteer Activities Were Performed and Selected Characteristics, September 2003,» in Volunteering in the United States, 2003, United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 17, 2003, http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/archives/volun_12172003.pdf (accessed September 10, 2004)
Sex
Total, both sexes 63,791 100.00 6.4 27.4 1.7 8.2 1.2 34.6 11.8 4.1 3.1 1.5
Men 26,805 100.00 8.1 24.7 1.9 6.3 2.1 33.9 12.6 5.5 3.4 1.5
Women 36,987 100.00 5.2 29.3 1.5 9.6 .5 35.1 11.2 3.2 3.0 1.5
Age
Total, 16 years and over 63,791 100.00 6.4 27.4 1.7 8.2 1.2 34.6 11.8 4.1 3.1 1.5
16 to 24 years 8,671 100.00 4.6 31.9 2.4 8.6 1.3 29.1 13.4 4.0 3.0 1.7
16 to 19 years 4,758 100.00 4.0 35.5 2.0 6.5 1.2 29.8 13.0 3.7 2.6 1.7
20 to 24 years 3,912 100.00 5.4 27.5 2.9 11.2 1.5 28.3 13.8 4.3 3.5 1.8
25 years and over 55,121 100.00 6.7 26.7 1.6 8.1 1.2 35.4 11.5 4.2 3.2 1.5
25 to 34 years 10,337 100.00 5.3 35.1 1.7 8.4 1.6 29.7 10.7 3.3 2.8 1.4
35 to 44 years 15,165 100.00 5.3 38.5 1.3 5.8 1.2 31.5 8.8 3.9 2.4 1.3
45 to 54 years 13,302 100.00 6.3 27.2 2.1 8.0 1.2 35.3 10.6 4.5 3.2 1.5
55 to 64 years 8,170 100.00 9.8 13.5 1.8 9.4 1.0 39.1 14.5 4.7 4.4 1.8
65 years and over 8,146 100.00 8.4 6.4 .8 10.9 .7 46.5 16.3 4.5 3.8 1.6
Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
White 55,572 100.00 6.5 27.3 1.7 8.4 1.3 33.7 11.9 4.3 3.3 1.5
Black or African-American 5,145 100.00 5.0 27.4 .4 5.9 .5 44.7 10.5 1.7 1.8 2.1
Asian 1,735 100.00 5.6 25.7 2.0 8.7 .4 38.0 10.5 5.2 3.5 .4
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 4 4,364 100.00 5.8 38.5 .7 5.5 .6 32.4 9.6 1.9 3.5 1.7
Educational attainment 2
Less than a high school diploma 2,793 100.00 6.0 22.2 1.0 5.1 1.3 45.7 12.0 2.1 3.0 1.6
High school graduate, no college 3 12,882 100.00 6.0 25.7 1.2 7.8 1.6 39.1 11.7 3.0 2.7 1.2
Less than a bachelor’s degree 4 15,966 100.00 6.0 27.3 1.4 8.5 1.6 35.5 10.9 4.1 3.4 1.3
College graduates 23,481 100.00 7.6 27.3 2.0 8.4 .6 32.2 11.9 5.0 3.3 1.8
Marital status
Single, never married 13,670 100.00 6.1 29.3 2.6 9.7 1.3 26.6 13.8 4.7 3.7 2.0
Married, spouse present 40,486 100.00 6.4 28.1 1.3 7.1 1.2 37.7 10.3 3.8 2.7 1.4
Other marital status 5 9,635 100.00 6.9 21.7 2.0 10.5 .9 32.7 15.2 4.5 4.2 1.2
Presence of own children under 18 years 6
Men:
No own children under 18 years old 16,969 100.00 9.6 18.2 2.3 7.4 2.0 34.3 15.0 5.3 4.2 1.7
With own children under 18 years old 9,836 100.00 5.6 36.1 1.1 4.2 2.3 33.2 8.4 5.8 2.1 1.3
Women:
No own children under 18 years old 21,938 100.00 6.4 17.0 2.2 12.8 .6 37.5 14.5 4.0 3.4 1.7
With own children under 18 years old 15,049 100.00 3.4 47.2 .6 4.8 .4 31.6 6.5 2.0 2.3 1.2
Employment status
Civilian labor force 45,499 100.00 6.5 29.1 1.8 8.1 1.4 33.1 11.2 4.4 3.0 1.5
Employed 43,138 100.00 6.6 28.8 1.8 8.1 1.4 33.2 11.2 4.4 3.0 1.5
Full time 7 33,599 100.00 6.9 28.0 1.7 8.4 1.6 32.8 11.4 4.6 3.0 1.6
Part time 8 9,539 100.00 5.4 31.7 1.9 7.2 .8 34.5 10.7 3.8 2.8 1.2
Unemployed 2,361 100.00 5.3 34.2 3.1 7.8 .5 31.2 10.6 3.4 3.0 .9
Not in the labor force 18,293 100.00 6.1 23.2 1.3 8.4 .7 38.2 13.3 3.5 3.6 1.7

(34.6%), educational or youth service organizations (27.4%), social or community service agencies (11.8%), and hospital or health organizations (8.2%). Fewer were involved with civic, political, professional, or international groups (6.4%); sport, hobby, cultural, or arts organizations (4.1%); environmental or animal care groups (1.7%); and public safety agencies (1.2%). (See Table 1.14.)

The BLS survey found that the most frequent activities performed by volunteers included fund-raising, done at some time by 28.8% of the total; coaching, refereeing, tutoring or teaching (28.6%); collecting, preparing distributing, or serving food (24.9%); providing information, ushering, greeting, or ministering (22%); or engaging in general labor (21.8%). (See Table 1.15.)

Источники информации:

  • http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/09/the-free-time-paradox-in-america/499826/
  • http://devlaamsekust.info/?p=946
  • http://www.visualcapitalist.com/americans-spend-free-time-part-2/
  • http://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/how-americans-spend-their-time

American
teenagers spend their free time doing a lot of different things. They
love to watch television or rent videos. Often young people meet at a
friend’s house to watch videos together. They might call out for a
pizza or make popcorn at home and eat in front of the television.

Young
Americans also enjoy going to the movie theatre, both to watch movies
but also to “hang out” and flirt with people of the opposite sex.
Before going out teenagers usually spend a long time getting ready.
They try to wear their most fashionable clothes and they make sure
their hair looks perfect.

In
America, it is against the law for people under 21 years of age to
drink alcohol, so often they can’t go to the local concerts at
bars, but they do go to the large concerts wherever their favourite
band or pop singer comes to town.

Teenage
girls like to read fashion magazines and magazines about handsome,
famous actors and singers. They also like to go shopping. They might
not buy anything but some girls might spend hours trying on clothes,
jewelry and shoes.

Teenage
boys like to play sports, baseball, basketball, football or soccer.
Many boys read magazines about rock groups or cars and trucks. It is
often the dream of many teenage boys to own their own car. If they
do, they spend most of their free time and extra money making their
cars look beautiful and run perfectly.

Stereotypically
young Americans don’t like to spend time alone. They don’t read
books unless it is absolutely necessary. And when they do read, or do
their homework, they do it in front of the television or with the
stereo on.

Like
most Americans, young Americans like to work because they like to
have money. It’s difficult to find free entertainment in America.
Young people spend a lot of money. In general, they spend a great
portion of their free time buying things to make themselves look
better than their friends or to have better music, clothes, etc. than
their friends.

Vocabulary

teenager,
n

call
out (for), v

enjoy, v

‘hang
out’, v

try
on, v

jewelry,
n

soccer,
n

extra,
adj

free
(of charge), adj

entertainment,
n

подросток

заказать

наслаждаться

‘слоняться’

примерять

ювелирные
изделия

футбол

дополнительный,
излишний

бесплатный

развлечение

  1. Read the text ‘American
    teenagers and their free time
    . Find the English
    equivalents to the following word combinations:

проводить
много времени; в доме друга; смотреть
видеофильмы вместе; заказать пиццу;
приготовить кукурузные хлопья;
“слоняться”; флиртовать с людьми
противоположного пола; выглядеть
безупречно; противозаконно; популярный
певец; журналы мод; ходить в магазины;
примерять; ювелирные изделия; иметь
свою собственную машину; в одиночестве;
несмотря на; с включённым стереомагнитофоном;
бесплатное развлечение.

  1. Write
    10 questions on the text. Let your fellow students answer them.

  1. Retell
    the text ‘American
    teenagers and their free time
    .

  1. Speak
    about your free time.

  1. Get
    ready for the discussion “Problems of Youth”. The following
    questions will help you:

  1. At
    what age can a young person take the responsibilities of adulthood?

  2. What
    kinds of difficulties do some young people have in their
    relationship with parents?

  3. Can
    the young people always discuss their physical, social or emotional
    problems with their parents?

  4. What
    role does the mass-media (newspapers, television, magazines, etc.)
    play in the development of the values of the teenagers?

  5. Do
    they read much? How long do they watch TV a day? What are their
    favourite TV programs?

  6. What
    can be the ideals of the young people? What ideals do you follow?

  7. Why
    do the young people often need idols?

  8. Who
    do they usually choose their idols among? What are their favourite
    sportsmen or sports teams? What fan-clubs do you know in your
    country and abroad?

  9. What
    do young people do in search for self-identity? What kind of clothes
    do they wear? What colours
    do they prefer? How do they do their hair? Why do they speak slang?

  10. What
    economical problems do some young people face? What can you tell
    about unemployment, shortage of money and accommodation among the
    young?

  11. Which
    of these problems may lead the young to use alcohol or drugs or even
    to crime? Does it often happen nowadays?

  12. Where
    can the young earn the pocket money? What do they usually spend it
    on?

  13. What
    can you tell about student activities such as sports, drama clubs,
    debate teams, student newspapers, dancing groups and bands?

  14. Are
    the young people interested in politics?

  15. Why
    is St. Tatiana’s day the favourite holiday for all the students in
    Russia?

VI.
Discuss the problems of youth in your group.

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American teenagers spend their free time doing a lot of different things. They love to watch television or rent videos. Often young people meet at a friend’s house to watch videos together. They might call out for a pizza or make popcorn at home and eat in front of the television.

Young Americans also enjoy going to the movie theatre, both to watch movies but also to “hang out” and flirt with people of the opposite sex. Before going out teenagers usually spend a long time getting ready. They try to wear their most fashionable clothes and they make sure their hair looks perfect.

In America, it is against the law for people under 21 years of age to drink alcohol, so often they can’t go to the local concerts at bars, but they do go to the large concerts wherever their favourite band or pop singer comes to town.

Teenage girls like to read fashion magazines and magazines about handsome, famous actors and singers. They also like to go shopping. They might not buy anything but some girls might spend hours trying on clothes, jewelry and shoes.

Teenage boys like to play sports, baseball, basketball, football or soccer. Many boys read magazines about rock groups or cars and trucks. It is often the dream of many teenage boys to own their own car. If they do, they spend most of their free time and extra money making their cars look beautiful and run perfectly.

Stereotypically young Americans don’t like to spend time alone. They don’t read books unless it is absolutely necessary. And when they do read, or do their homework, they do it in front of the television or with the stereo on.

Like lost Americans, young Americans like to work because they like to have money. It’s difficult to find free entertainment in America. Young people spend a lot of money. In general, they spend a great portion of their free time buying things to make themselves look better than their friends or to have better music, clothes, etc. than their friends.

Vocabulary
teenager, n
call out (for), v
enjoy, v
‘hang out’, v
try on, v
jewelry, n
soccer, n
extra, adj
free (of charge), adj
entertainment, n
подросток
заказать
наслаждаться
‘слоняться’
примерять
ювелирные изделия
футбол
дополнительный, излишний
бесплатный
развлечение

I. Read the text ‘ American teenagers and their free time ’. Find the English equivalents to the following word combinations:
проводить много времени; в доме друга; смотреть видеофильмы вместе; заказать пиццу; приготовить кукурузные хлопья; “слоняться”; флиртовать с людьми противоположного пола; выглядеть безупречно; противозаконно; популярный певец; журналы мод; ходить в магазины; примерять; ювелирные изделия; иметь свою собственную машину; в одиночестве; несмотря на; с включённым стереомагнитофоном; бесплатное развлечение.

II. Write 10 questions on the text. Let your fellow students answer them.

III. Retell the text ‘ American teenagers and their free time ’.

IV. Speak about your free time.

V. Get ready for the discussion “Problems of Youth”. The following questions will help you:

1. At what age can a young person take the responsibilities of adulthood?

2. What kinds of difficulties do some young people have in their relationship with parents?

3. Can the young people always discuss their physical, social or emotional problems with their parents?

4. What role does the mass-media (newspapers, television, magazines, etc.) play in the development of the values of the teenagers?

5. Do they read much? How long do they watch TV a day? What are their favourite TV programs?

6. What can be the ideals of the young people? What ideals do you follow?

7. Why do the young people often need idols?

8. Who do they usually choose their idols among? What are their favourite sportsmen or sports teams? What fan-clubs do you know in your country and abroad?

9. What do young people do in search for self-identity? What kind of clothes do they wear? What colours do they prefer? How do they do their hair? Why do they speak slang?

10. What economical problems do some young people face? What can you tell about unemployment, shortage of money and accommodation among the young?

11. Which of these problems may lead the young to use alcohol or drugs or even to crime? Does it often happen nowadays?

12. Where can the young earn the pocket money? What do they usually spend it on?

13. What can you tell about student activities such as sports, drama clubs, debate teams, student newspapers, dancing groups and bands?

14. Are the young people interested in politics?

15. Why is St. Tatiana’s day the favourite holiday for all the students in Russia?

VI. Discuss the problems of youth in your group.



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Imagine that you are doing a project on how teenagers in Zetland spend their free time. You have found some data on the subject — the results of the opinion polls (see the table below).

Comment on the data in the table and give your opinion on the subject of the project.

Аctivities

Number of teenagers (%)

Going for a walk
with friends

45

Going to the cinema

22

Shopping in the mall

15

Eating out in the
cafe

13

Visiting music
festivals

5

 Write 200-250 words. Use the following plan: 

—           make an opening statement on the subject of the project;

—           select and report 2-3 facts;

—           make 1-2 comparisons where relevant;

—           outline a problem that can arise with ways of spending free time and suggest a way of solving it;

—           conclude by giving your opinion on the best way of spending free time.

Spending free time is really important, especially for teenagers. While doing a project on spending free time, I have found a table with some data showing how adolescents spend their free time in Zetland. I am going to analyse the data and express my opinion. 

As can be seen in the table, most respondents in Zetland spend their free time to go for a walk with friends and to go to the cinema — 45% and 22% respectively. It is also clear that the least popular purpose of spending free time is visiting music festivals (just 5%).

Based on the table, shopping in the mall, which was named by 15% of the respondents, is 2% more popular than eating out in the cafe, which is popular with 13% of the surveyed. It demonstrates that more people like to buy new clothes in the shopping centre rather than spend money on the meal. 

One problem that can be connected with visiting music festivals is that people spend a large amount of money on live concerts. However, there is a possible solution to this problem. People should watch music festivals online. 

In conclusion, I believe that spending free time is crucial for teenagers, because it helps to relax, gain energy and just for fun. 

American leisure activities by age, income percentile, and gender

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics breaks down how the country relaxes by age, wealth, gender, and more. Valerio Pellegrini

Money is a major factor.

Eleanor Cummins
|

Updated Jul 28, 2021 3:07 PM EDT

THE WORD LEISURE—time that belongs to you, free from work or other duties—dates to 14th-century Europe. But for much of its existence, the term was an abstract concept to all but the wealthy. That began to change in the United States in the late 1800s as laborers pushed for a 40-hour week. At long last, the masses could unwind at parks, theaters, and beaches.

Today, we spend our spare moments a little differently, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual American Time Use Survey reveals. While sports and socialization remain important, modern escapes are increasingly digital and defined by television and video games. Yet who gets to decompress, and how, still varies widely. Map the data and you’ll find that sex, income, and family life determine how we spend our free time.

Screen time

Tv watching across different ages

Illustration: Valerio Pellegrini

Kids get a bad rap for watching too much TV. But folks 65 and up are getting the most screen time: Older Americans take in more than four hours daily. It’s a great source of entertainment, yet it’s not universally good for you; excessive tube time encourages people to stay sedentary, which doesn’t do anyone’s heart, muscles, or bone density any favors.

Kidding aside

Relaxing across kids ages 6 to 18

Illustration: Valerio Pellegrini

Children dictate how their caretakers spend their days. People with little ones under six, who require constant attention and active playtime, got just 18.6 minutes of relaxation a day in 2019. But it’s the parents of teens who get the least: They spend 11 minutes a day chilling out, and the rest of the time worrying what trouble their young adults are getting into.

Pushy notifications

Leisure activities broken down by income percentiles

Illustration: Valerio Pellegrini

The one thing money can’t buy is time. Too bad, because those with hefty salaries tend to have too little of it: just nine minutes of calm a day among top earners. Several social factors are at fault, but smartphones deserve the most blame. Those devices make it easy to play games or chat with friends at work, but they also let your boss ping you at all hours.

Workout break

Sports and exercise time broken down by income percentile

Illustration: Valerio Pellegrini

If you want to get swole, consider getting rich first. High earners often have less downtime, but those in the top 25 percent spend an average of 21 minutes a day on sports and exercise—almost twice that of folks in the bottom 25 percent. But it’s not all good news. Although more money is correlated with more frequent trips to the gym, it’s also linked to more drinking.

Home life

Leisure activities among men and women

Illustration: Valerio Pellegrini

Women typically enjoy less free time than men. It’s a sizable deficit too: 40.2 minutes daily in 2019. That’s because many work outside the home and also bear the most responsibility for child care and household chores. While they’re busy crossing things off their to-do lists, dudes are whiling away their extra time gaming or watching TV.

This story originally ran in the Spring 2021 Calm issue of PopSci. Read more PopSci+ stories.

Daily habits of Americans

то что делают в США

Americans as representatives of a free nation have a number of inherent habits and distinctive features, without which they do not represent their daily lives.

The love of Americans for coffee has passed all the permissible boundaries. In Europe, it is customary to drink coffee in small cups, but Americans have distinguished themselves here, as they drink this wonderful drink in large paper glasses with a lid and a tube. Americans drink coffee with different flavors, but the most important condition is the addition of ice. The inhabitants of America drink coffee at any time of the day, behind the wheel, in the store, on the street.

Americans do not imagine their lives without air conditioning. They are installed in all places of congestion of people and in transport at any time of the year. Many people who came to America for the first time, for a long time can not get used to constant cold air and often get sick. But the Americans feel great themselves, because from the childhood they are accustomed to coolness in the room.

Americans are very educated and well-read people. There are book departments with various literature in all shops, kiosks, shopping centers. Americans read a lot and everywhere: on vacation, in transport, on the street. There is nothing surprising if you see a group of young people sitting on the grass near a tree with books in hands.

Another distinguishing feature of Americans is credit. Almost the entire population of America lives on credit: cars, houses, large amounts of money, all these, people receive loans, which are always repaid regularly.

Every American must have a car, no matter his own or rented, because most of the time they spend behind the wheel. Public transport is often overloaded and has a clear schedule, so it’s easier for an American to get behind the wheel and head for business. 

Перевод

Американцы как представители свободной нации имеют ряд присущих только им привычек и отличительных черт, без которых они не представляют свою повседневную жизнь.

Любовь американцев к кофе перешла все допустимые границы. В Европе принято пить кофе в маленьких чашечках, но американцы и здесь отличились, так как пьют этот чудесный напиток в больших бумажных стаканах с крышкой и трубочкой. Кофе американцы пьют с разными вкусовыми добавками, но самое главное условие — добавление льда. Жители Америки пьют кофе в любое время суток, за рулем, в магазине, на улице.

Американцы не представляют свою жизнь без кондиционеров. Они устанавливаются во всех местах скопления людей и в транспорте, в любое время года. Многие люди приехавшие в Америку впервые, долго не могут привыкнуть к постоянному холодному воздуху и часто заболевают. Но сами американцы, чувствуют себя замечательно, потому что с детства приучены к прохладе в помещении.

Американцы весьма образованные и начитанные люди. Во всех магазинах, киосках, торговых центрах имеются книжные отделы с различной литературой. Американцы  читают много и везде: на отдыхе, в транспорте, на улице. Нет ничего удивительного если вы увидите группу молодых людей сидящих на траве около дерева с книгами в руках.

Еще одна отличительная черта американцев — кредит. Почти все население Америки живет в кредит: автомобили, дома, большие суммы денег, на все этот люди получают кредиты, которые всегда исправно выплачивают.

У каждого американца обязательно должна быть машина, не важно своя собственная или взятая напрокат, так как большую часть времени они проводят за рулём. Общественный транспорт часто перегружен и имеет четкий график, поэтому американцу проще сесть за руль и направиться по делам.

Повседневные привычки американцев3.7 out of
5
based on
3 votes

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