The dominance of TV remains unbroken
What role do the media play in people's everyday lives? For more than a quarter of a century, the Leisure Time Monitor of the Foundation for Future Studies has been systematically investigating the leisure time behavior of Germans and therefore provides interesting information to answer this question.
It also provides valuable insights into how the importance of different media has changed over time. The current study shows: While changes can be observed in many media genres, the dominance of television in consumers' everyday lives remains unbroken.
In order to gain a precise understanding of leisure behavior, GfK market researchers conducted a personal survey of more than 4,000 German consumers aged 14 and over on behalf of the Stiftung für Zukunftsfragen. According to the survey, consumers have an average of 3 hours and 56 minutes of free time on working days. The size of the leisure budget is not primarily determined by factors such as gender or income, but almost exclusively by the stage of life. Retired people (5h:10m) and young people (4h:13m) have the most free time in which they can do as they please, while families with children have the least (2h:54m). Overall, daily free time has decreased slightly by 7 minutes compared to the previous year. A closer look at leisure behavior reveals the extent to which the media shape consumers' everyday leisure time: Six of the ten most common leisure activities are media activities.In the generation under 30, even the nine most common activities are determined by the media.
And while media activities have become more important in a 10-year comparison, social activities - e.g. spending time with friends - have become less important. So how important are the individual media? According to the study, the dominance of TV remains unbroken: 97% of consumers watch TV at least once a week, and more than two thirds even watch it every day. This means that TV has been in first place for a quarter of a century, i.e. for the 25th time in a row. The 5-year comparison also shows that TV usage has remained constant (+/-0%). This means that TV use is already well ahead of the second and third-placed media activities, listening to the radio (90%/+1%) and telephoning by landline (87%/-4%). The gap is even greater when it comes to reading newspapers and magazines, with around three out of four consumers (73%/-6%) engaging in this activity at least once a week. Although regular use of the internet has increased significantly compared to 2009 (23%), "only" 71% still use it in their free time. If we analyze TV usage further, it becomes clear that television succeeds in engaging everyone like no other medium. Whether male or female, urban or rural dweller, rich or poor - TV consumption is the most regular leisure activity for everyone. Television is also the top leisure activity in almost all phases of life. For singles (95% at least once a week), couples (99%), families (96%) and senior citizens (98%), TV leads the rankings. However, as expected, teenagers and young adults, who are very internet and mobile-savvy, also watch TV very regularly: 96% and 92% of them watch TV at least once a week, putting TV in second and third place respectively among the most frequent leisure activities in these groups.
Clemens Koob
Key Facts
- On average, consumers have 3h:56m free time on weekdays.
- 6 of the 10 most common leisure activities are media activities.
- TV has been the number one leisure activity for 25 years: 97% of consumers watch TV at least once a week (+/-0% compared to 2009).
- Radio (90%/+1%), landline telephony (87%/-4%), reading newspapers/magazines (73%/ -6%) and the Internet (71%/+23%) follow.
- TV manages to engage everyone like no other medium - regardless of whether they are men or women, urban or rural dwellers, rich or poor. Teenagers and young adults also watch TV regularly (96%/92% at least weekly).
