Library Index :: Social Issues & Debate Topics :: The Role of Recreation in American Society - A Changing Role, What Americans Seek Through Recreation, Trends In The Leisure Market, Sports: An Expression Of National Values
 

The Role of Recreation in American Society - Trends In The Leisure Market

The Influence of the Baby Boom Generation

According to Jeffrey Ziegler in the article "Recreating Retirement: How Will Baby Boomers Reshape Leisure in Their 60s" (Parks & Recreation, October 2002), the leisure interests of "baby boomers" (those born between 1946 and 1964, when the U.S. birth rate peaked) were different from those of the generations that preceded them. Writing about how baby boomers would fare as they began to reach retirement age, he observed that:

  • Boomers tended to be better educated than preceding generations, and worked and played hard.
  • Boomers viewed themselves as younger than their chronological age.
  • Boomers purchased more upscale goods and services than other age groups.
  • Boomers tended to overschedule themselves, seeking to pack activity into every hour of the day.
  • Boomers were less likely to volunteer their time than other age groups.
  • Boomers wanted to separate themselves from things that made them feel old.

TABLE 8.3

Demographic distribution of adults participating in leisure activities other than the arts at least once in the 12-month period ending August 2002
U.S. adult population Home improvement/repair Benchmark arts activities1
Millions Percent Movies Sports events Amusement park Exercise program Playing sports Outdoor activities Charity work Gardening
1Benchmark arts activities include going to at least one jazz, classical music, or opera performance; musical play; play; ballet; or art museum
2Not including Hispanics.
Note: Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding
SOURCE: Adapted from "Table 8. Demographic Distribution of U.S. Adults Who Attend/Visit/Read at Least Once in the 12-Month Period Ending August, 2002" and "Table 27. Demographic Distribution of Adults Participating in Other Leisure Activities at Least Once in the 12-Month Period Ending August, 2002," in 2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, 2004, http://www.arts.gov/pub/NEASurvey2004.pdf (accessed September 9, 2004)
Gender
Male 98.7 47.9% 47.4% 56.5% 46.4% 47.8% 61.0% 53.2% 42.2% 52.2% 37.6% 44.2%
Female 107.2 52.1 52.6 43.5 53.6 52.2 39.0 46.8 57.8 47.8 62.4 55.8
Total 205.9 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0%
Race and ethnicity
Hispanic 22.7 11.0 9.6 8.3 10.3 8.0 8.1 5.3 5.8 7.3 8.1 6.5
White1 150.1 72.9 76.5 79.9 74.8 78.2 79.1 88.1 81.6 82.0 80.5 80.5
African-American2 23.7 11.5 9.4 8.9 10.1 9.6 8.7 3.1 9.0 7.1 7.4 8.1
Other2 9.5 4.6 4.5 2.9 4.8 4.2 4.1 3.5 3.5 3.7 4.0 4.9
Total 205.9 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Age
18–24 26.8 13.0 17.9 17.1 17.9 14.5 21.1 15.8 11.3 6.5 5.7 11.8
25–34 36.9 17.9 22.0 21.4 24.2 19.6 23.4 22.5 16.1 17.4 15.7 18.0
35–44 44.2 21.5 24.2 25.7 27.3 23.1 25.7 27.0 24.5 26.7 23.4 23.0
45–54 39.0 18.9 19.0 19.4 16.8 20.1 17.8 20.2 21.8 24.5 22.1 22.1
55–64 25.9 12.6 9.8 9.2 8.2 11.1 6.6 8.9 12.2 13.3 15.1 13.0
65–74 17.6 8.5 4.6 4.8 3.8 7.3 3.9 4.2 8.5 7.8 10.4 7.7
75 and over 1 5.5 7.5 2.4 2.4 1.7 4.3 1.5 1.4 5.5 3.9 7.6 4.4
Total 205.9 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Education
Grade school 11.6 5.6 1.8 1.5 2.3 2.2 1.3 1.1 1.6 2.6 3.9 1.1
Some high school 20.1 9.8 6.4 4.9 7.2 5.8 5.5 4.9 4.2 5.7 6.4 3.4
High school graduate 63.8 31.0 26.7 25.0 28.2 25.7 23.1 25.0 21.6 26.0 28.7 19.5
Some college 56.9 27.6 31.7 31.5 32.4 31.2 32.0 32.3 31.4 30.3 29.0 31.4
College graduate 36.1 17.5 22.5 25.5 21.0 23.2 26.0 24.4 25.7 23.1 20.7 28.5
Graduate school 1 7.4 8.5 10.9 11.6 8.9 11.9 12.1 12.4 15.5 12.3 11.3 16.2
Total 205.9 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Income
Less than $10K 14.4 7.0 4.9 3.6 5.5 5.1 3.7 3.7 4.3 3.5 5.2 4.1
$10K to $20K 22.7 11.0 8.5 6.9 8.8 9.2 7.3 6.8 7.8 6.7 10.0 6.8
$20K to $30K 25.0 12.1 10.7 8.8 11.0 10.9 9.3 9.1 9.5 8.9 11.6 8.7
$30K to $40K 24.2 11.8 12.3 10.9 12.0 12.4 11.1 12.3 12.0 12.6 12.7 11.5
$40K to $50K 17.6 8.5 9.9 9.3 9.5 9.4 9.0 10.2 9.4 10.2 9.8 9.4
$50K to $75K 34.7 16.9 21.4 23.6 22.1 21.1 21.7 22.7 22.4 23.2 21.4 21.3
$75K and over 45.8 22.2 32.2 36.9 31.1 31.9 37.9 35.2 34.5 34.9 29.1 38.2
Total 205.9 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
  • Boomers tended to prefer more individualized activities than group events, and preferred to socialize in small circles.
  • Boomers viewed retirement as only a "mid-life" event, and planned to work part-time, change careers, or start new businesses.

Given these characteristics, as well as other societal trends, Ziegler noted that retirement centers for members of this generation would have to include high-end fitness centers, opportunities for adult education, and up-to-date computer facilities, and offer such amenities for extended hours.

Productivity vs. Fun

A May 2003 survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the Hilton Family of Hotels, the Hilton Family Leisure Time Advocacy Study (LTA), found that 32% of those polled postponed fun because they felt guilty when not doing something they believed was productive. At the same time, more than two-thirds said they needed to have more fun in their lives. Seventy-four percent said they thought Americans placed a higher value on success in the workplace than success at home, and 34% said they felt these priorities were wrong. Americans were unsure about whether the national ethic of hard work and long hours was good or bad—a third said it had a positive effect on the culture, while 31% said it had a negative one.

As for the rejuvenating effect of leisure time, the LTA study reported that just 23% of Americans said they felt energized and ready for the workweek at the end of a weekend, while the remaining 77% were in a negative state—tired, stressed, apprehensive, or simply on "autopilot." When asked what they would do if they could "do it all over again," 15% said they would work harder in life, while 40% said they would spend more time enjoying leisure activities.

While the LTA did find that nine out of ten Americans reported being happy, and 53% said they were "very" or "extremely" happy, 46% also said that their lives were more stressful than five years earlier. Ultimately, most Americans said they wished they had one more day of leisure time per week. The number one choice for spending it was to be with friends and family, followed by pursuing hobbies.

VACATIONING. The LTA also found that while 69% of Americans said they felt as though they needed a vacation "right now," more than half (55%) said they did not take all the vacation days they were entitled to at work each year. The main reasons cited for not vacationing were guilt, time, and money.

When Americans did find time to get away, they found a range of options available. A survey conducted in 2001 by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and published in Cruise Industry Overview (spring 2004), found that among persons who had taken cruises, more than two-fifths (43%) said they were "extremely satisfied" with their vacations. This response was nine percentage points higher than the number who reported being extremely satisfied with a visit to friends or relatives. Packaged land-based vacations were ranked extremely satisfying by 30%, as were camping trips. Vacation house rentals (29%) and nonpackaged trips (28%) were slightly lower on the list. (See Table 8.4.)

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