The advent and rapid evolution of technology in the last two decades has transformed our 21st-century world. We live in a society where instant gratification is not just desired but expected, and this has crossed over into the mediums we use to entertain ourselves.
Where once our favored ways to occupy ourselves consisted of creative or athletic hobbies, such as reading, painting, cycling, or running, most of our free time is now spent on more technologically focused forms of entertainment.
In many instances, we’ve taken what we loved already and simply moved it to a more streamlined platform. We still read but on tablets rather than from the deliciously scented pages of a book. We still draw, but digital artistry is beginning to overtake pencils and sketchbooks.
It leads to an interesting question: how exactly are we entertaining ourselves in the 21st century? To answer that query, we’ve compiled these thought-provoking statistics.
Watching TV shows and movies
When it comes to keeping occupied, research conducted in 2018 revealed that roughly 27 percent – or more than a quarter – of our entertainment hours are spent watching movies and TV shows. This comes as little surprise considering the popularity of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, which have made it easier than ever to access the content we want at our convenience. Meaning we’re no longer restricted to watching our favorite shows when they actually air, and giving us the chance to binge back-to-back episodes, it’s arguably expected that they would have led to such a boost in viewing hours.
Listening to music
People have always enjoyed listening to music, and the popularity of doing so held firm in 2018. With 19 percent of our entertainment hours spent enjoying our favorite songs, we have nonetheless changed the way we appreciate artists. Where once we would have gone out and bought records or later CDs, three-fourths of music transactions are now digital – as they have been for the last three years. That being said, there is one statistic that the average person might find surprising: a third of consumers continue to purchase physical music exclusively.
Video gaming
Coming in in third place in terms of popularity was video gaming, which ate up around 16 percent of the average person’s entertainment hours. This industry also showed a shift toward digital, with the number of consumers purchasing physical games exclusively dropping from 47 percent three years previously to 36 percent. Gaming, in general, experienced a boost, with record numbers immersing themselves in the world of online casino too. With the global market now worth almost $50 billion, an ever-increasing number are taking part. These players increasingly took advantage of the endless entertainment available from companies like LeoVegas, PartyCasino, and Zodiac Casino, which provide a host of great games and brilliant offers to continually enhance the user experience.
While traditional forms of entertainment like reading and participating in physical games and activities remain popular, it’s evident that in the 21st century, digital reigns supreme. Tell us, do these percentages ring true for you?
