Impact of COVID-19 on Leisure Activities: A Look at How Australians Spent Their Spare Time, Essays (high school) of English

Download Impact of COVID-19 on Leisure Activities: A Look at How Australians Spent Their Spare Time and more Essays (high school) English in PDF only on Docsity! ea aL tc Report no. 5: PLU tel SEPTEMBER 2020 OVERVIEW Each family has had their own unique experience of the COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown. One area particularly affected by the restrictions was our leisure time, outside of school, work and other responsibilities. Stay-at-home directives and the loss of usual forms of recreation meant many of our usual activities were closed, and many of us had to find new ways to spend our spare time. In this report, we look at how COVID-19 affected our recreational and ‘spare time’ activities. We explore how we spent time with our family as well as how we spent time alone and with others. The survey was conducted from May to early June 2020. Depending on when people did the survey in this period and where they live, some responses are from those who were less restricted in their activity options. The most popular activity we spent more time doing was watching TV and movies (51%). This was particularly true of young adults under 30 (68%). The second activity we were most likely to spend more time on was baking or doing art and craft (46%). This was especially true for both women and people with children. Those who were working from home were most likely to increase time on shared meals and exercise. Stopping work during this time was associated with increased time learning a new language, hobby or skill and arts, craft and baking. People living alone were the most likely to do social activities virtually and in real life. Exercise was important for many, done alone by 57% of those doing some exercise and done with others in the household by 52% of those exercising. Activities we did less of were especially those involving social connection. Australian Institute of Family Studies | 1 Jb! LIFE DURING COVID-19 ~F (CX FAMILIES IN AUSTRALIA SURVEY SS ACTIVITIES WE DID LESS OF Restrictions on activities outside the home had an impact on leisure activities, and especially opportunities to socialise and talk with others and share meals with others. Many did these activities less and few did them more often during COVID-19. Some spent less time exercising, and people spoke of missing sport in particular. Others reported impacts on the time they spent watching or listening to music or concerts. See Figure 3 in our first report for some of the activities our participants told us they particularly missed during the COVID-19 restrictions: aifs.gov.au/publications/ families-australia-survey-life-during-covid-19 / miss going to group classes at gym. Work has gotten a lot more busy and | have gone from 5 group classes a week to not exercising at all. ... [miss church... | miss salsa dancing. | miss seeing my partner who’s overseas and going hiking with him. Female, 32, from NSW with partner currently living elsewhere ACTIVITIES WE DID MORE OF With families spending more time at home, and outside of the home activities restricted, people found themselves with more time to do more of their usual leisure activities, as well as time to try some new ones. This is what people told us they were doing more of: = Half our respondents reported that they were spending more time watching TV and movies. = Just under half were spending more time baking, doing art and craft (46%) or playing games and doing puzzles (43%). = One in three found they were exercising more, either inside or outside. = Thirty per cent spent more time reading for pleasure. We often eat meals together during the week but during the lock in we have had some really special family dinners where we have cooked special food and spent the evening playing board games and card games, and sharing lots of banter and laughter. Female, 56, lives with partner and two young adult children in Victoria Figure 1: Time spent on activities during COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19 Shared meals with other people Made music or danced Learning a language, new skill orhobby Socialised, talked Watched/listened to music/concerts Read for pleasure Exercised inside or outside Played games or puzzles Art, craft, baking Watched TV or movies T 40 60 80 100 Per cent i More often [ff Equally [fj Less often Note: The bars add to the percentage who said this activity was applicable to them. 2 | aifs.gov.au WHO WE DIDACTIVITIES WITH, AND HOW Given that many people were restricting their activities outside the household it was not surprising that, when asked, most people said that whatever activity they did, it was largely done alone or with others in their household. Where others were involved it tended to be activities that were done virtually rather than IRL Cin real life). Sometimes these virtual activities were new to people and sometimes they were simply a new way of doing a previous activity. My dance classes have all moved online, and moving all my other workouts online has been a struggle with having so much screen time. | probably would have stopped without my housemate who decided to do all the workouts with me. Female, 21, lives alone in Queensland My daughter and | have enjoyed watching the concerts that were live streamed by the Australian Ballet. Female, 47, lives with partner and teenage daughter in ACT Report no. 5: What we did during lockdown HOW WE SOCIALISED As noted earlier, many people spent less time socialising and sharing meals with others during COVID-19. Where people were socialising or spending time with others, this was often through virtual means during COVID-19. Those living alone were the most likely to socialise or talk with others through virtual means (among those who spent time socialising, 72% vs 59% of those not living alone). They were also the most likely to be socialising or talking in real life (51% vs 31% of those not living alone). Additionally, people living alone were more likely than others to be catching up with others outside the household for meals (74% of those living alone sometimes sharing meals reported doing so with others in real life and 34% doing so virtually). We have been cooking with my two sisters and their kids over Skype weekly, where we all cook the same thing together, this has been really good. Female, 41, lives with two young children in NSW Visited and shared meals kids and grandkids, in person where possible, and online. Male, 69, lives with partner in NSW y Studies | 5 Jb! LIFE DURING COVID-19 ~—F (CS FAMILIES IN AUSTRALIA SURVEY SS FINDING WAYS TO EXERCISE Many people found ways to maintain or increase exercise time in a variety of forms including walking, bike riding and running. Sometimes exercise was done alone (57%) and sometimes it provided an opportunity for family time (52% sometimes exercised with those they live with). Our family has started each day with a long walk or scooter/bike riding, which has been fantastic for our health (physical/mental), to connect with others (simply saying ‘hello’ to passersby on the street) and to support our local business by buying and enjoying a coffee or juice. Female, 36, lives with partner and three young children in NSW. For a smaller proportion (17%), exercise was done with others outside the household, providing a chance to socialise. Those living alone were more likely than those living with others to exercise with people outside their household (27% compared to 15%). Figure 3: Who, with or how. activities were done == Meals. TV Music — Games Newskill __Exercise Art Makemusic Read Social HB Aicne = J) Othersinhousehold J In personwith others outside the household WB virwai Report no. 5: What we did duringlockdown WHATACTIVITIES WERE IMPORTANT TO US? We asked people to tell us about the activities that were important to them. The wide range of responses given shows the diverse experiences of families during this time. Spent more time talking and doing both housework and gardening with my partner... being isolated from others freely during the lockdown didn’t increase any level of stress but in fact allowed a more relaxed atmosphere. Male, 72, lives with partner in NSW Teaching the children some cooking skills has been something they have enjoyed. Playing games together likes snap, Fish, Uno and Jenga has been really enjoyable. Folding out the futon bed and watching family movies and having garlic bread has become a nice family memory for the three of us. Male, 43, Tasmania My kids have taken this time to learn to improve their cooking skills. They try a new recipe each night for dinner. It has been brilliant! Female, 43, lives with partner and two teenage children in NSW. Cleaning and cooking shared by all members of the household. Male, 28, shares house with other adults in Queensland Spent a lot more time outdoors as a family riding bikes, walking and playing in the park, More time with my partner at home. We have a technology free night where we play games or talk. And a date night in with candles and a home-cooked meal. Female, 38, lives with partner and young child in Victoria Each week we have played games online with family that live in another suburb, town and country. We have been more connected all together at the same time. Normally we would all catch up individually over the week, Now we do the individual calls and the group calls each week. Female, 54, lives with partner in Queensland Adopted a dog. Gardening and planting fruit trees. Visiting grandparents every Sunday for lunch, Restarted weekly yoga classes (virtually). Female, 44, single parent with young teenager in Tasmania Australian Institute of Family Studies | 7