Books and theater are out, digital fun is in, according to a recent survey on Germans' favorite pastimes. Meeting with friends and having sex are also less common - but Germans love the internet.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
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What Germans do in their free time
Reading is out, surfing is in. How do Germans really spend their extra time? A recent survey found out.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/. Balk
There's always time for TV
In surveys over the past three decades, watching TV has been Germans' unchallenged most popular pastime. Consumption has continuously increased since West Germany allowed private TV channels to go on air in 1984. This year, 97 percent of those polled by a Hamburg institute said they watch the tube at least once a week - and that it is their favorite leisure activity.
Image: Colourbox
Turn on the radio
Listening to the radio is also still one of Germans' favorite free-time activities. Although it still might be done as actively as in the retro picture above, many Germans enjoy listening to their favorite stations while driving, doing household chores or simply relaxing. Ninety percent of those polled said it was a leisure activity for them.
Image: ullstein bild - Paul Mai
Surfing and chatting to relax
Making phone calls and using the internet seem to be relaxing for many Germans as well. Eighty-nine percent named the former and 73 percent the latter as their favorite pastime. The internet has overtaken reading newspapers and magazines for the first time since the survey began.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Kalaene
Staying informed
Reading newspapers and magazines might have lost its position to the internet and experienced an overall decline of seven percent, but it is still a classic leisure activity for many Germans. Overall 72 percent said it was one of their favorite activities when they have some free time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Holschneider
Music anytime and everywhere
Like listening to the radio, listening to music is something that can be done passively. Music streaming services and free internet radio stations that can be received anywhere via smartphone mean that listening is on the rise. It's not among the top 10 leisure activities, but is increasing each year. Roughly half of those polled said they enjoyed music on their mobile phone.
Image: Imago/Westend61
No time for sex
Over the past five years, Germans have started spending more time grooming themselves - and their garden. But both activites aren't as important to Germans as spending time with their partners or sleeping in on free days. However, less than a third mentioned sex as a favorite pastime. Perhaps they are too busy watching TV.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Less social interaction
In comparison to past years, the Germans are however spending less time meeting with friends. Instead they are interacting with them via social media. Many Germans are also spending less time playing with children - which could be explained by the lower birth rates in the past years.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/. Balk
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Nearly all Germans - 97 percent - like to chill after work or school in front of the television. According to a survey released Thursday by the Hamburg-based "Stiftung für Zukunftsfragen" (Foundation for Future Studies), TV is Germany's most beloved pastime. However, group watching with family and friends is on the decline.
The foundation carries out an annual study to find out more about Germans and their leisure activities. For this year's survey, they asked 3,000 people aged 14 and above in personal interviews how they like to spend their free time.
True to its reputation as the land of thinkers and philosophers, three out of four surveyed said they just like to sit and think or read the newspaper.
The internet has seen a huge increase in users (75.5 percent), but not only among the young Germans. One third of the generation aged 65 and older regularly goes online in their free time.
A difference could be noted between households with lower incomes (up to 1,500 euros or $1,700 monthly), which tend to be more spontaneous when it comes to spending their free time.
Households with a higher income (more then 3,500 euros monthly) preferred to spend their free time with their family.
According to the survey, a number of classic pastimes are dying out. More than half of those surveyed said they wouldn't bother going to the theater or opera, volunteering or joining a club.
Socializing has also decreased, with only 17.3 percent saying they like to meet friends in their free time - down 8.7 percent from last year. Having sex is also less popular with less than one third calling it a favorite pastime.
Many said they don't always end up doing what they would like to do in their spare time and would like to change that in the coming years.
