The six leisure ideals of Germans

Leisure time is free time, but not inactivity. According to the BAT Leisure Research Institute, this is how Germans' ideas about meaningful leisure time can be summarized. This suggests that television, bottled beer, and slippers, as symbols of traditionally passive leisure activities, will soon be obsolete. Future leisure ideals include: living independently and being active, being spontaneous and having fun, finding social contacts, and being able to relax.

In the current BAT representative survey, 2,000 people aged 14 and over were asked which qualities are "very important" in leisure time today. For the majority of German citizens (65%), a zest for life is an almost self-evident prerequisite for meaningful leisure activities. However, the ability to occupy oneself in one's free time comes in second place. 57 percent of respondents consider this virtue to be among the most important personality traits and behaviors in leisure time. And 48 percent also emphasize the importance of taking initiative. However, being self-active is not limited to oneself. For every second citizen (51%), it also includes responsibility for nature and the environment.

Independence is something that needs to be learned.

Those with higher levels of education are particularly vocal about the need for self-directed leisure activities. The proportion of university and college graduates who emphasize the importance of taking initiative in their leisure time is almost twice as high (63%) as among those with only primary and lower secondary education (38%). Similarly significant differences in educational attainment are evident when considering how leisure time is used for personal development. 59% of high school graduates and 60% of university graduates view leisure time as an opportunity for personal growth. Only slightly less than a third (31%) of those with only primary and lower secondary education share this view.

For Prof. Dr. Horst W. Opaschowski, the scientific director of the BAT Institute, independently managing the growing variety of leisure activities is also, and especially, an educational issue. In the future, how to manage leisure time must be learned just as much as how to work in a profession. Schools and education policy are therefore called upon to play a greater role than ever before.