Digital development has undoubtedly expanded our communication channels and significantly changed the way we consume and share information. Accordingly, two out of five German citizens currently state that they are particularly influenced in their thoughts and actions by digital media - one in two agree with this statement when it comes to "traditional media".

Over two thirds of all German citizens believe that in 20 years' time, more free time will be more important for employees than a high salary. Fifteen years ago, not even one in two predicted this. There are only minor differences between the sexes, size of location, age or level of education, but there are differences in income.

For nine out of ten German citizens, poverty in old age will be an unsolved problem in the future. It does not matter how old they are, their level of education or income, whether they live in the country or in the city, or whether they are male or female. Compared to 2016, this concern has increased by six percentage points, and by as much as 14 percentage points compared to 2008.

Many federal states are currently on their autumn holidays. Two weeks of sleeping in, no school and, if possible, leaving everyday life behind for a few days and travelling away. 29 per cent of Germans are planning to pack their bags and travel at least twice this year. Household income has a decisive influence on the frequency of travelling. While almost two thirds of high-income earners travel several times a year, only around one in ten low-income households can afford this luxury.

One in five Germans expect the use of chips on and in the human body for identification and localisation to increase - at least within the next two decades. Among younger people, around one in four share this expectation, while only just under one in seven over 55s can imagine this.

Two out of five German citizens regularly (at least once a week) spend time with their pets. Over the last two decades, the relationship between German citizens and their animal companions has changed fundamentally. In 2013, it was around one in three, whereas 20 years ago not even one in four people spent their free time with animals.

More than four out of five German citizens consider the spread of fake news to be a serious threat to democracy and social cohesion in Germany. According to the survey, fake news has the potential to spread disinformation, undermine trust in the media and influence political opinions, regardless of gender, income, age, place of residence or level of education.

The use of mobile phones has seen a remarkable increase in Germany over the last two decades. As the latest results on our special page www.Freizeitmonitor.de show, almost three out of five German citizens use their smartphone regularly - i.e. at least once a week - to make calls while travelling. Compared to 2003, mobile phone use has therefore more than tripled. However, even though the mobile phone has become an indispensable companion for many citizens, the number of calls made on the move has fallen significantly over the past three years and the number of calls made on the move is currently the same as it was 15 years ago.

Over the last decade, the proportion of citizens active on social media has almost doubled from 34% to 67%. However, growth has slowed noticeably in the last three years. In 2020, almost as many users were active on Instagram, Facebook and the like as are currently active.

Summer is travel season. In recent weeks, numerous Germans packed their bags and traveled both domestically and abroad. But while the anticipation of relaxation and new experiences was high, the price of a day's vacation often reached record levels. Faced with these high costs, many travelers tried to keep their expenses under control. Booking vacation apartments and houses that allow for self-catering proved to be an increasingly popular method for many.