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.

Since 1998, we have been able to use the famous search engine Google, the first iPhone was launched in 2007, and since 2018, TikTok has offered a popular platform for creating and sharing short videos on social media. All these and numerous other programs have had a major impact on citizens' leisure activities, communication methods, information searches, shopping, and the use of various services over the last quarter century.

Leisure and theme parks are extremely popular in Germany: 38 percent of the population take advantage of the opportunity to ride a roller coaster, watch a show, or experience another attraction at one of the numerous parks at least once a year. Interest varies depending on the stage of life: Parents with their children are the most frequent visitors, followed by young adults.

Only about half of German citizens express a positive view of their lives in Germany. This figure is particularly low among those under 30, at just 43 percent, whereas almost two-thirds of those over 65 say they are happy with their lives in Germany. There are also significant differences in income.

As temperatures rise, so does the interest of German citizens in cool refreshment - in the form of a swimming trip. On average, 29 per cent of the population go swimming at least once a month, although there are noticeable differences between the generations.

Volunteering plays an important role in our society. Around one in four people volunteer regularly - at least once a month - in clubs or charitable organisations, in hospitals or retirement homes, in the neighbourhood or in political parties, for environmental protection projects or the church. The under-30s are particularly active, with one in three of them volunteering.

Reconciling work and family life is a key wish of many employees - but achieving this is not always easy, especially for women. Only 28 per cent of people believe that it will be possible for many women to combine work and family life by 2030.