Hectic activity is no longer required.

While just a few years ago leisure time couldn't be turbulent enough, a fundamental shift seems to have occurred. As leisure researchers at the BAT Leisure Research Institute in Hamburg determined in a representative survey, Germans desire three times as much "time for themselves" as they actually have. Enjoying leisure time at leisure, simply doing nothing, self-care, reflecting on one's thoughts, or peacefully listening to music – these are leisure aspirations that have clearly been neglected in the past.

The respondents' answers reveal a clear rejection of the hectic pace and organized activity common in many families. The voluntary dependence on appointments and schedules, adopted from the working world, has generally created more leisure-time stress than enjoyment. Leisure researchers see this shift in attitude as the beginning of the evolution of the citizen into a new kind of leisure personality.

Only in one area, television, does actual behavior exceed the desired outcome. Those surveyed stated they wanted to watch less television. How serious they are about this intention remains to be seen.