How people spend their time activity

The Time Use Survey asked around 8,500 New Zealanders aged 12 years and over, to keep a diary of everything they did over a two-day period. This activity looks at some of the data.

On average 12-17 year olds spent 36 minutes per day on homework and study over a seven-day week.

Activity one

The first graph shows how many minutes per day people of various ages spend reading, while the second graph shows how many hours per day people spend watching television.

Note that ‘primary’ means this is the main activity they are doing. 'Simultaneous’ means they are doing something else at the same time (eg reading the newspaper while eating breakfast, or watching television, while doing homework perhaps!) To answer the questions below, just look at the primary (or black) bars.

1. How long on average does a 12-year-old spend reading as their main activity?
2. How long on average does a 12-year-old spend watching television or video as their main activity?
3. How long does someone 65 years or older spend reading as their main activity?
4. How long on average does a 65+ year-old spend watching television or video as their main activity?
5. Does any age group spend less time watching television or video than they do reading, as their main activity?
6. Do you think this would have been the same 30 years ago? Why/why not?
7. Why do you think people spend more time reading as they get older? Why do you think people between 35 and 44 years watch the least television or video?
8. Collect some data of your own. Ask every member of your class to work out how long they spent reading and watching television or videos on a chosen day (yesterday).
9. Calculate the averages for your class. Present your information on a graph. How does your information on reading and watching television or video compare with the information collected by Statistics New Zealand?
10. Find out how much time your parents and grandparents spent yesterday on reading and watching television or video. Calculate the averages for your class’ parents and grandparents.
11. Present your information on parents and grandparents in an interesting way. Compare your results with the information on the Statistics New Zealand graphs about reading and watching television or video.

Activity two

Source: Time Use - Time for Culture report
 

1. In the graph above, the grey bars (they show people are doing something else at the same time as listening to music or radio) are much bigger than the black (listening to music or radio is their main activity). Why do you think this is?
2. Would the growth in music videos and music television shows have affected the time people spent just listening to music? How?
3. (Extension) Do you think the information for reading, watching television or video and listening to music or radio would differ between males and females? How could you find out?

Related links

Time Use - Time for Culture
Time Use Statistics (1999)