Activities of entertainment and leisure fashionable today

Leisure time constitutes a period of free time that may be spent in any manner one
chooses. It provides a framework for a very wide scope of individual leisure activities: from
pro-active to passive pursuits; from personal productivity to ostentatious consumption; from
relaxing, quiet activities at home such as reading to making music and attending and/or
throwing techno parties; from indoor activities such as watching TV or playing computer
games to going to restaurants, fairs and museums; and, finally, from shopping and
participating in outdoor sports to space tourism. These are activities that occur in very
different contexts and circumstances, some of which can only be undertaken with the aid of
some type of technology..
The development of technology from the past years has taken over many aspects of
the human life. Usual activities that people used to do by themselves are now possible using
technology and different machineries.
The leisure niche is no stranger to the development I am taking about. If in the past
years people used to go for walks, go on different holidays or read as a free-time activity,
things are totally different today.
It is hard to make a list of popular entertainment and leisure activities that are
fashionable today, because these types of activities depend very much on the age of people,
the place where they live ( countryside/city ), their social situation and so on. But we will try
to highlight the most fashionable leisure activities among Millenials ( age 18-36 ) and
Generation X ( age 37-48 ).
Leisure and recreation serve an important role in the lives of most people. People
participate in activities to satisfy various needs, and receive personal benefits from their
participation. Leisure activities make an important contribution to personal satisfaction and
happiness. Some of the general benefits associated with leisure are good mental health and
personal growth. Leisure enhances life by providing a means of self-expression, choice,
control, and a change from routine (Freysinger, 1987). In addition to these general benefits,
there are many specific benefits (such as learning new skills) which people can enjoy. If
practitioners understand the types of needs that are met through leisure and recreation, they
are better able to design programs that satisfy the needs of consumers, and to market these
programs effectively.

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  Watching TV
One of the most significant social trends during the last half of the twentieth century
involved the rise of television (TV) as the dominant leisure time activity for most people in
nations where TV was widely available. This trend was especially strong in the United States,
where TV occupied about 40 percent of leisure time for most Americans in the early twenty-
first century. This translates into an average of three hours of TV viewing per day; although
some of this viewing is done while engaging in other activities. Many theorists and
researchers have sought to explain how TV has come to dominate leisure time. Others have
tried to assess the consequences. This essay reviews their arguments below and has
documented in detail how leisure time has come to be dominated by TV.
 Reading
Unforunately, this leisure activity is in a continous decrease, taking into
consideration that today much of it takes place on a tablet screen.
 Surfing the internet
This is by far the most fashionable leisure activity nowadays. People surf the
Internet all day long, using a laptop, a computer, a tablet or even your smartphone. Taking
into consideration that you have internet access almost everywhere, surfing the Internet is
„piece of cake”
If we exclude reading, although today much of it takes place on a tablet screen, four
of the most popular five leisure activities for both Millennials and Gen X take place on a
screen:
 watching TV,
 computer/internet,
 watching/going to the movies
 playing video games and computer/internet games
This truly shows how our leisure activities have become heavily screen-based.

 Spending time with family and friends

Maybe this is not the most fashionable leisure activity, but it should definitely be the
one that we would choose instead of all the others. We tend tor un after material and
perishable things and we forget how important is human interraction.

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  Going to the movies
It is impossible to separate the importance of movies as a leisure activity from the
other social changes that are going on nowadays. And this activity goes hand in hand with
another popular one, which is going to the mall, since most cinemas are located in malls.
 Listening to music/playing different instruments
This is not just a leisure activity, but it is, together with reading, an activity that
relaxes the mind and helps people disconnect completely from the day-to-day activities and
worries.
 Going to restaurants
This is not a very popular leisure activity among romanian people, since we don’t
have enough time/money to go and eat at the restaurant. The funny fact is that, if we consider
it a leisure activity, foreign countries actually see it as a normal part of the day, since the
majority of the people have at least one meal/day at a restaurant.
 Cooking/baking
I would describe this activity more as a hobby, talking, of course, about people that
don’t do this for a living ( chefs, bakers ), but this applies to every activity that we have
talked about. Many people find cooking very relaxing and, as I said before, since we don’t
really afford to eat out, is an activity that also saves us a lot of money.
 Shopping
This is an activity that is definitely more suitable for women, since they are the one
enjoying shopping more than men. Shopping has only recently emerged as a leisure activity.
It is only as of late that people began to think of shopping as an activity to pass the time and
not just as shops as a place they needed to go. This is because people have begun to realize
that commodities could be a luxury instead of just a necessity.
Let’s talk about some leisure activities that take place outdoors, because,
unfortunately, these start losing place in front of the other ones.
 Exercise/working out/jogging
It is very funny that an activity that is usually done outdoors, people prefer to got to
the gym to work-out. No matter the place you choose for doing it, exercising is very good for
your health, both pshisically and mentally.

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  Salt water fishing
It takes place out at sea, giving fishermen the opportunity to catch large and exotic
fishes. The big draw back to this activity is that you have to have access to a boat (either own,
know someone who does, or rent), and own special fishing gear that can handle large catches.
 Skiing
Alpine skiing began as a club sport in 1861 at Kiandra in Australia. Today, most
alpine skiing occurs at ski resorts with ski lifts that transport skiers up the mountain.
 Snowboarding
An American born sport that is getting world wide attention, snowboarding was
developed in the 1960’s and became part of the Olympics in 1998. Like any other extreme
sport, snowboarding does present risks of injury (especially for new participants), in fact, you
are twice as likely to get injured while snowboarding than Alpine skiing.
 Backpacking
Not to be confused with backpacking for traveling purposes, overnight backpacking
describes a multi-day hike that involves camping. Aside from the health benefits,
backpacking allows adventurers to enjoy remote places that are usually un-accessible by any
other means.
 Climbing
The danger factor should be obvious with this one. Nevertheless, climbing appeals to
many first time participants and many more find it to be a great outdoor activity. If you’re
thinking about giving this a try, I suggest starting out in an indoor climbing facility.