There was a time when leisure involved simply spending time relaxing or maybe going out for a drink or taking a walk in the park. Of course, these simple activities still form part of most people’s lives. However, technology has changed leisure in recent years.
Many of our leisure activities are now focussed around technology, in one way or another. Let’s take a closer look at five of the ways that technology has made a big difference to the way we spend our free time.
Gaming at our fingertips
Gaming is big news all over the world, with franchises like Fortnite, Call of Duty and Final Fantasy proving very popular. The development of mobile gaming now means that keen gamers can take their activity with them on the move.
This also applies to igaming, as mobile casinos continue to develop their offerings. One of the biggest developments has been the creation of pikakasinot (or instant casinos when translated from the Finnish language). There are no lengthy sign-up processes, with identity verification being directly from a bank account, so instant play is easy.
Instant communication
It’s not just online gaming that can be instant; communication has been revolutionized too. We all spend a great deal of our time using messaging services like Snapchat, Messenger, and Zoom to communicate using text, images, and live video. It’s a convenient way of keeping in touch with people, no matter where they are in the world.
Transportation to another location
We have not got to the point where we can actually teleport to another location, and be there almost instantly. However, we can be transported in a virtual way, by using technology.
The development of Virtual Reality (VR) means that we can travel to many different locations, and take part in various activities, without ever having to leave home.
We can also experience other places by checking out the many excellent travel apps that are available on smartphones. Some, like Questo, even give users the opportunity to learn about the history of different places.
The 10,000 step challenge
It’s important that we all spend at least part of our leisure time being active. This is because physical activity helps to keep the body and mind healthy.
For this reason, the 10,000 step challenge is popular. People try to walk at least 10,000 steps each day, using a device to measure their steps.
It’s possible to measure this type of activity by using the apps that are included with many smartphones. However, there are also devices that are created specifically for this purpose. These devices often measure many different things including steps taken, sleep patterns, and calories burned.
There are many different devices on the market including those at entry-level like the Moov Now and Fitbit Inspire HR, those at a mid-range price like the Fitbit Charge 4 and Coros Pace and top-range products like the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music and the Polar Grit X.
The streaming revolution
Streaming is not a new phenomenon. Netflix first began as a streaming service back in 2007. However, streaming has grown in popularity. In fact, many younger people stream all of the content that they watch.
The streaming revolution has now reached a whole new level. Well-known traditional media companies like Disney, NBCUniversal, and WarnerMedia have entered the world of streaming. They have realized that they need to compete in a market that has been dominated by streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon.
This means that streaming is likely to play an even bigger role in the way we spend our leisure time in years to come.
In summary
Leisure time is something that is highly prized; especially as many of us do not get nearly enough of it. Over the years, technology has revolutionized leisure time and enabled us to take part in activities that we take for granted, such as communicating with each other instantly, gaming or streaming movies and music videos.
The revolution is not at an end either. As technology continues to improve, so leisure activities will continue to evolve. It will be interesting to look back, 20 years from now, and see just how many more changes have taken place.
