European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 07, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday september 7, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 19 modern living changes in the Way we play by Robert Lindsey new York times 1riday afternoon arrives and whether it is the Long Island expressway or the Hollywood freeway the queues of outbound cars these Days soon become As solid and seemingly As Mobile As a Glacier. On the highways in Parks Mari Nas and Backwoods it is business As usual. But concealed beneath this appearance of the the status quo say some people who study the Leisure time activities of the country Are fundamental forces at work that Promise to change the Way americans play. Rising Energy costs shortages of Energy changes in the demographic makeup of the country a saturation of Many recreational facilities new technology and other factors will alter the Way the nation spends its collective spare time. During the last 20 years we be had a consumption oriented society Desmond Jolly a University of California economist commented recently. Now he said Many of the resources on which this life style was based cheap Energy in particular Are running out. The Rich and the upper Middle class he said will probably continue to live the Way they always have if not better. But in the Middle and lower Middle class families with $14,000 to $30,000 a year income people Are going to have to spend More of their Money on housing More on fuel and they la proportionately have less to spend on Lei poor people those who probably have never seen the Ocean if they live in new York or never have seen the mountains if the live in California things will get even Leisure is one of America s biggest industries. De pending on what definition is used people in the . Spend Between $50 billion and $100 billion a year on Vari Ous recreational and Leisure pursuits. Watching television is probably the most Universal of All Leisure activities it is also one of the cheapest and it is generally expected to remain so. But the Way America spends its time off the Job ranges Over a spectacular variety from gardening to collect ing Stamps and antique cars to camping Reading Snork Ling and skiing from skeet shooting and golfing to photography movie going and watching Spectator sports. It was common among economists and sociologists during the 1950s and 1960s to forecast that the nation was High Balling into an Era of less work and More Leisure time. This Era May still come but while most american workers now have longer vacations than they did a decade or two ago the length of the work week an average of 40.8 hours has not changed much in almost 30 years. Given a Choice Between less work or More wages most workers have opted for the latter. Between 1965 and 1975, according to the Commerce department the nation s cumulative personal expenditures on recreation soared from $25.9 billion to $65.9 billion. To some observers this statistical category provides an imperfect picture of Leisure spending it includes for exam ple newspapers but not vacation air fares. But it depicts the explosive growth in the Cost of Leisure activities although that Cost has gone up at a slower rate than the general Pace of inflation. The government figures for the 10-year period show startling spending increases in some categories spend ing for Spectator sports watching jumped from $668 Mil lion to $1.5 billion parimutuel horse and dog race receipts from $814 million to $1.74 billion Cost of Flowers seeds and potted plants from $1.3 billion to $3.4 billion and spending on wheeled goods sports equipment toys and boats from $2.8 billion to $9.4 billion. Many specialists expect higher Energy costs inevitably will mean More recreation closer to Home in creased emphasis on cheaper pursuits such As camping and in Many Urban areas added pressure on already crowded outdoor facilities. For americans in the 18 to 40 age group they forecast a continuation of a recent trend to More physically Active pursuits such As bicycling Tennis and jogging and More activities that include risk taking such As Mountain climbing and hang gliding. For the increasing numbers of older people they see More emphasis on Leisure activities in the Home such As electronic games and for easterners they see a surge of recreational gambling in Atlantic City. More women than Ever before Are working outside the Home. This Means some families have More Money to spend on Leisure going out to dinner and other Nonessen trials. But it also Means Many wives have less of their own Leisure time and that their husbands May have to spend More of what used to be their Leisure time working around the House. The nation s population is getting older and statistically its members have been less Likely to be married. The postwar baby Boom generation is now reaching 30, and some of its members Are giving up pursuits like collecting Rock records and surfing for Tennis theater going and other activities. The recorded music Industry is already concerned about the implications of this but what might Hurt the record business seems Likely to help somebody that makes sailboats and other items that Appeal to More affluent people. Finding rewarding Leisure activities that the nation s older people can afford is considered a Chal Lenge. Unfortunately too Many people use their Leisure time today by staring at a television set commented William Arnold chairman of the depart ment of communications at Arizona state University Arizona has one of the nation s latest growing populations of retired people and Arnold said the state has had Success by encouraging development of theatrical pro Grams and suburban shopping Center Art shows in smaller towns. It to tort a Civ Lin them Martin Krasney an executive of the Aspen Institute observed recently that providing older citizens with Cul Tural activities they did not have time for when they were younger is an Opportunity. Most people cannot play Tennis at 70, but they can still enjoy a because their enrolments Are declining Many High schools and Junior colleges around the nation partly to assure their own economic survival Are trying to lure adults into Leisure time education programs. Donald Davis a professor of sociology and comparative studies at the University of California expects that Leisure for Many americans will be spent increasingly on projects around their Homes. Because of rising labor costs he said people will have to spend More time work ing on projects they used to pay others to making predictions about future Leisure pursuits has been hazardous in the past not Only because of the unpredictability of economic trends and new technology but because of America s capricious tendency to embrace fads. Few people for example anticipated the citizen s band radio Boom that in less than five years has attracted More than 15 million enthusiasts. Nor did Many experts predict the physical fitness jogging fad or Home video games. Few experts anticipated the intensity of the Boom in Tennis which grew from 20 million enthusiasts in 1970 to More than 29 million last year. The Tennis Boom seems to have subsided somewhat however not so much be cause of a shortage of potential players but because of a shortage of courts in Many cities at the most popular playing times in California it was t Long ago that a backyard swim Ming Pool was the most important status Symbol for the affluent and near affluent to show they had arrived. Now it is a backyard Tennis court. Installation of private courts has increased by More than 40 per cent since 1970, despite Small housing plots and prices that Start at More than $15,000. Higher Energy costs Are expected by some experts to Cut into sales of recreational vehicles and motorboats and to reduce Long distance automobile trips. But Detroit has said it should not be counted out that it is working to produce cars with better Gas mileage. Some specialists think that whatever Detroit does to improve gasoline mileage americans love for the automobile and its various manifestations including the pickup truck and the recreational vehicle will endure de spite higher gasoline prices. Instead this argument goes they will be spending less on other things. During the next five years i Don t think there s going to be that much Impact on Leisure activities from higher gasoline prices Fabian Linden director of consumer economic research for the conference Board a new York business organization said. People have been spending about 2 per cent of their budget on gasoline if it goes up to 3 per cent i Don t think they la mind All that still there Are other problems with gasoline powered vehicles. Affluence alone threatens the growth of some Leisure activities. So Many Middle and upper income people have bought Large pleasure boats in recent years that it is All but impossible in Many metropolitan areas to find a berthing place without a year or More of waiting. Californians who have spent $25,000 or More for fancy rolling motor Homes some Complete with color television sets and electric dishwashers have discovered that so Many other people have done the same thing that on weekends they cannot find a place in the wilderness to Park the vehicles without driving hundreds of Miles. Donald b. Henkel an executive of the National recreation and Parks association said that he is convinced americans despite economic diversity and Energy prob lems would find a Way to enjoy themselves. I think people Are More interested today in what they do in their Leisure time because in some cases they get More satisfaction from their hiking boating or other activities than they do in their
