Summary: A landmark study analyzing data from 34,000 Americans reveals a dramatic shift in how people spend their time, with adults now spending 51 fewer minutes per day on out-of-home activities compared to pre-pandemic levels. The research, led by Clemson University and UCLA experts, shows this “indoor migration” is not just a temporary change but appears to be a lasting transformation of American lifestyle patterns.
Journal: Journal of the American Planning Association, October 31, 2024, DOI: 10.1080/01944363.2024.2385327
Reading time: 5 minutes
The Pandemic That Changed Time
When COVID-19 first struck, Americans watched their daily routines transform overnight. According to data from the American Time Use Survey, time spent outside the home plummeted from 339 minutes daily in February 2020 to just 163 minutes in May of that year. But what nobody expected was how this dramatic shift would persist long after the pandemic’s end.
A groundbreaking new study published in the Journal of the American Planning Association reveals that Americans are still spending nearly an hour less time outside their homes each day compared to 2019 levels, suggesting what began as a temporary adjustment has become a permanent lifestyle change.
A Long-Term Transformation
The research team, led by Clemson University’s Eric A. Morris, analyzed data from 34,000 respondents, examining both work and leisure patterns across four years: 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Their findings paint a picture of a society fundamentally transformed.
“In a world where cities cannot rely on captive office workers and must work to attract residents, workers, and customers, local officials might seek to invest more heavily in their remaining strengths,” says Morris. “These include opportunities for recreation, entertainment, culture, arts, and more. Central cities might shift toward becoming centers of consumption more than production.”
Beyond Working From Home
While remote work explains part of this shift, the study reveals broader changes in American life. Time spent on out-of-home activities decreased from 334 minutes per day in 2019 to 281 minutes in 2023 – a reduction of 53 minutes that has shown little sign of reversing.
Interestingly, online shopping hasn’t led to more time spent shopping at home, suggesting virtual shopping is significantly more time-efficient than its physical counterpart. Even exercise patterns have changed, with more Americans opting for home workouts, likely due to investments in home gym equipment.
Glossary
- Out-of-home activities: Activities conducted outside one’s residence, including work, shopping, entertainment, and social gatherings
- ATUS (American Time Use Survey): Annual survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that tracks how Americans spend their time
- OLS regression: Statistical method used to analyze relationships between variables by fitting a linear equation to observed data
- Land use: How different parts of an area are being used (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial)
Reader Quiz
- Q: How many fewer minutes per day do Americans spend outside their homes compared to 2019?
A: 51-53 minutes - Q: How many respondents were included in the study?
A: 34,000 - Q: What was the daily out-of-home time in 2019 versus 2023?
A: 334 minutes in 2019, 281 minutes in 2023 - Q: According to the research, what type of centers might cities become instead of centers of production?
A: Centers of consumption
Further Reading
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