Games as #2 leisure activity (American Time Use Survey)
According to the American Time Use Survey, playing games is Americans' second most common leisure activity after watching TV.
Snapshot · Freakonomics Radio
675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?
Explore episode
May 15, 2026
Where this was said
Intro Riddle and the Case for Play
At 3:20 · chapter starts 1:59
Dubner's riddle — what do we celebrate in children but look down on in adults? — lands on 'play,' and from there he constructs a case that games deserve more serious attention than they get. He quotes Canadian philosopher Bernard Suits' 1978 definition of game playing as 'the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles,' noting drily that it could double as a definition of life itself. The American Time Use Survey places gaming as Americans' second most popular leisure activity, behind only watching TV — and much of what we watch on TV is live sports, which are themselves games. Dubner frames this as the launch of a new Freakonomics Radio series: 'We Are All Gamers Now.'
Similar snapshots
Kierkegaard coined 'anxiety' 60+ years before Freud
Kierkegaard's concept of anxiety as 'the dizziness of freedom' predates Freud's psychological framework by roughly 60 years, yet modern research has since validated his core claims about commitment and identity.
Americans gained 24 extra hours/month alone (2003–2020)
Between 2003 and 2020, Americans accumulated roughly 24 extra hours per month spent alone — the equivalent of a part-time job's worth of isolation, and that's before the pandemic.
Median marriage age rose 6–8 years per gender since 1970s
Median age at first marriage climbed from 21 (women) and 23 (men) in the 1970s to nearly 29 (women) and 30 (men) today — a rise of 6–8 years per gender, extending the 'emerging adulthood' liminal phase.
SF average rent up 18% in 2 years
San Francisco's average rent rose 18% over the past two years to $3,728/month, surpassing New York City as the most expensive rental market in the country.
SF average rent: $3,728/month
San Francisco's average monthly rent now stands at $3,728, surpassing New York City to become the most expensive rental city in the United States.
Bobby walked 7 miles with dicks drawn on face
At a childhood sleepover, Bobby Lee's friends drew penises on his face and he walked 7 miles home on a dirt road before being picked up by Eric Purvis's mom.
World poverty: 60% in 1950 vs 10% today
In 1950, about 60% of the world lived in extreme poverty; today it's about 1 in 10, attributable to capitalist economic growth.
6M US children fell into poverty 2021–24
From 2021 to 2024, 6 million children fell below the poverty line in the US after the expanded child tax credit expired.
Private adoption costs $40,000–$70,000
Private domestic infant and international adoptions typically cost $40,000 to $70,000, while foster care adoption is the most affordable route at $0 to $2,000.
