A recent study examining leisure habits and satisfaction among 3,000 German citizens aged 18 and over, conducted by the Hamburg Foundation for Future Questions, reveals a dramatic shift in media consumption patterns over the past decade and a half. The “Leisure Monitor 2025” indicates that weekly social media usage has more than doubled since 2012.
The most significant increase is observed in the realm of on-demand services. Weekly social media utilization has risen sharply, from 34 percent in 2010 to an impressive 72 percent currently. Streaming services also demonstrate substantial popularity, with 58 percent of respondents engaging with them weekly, a trend mirrored by the increasing adoption of podcasts and audiobooks (25 percent).
Conversely, traditional media formats are experiencing a decline in usage. Weekly readership of newspapers and magazines has plummeted from 72 percent in 2010 to 38 percent. Linear television viewing has also decreased, dropping from 97 percent to 83 percent, while radio consumption has fallen from 90 percent to 70 percent.
“Media consumption is evolving from a linear, program-driven model to a personalized, on-demand system” explains Ulrich Reinhardt, the Foundation’s scientific director. “Content is consumed independently of location and time, precisely what the individual desires.
The shift is further exemplified by online shopping habits. Over three-quarters (76 percent) of German citizens now order goods online at least once a month, a stark increase from just 35 percent in 2010.
Music listening, propelled by flat-rate subscriptions and streaming services, has even secured the third most popular leisure activity, with 83 percent of respondents engaging with it regularly. Reinhardt attributes this popularity to “convenience, personalization and constant availability”. He notes that “digital consumption is tailored precisely to the individual and requires neither planning nor physical relocation”.