According to a recent survey, the average working woman spends about twice as much time as her male counterpart on childcare and housework. The NYT article calls this “Things You Knew but Could Never Prove.”
Erik points out that an equally or more scary fact is just where all the time is going that’s not going to childcare and housework. The survey says the average working woman spends about an hour and a half a day taking care of the family (they said “family,” not just “children”…); the average man, “barely 50 minutes.” But the survey also says that the adults usually have around five hours of leisure time a day, and about two and a half hours of that goes to watching TV.
While I was working this summer, I was aghast that I had only about five hours every evening after I got home. That time had to include eating, answering emails and doing other necessary tasks, working out, spending time with Erik… I can’t imagine giving up half that time to watch TV. But, on the other hand, I probably spend even more time on the Internet than most people spend on the couch, so I guess I can’t say anything.
Everyone: Try watching just a little less TV! And I’ll try to get offline more often.
[This post was imported on 4/10/14 from my old blog at satsumabug.livejournal.com.]
satsumabug.com | Lisa Hsia 
it’s pretty amazing that we have so little personal time. but i know that for a lot of people, commuting up to 2 hrs each day in addition to working an 8 or 9 hour day means not having a lot of energy to do much when you get home… i’m sure that the couch is sure tempting, with the tv as an escape. course, nothing’s wrong with a little frontline. fox programming on the other hand…
Yeah, I can definitely understand the need to veg. But for people with families… well, it’s tough.
hmm yes… very interesting…
Mommy was telling me about that article today while we ran errands and bought stuff for my apartment. That was fun.
It is scary not having a lot of personal time, yes. AIM really sucks it away. Internet too, but I guess you really have to go online sometimes to just do the email thing (as well as comics, news, general snooping, etc.) Maybe people just aren’t efficient enough with their time. Or they work too much. But one needs money! And since the law keeps most of us in check, a good old fashioned job will have to do for keep us in clothing and housing.
At least not having a TV helps a bit…
~Shra