25% of Leisure Time Spent Using Smartphones to Multitask for Work

Consumers use more than one-quarter of their daily downtime engaging in less-than-leisurely tasks.

In a world where time is money, relaxation takes a backseat to getting things done. As PYMNTS’ “How We Will Pay” report detailed, 27% of consumer time set aside for leisure activities is spent not taking walks or relaxing — but multitasking. This percentage represents 1.24 hours on weekdays and 1.85 hours on weekends, the highest amount of time devoted to multitasking across selected activities.

 The report found that during their designated downtime, only 41% of consumers engaged in actual leisure or entertainment. A 36% share of consumers used this free time to perform activities related to the care of others, with 25% engaged in work-related tasks and leisure endeavors (supposedly) simultaneously.

It seems that the lines between leisure and nearly all other activities are starting to blur as consumers try to maximize their time most efficiently. This may be especially true in the current side-hustle economy, where 23% of U.S. consumers do extra work on top of their regular jobs.

In an April interview with PYMNTS, LendingClub Financial Health Officer Anuj Nayar detailed how easily leisure time can include less-than-leisurely activities as consumers get creative in making ends meet. Side hustles and part-time jobs, even selling on eBay or Etsy can help fill the gap between income and expenses.

“You’re starting to see people take their hobbies and turn them into a side hustle,” Nayar said at the time. “…I have some friends who are doing things like TaskRabbit. They love to fix things. Personally, the idea of taking a piece of IKEA furniture and putting it together is my hell on a Saturday morning. But some people get an intense amount of pleasure from that. If they can connect with me and I’ll pay them 60 bucks to come over to my house and do something that they’re going to enjoy, why not do it?”