The line graph illustrates changes in the percentage of elderly people in the United States who engaged in five types of leisure activities from 1980 to the 2010s. Overall, hiking and surfing the Internet became much more popular, while watching TV remained the most common activity throughout most of the period.
Among all activities, hiking showed the most dramatic growth. In the 1980s, only 20% of elderly people took part in this activity, but the figure increased steadily across the decades, reaching a peak of 80% in the 2010s. Watching TV also witnessed an upward trend overall, starting at 60% in the 1980s and rising slightly to 70% in the 2000s. Although there was a minor decline to 65% in the most recent period, it remained one of the most popular hobbies among seniors.
The trend for reading fluctuated throughout the period. It started at 30% in the 1980s and rose to 40% in the 1990s. However, there was a sharp decline to 20% in the 2000s before increasing again to about 60% in the 2010s. Similarly, the proportion of elderly people going to the theatre remained relatively stable, ranging between 30% and 50% across all decades, with no significant changes. In contrast, surfing the Internet, which was the least popular activity at first (around 5%), showed a steady rise and reached 50% in the 2010s, indicating a growing interest in digital technology among the older generation.