The line graph illustrates the proportion of free time activities (reading, hiking, theatre, watching TV, and surfing the internet) among the elderly people in the United States between 1980 and 2010.
Overall, watching TV initially was the most favored activity among the group, while surfing the internet recorded the smallest share. However, hiking demonstrated the highest proportion by the final year, whereas theatre registered the lowest point. Furthermore, with the exception of theatre, the other four activities eventually gained popularity.
In 1980s, the majority of senior people preferred to watch TV, accounting for 60%, followed by theatre and reading, at 50% and 30% respectively. The figure for watching TV increased gradually to 70% in 2000s before falling marginally to 65% by 2010s. After a notable fall to 30%, theatre recovered, reaching 45% by 2010s. Reading, on the other hand, rose slightly to 40% before hitting a low of 20% in 2000s, and then climbed considerably, overpassing theatre, to 60% in 2010s.
In comparison, hiking, which commenced at only 20% in 1980s, surged significantly, exceeding other activities, to a peak of 80% by 2010s. From 1980s to 2000s, surfing the internet gained popularity, rising from 5% to 15%, and continued to grow sharply to 50% by 2010s.