Leisure and technology - Essay Example

Leisure and Technology Leisure time entails a free period in which a person may spend in the manner he chooses best. Generally, leisure time provides and offers a framework for a variety of an individual’s leisure activities scope. It may range from the pro-active to the passive quest (Castle, 2006). It may also entail an individual’s productivity aspect to the ostentatious consumption aspects. In some cases, it involves relaxation, participating in outdoor activities or simply watching the television.

Traditional forms of leisure activities were a bit simple with community members preferring to engage in drinking sessions, dancing, different kinds of celebrations, painting among other activities. In the contemporary world, things have taken a different direction especially after industrialization. The aspect of leisure time activities has been intertwined with technology. In most cases, the leisure-time mobility and activities have tended to develop through technology use (Castle, 2006). The technological aspects, which had previously been developed for military, scientific and commercial purposes, have shifted towards leisure-time use.

Currently, new technologies concepts have a leisure-time use phase. Alternatively, technological devices tend to serve as prototypes for various models which are then adapted for leisure time use. New researches suggest that pervasive technological tools tend to be killing off leisure activities. The younger generation is the mostly affected by the aspect of technology and leisure. In most cases, students and the younger workers tend to work for longer hours hence taking shorter vacations. If they decide to go for the vacation, all they do is take their laptops, tabs and cell phones along.

Most organizations also tend to encourage this aspect by recommending the use of internet to do organizational chores while on holiday. Examples of leisure activities, which have been affected by technology, include games, book reading among others. In the contemporary world, children and even the young adults prefer computer games during their leisure and not the real game on the ground (Castle, 2006). Football is nowadays played over the internet. Alternatively, people prefer to watch football or any other game on the television instead of going to the stadium to watch it live.

Nowadays people do not spend their free time reading novels and magazines. With the introduction of the internet, most people prefer reading online articles and books.With modernization, traditional forms of leisure have been replaced by technology. The traditional leisure activities were more simple and fun. In most cases, traditional leisure time activities were characterized by people’s desires to recreate and rest due to the long working periods. During this period, leisure activities were significant and people would devote to consumption leisure purpose, which was a norm at that age.

However, things drastically changed. Currently, most of the leisure time activities are done over the internet or by the use of technological devices. The young generation would prefer chatting over the internet than going out with friends during their free time (Castle, 2006). Even children as young as five years know how to use technological gadgets and prefer them to the traditional ways of leisure-time activities. In as much as there has been change on how people in the contemporary world spend leisure time activities, the introduction of modern technology tends to contribute positively to leisure privatization.

ReferenceCastle, R., Lewis, D. E., & Mangan, J. (2006). Work, leisure, and technology. Melbourne, Australia: Longman Cheshire.