The data shows Americans gained far more free time and used it to care for children while exercising and working more. Parents are more likely to spend their saved time on child care; non-parents are more likely to spend it on more work and television. “Even before the pandemic, Americans — especially older Americans — watched a lot of TV,” said American University economist and time-use researcher Gray Kimbrough. Barnard College economist Daniel Hamermesh, author of Spending Time, has found that happiness rises as couples spend additional time together. Singles start with lower life satisfaction than married couples do, and it falls significantly as they spend more time alone.

Source: Washington Post February 16, 2021 11:58 UTC