Creativity Is On Pause, Americans In Era Of Practicality

Between the election and a global pandemic, it makes sense that Americans became slightly more interested in Politics, National News, Science, International News, and Business and Finance. And even though we couldn’t travel as much, our interest in Travel and Vacations basically held steady, according to YouGov.com.

The topics of interest that see the biggest declines are those centered around the social and self-expression aspects of our lives. These topics include Sex & Relationships, People and Celebrities, Beauty, Parenting, and Weddings & Brides – all of which see decreases in the double-digits. In the absence of a robust in-person social life due to pandemic-related restrictions, self-expression becomes less important and the data reflects this change. 

In terms of our hobbies during COVID-19, the only substantial increase is in more people playing games on devices. It’s a good time to make sure gaming platforms are on your media plan, as these audiences are increasing. In a recent report, YouGov analyzed state of the video gaming sector that’s thriving amidst global crisis and uncertainty.

While declines in hobbies such as playing sports and the performing arts were to be expected due to restrictions on in-person activities, YouGov data shows there were also fewer people spending their spare time on solo creative pursuits like photography, arts and crafts, writing, and knitting/sewing too.