How does your day look compared to the average American?

FlowingData's animated chart titled A Day in the Life of Americans gives us an interesting visualization of what the average American is up to at different times throughout the day. You can choose different speeds to advance the time (we recommend choosing "fast") and watch as the different colored dots flow throughout the chart, showing what folks are up to as the day progresses.

Questions:

• Which activities take up the most time in an average person's day? Why do you think these activities are the most time-consuming?
• Compare the time spent on work to the time spent on leisure and other activities. What does this tell us about work-life balance in America?
• What might the distribution of time spent on different activities tell us about societal values and priorities?
• Are there any shifts in the patterns shown in this data that you would expect in the next ten years?

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Looking for more interactive resources? Be sure to check out the NGPF Interactive Library. 

About the Author

Ryan Wood

Ryan is the Partnerships and Adoption Manager for Next Gen Personal Finance’s midwest region. He brings his experience as a former teacher, curriculum designer, and sales and marketing professional to state organizations and school districts in supporting the implementation of their personal financial education efforts. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and earned his teaching credential from Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota. He proudly taught at two rural high schools in Wisconsin before transitioning to curriculum design at NGPF, and is now excited to be on the front lines in delivering the best possible financial education in the midwest. He and his wife have three beautiful daughters, each of which inspire him to share the impact of being sound financial stewards both at home and as lifelong learners.