Category Description

This category captures time the respondent spend in reading, using media, and computers. This includes reading books (1081), reading periodicals (1082), reading newspapers (1083), listening to music, CD etc (1084), listening to the radio (1085), watching TV, video (1086), writing by hand (1087), having a conversation, using a phone, texting (1088), and using a computer (1089).

• 1081 READ BOOKS

  Category Description

  This comprises of time reading books.

  Activity Coding Rules

  1985: This is time being read to or listening to a story.
  
  2003+: This period includes time in reading for personal interest with the following category examples:
  
  Category examples
  Being read to
  Borrowing books from the library
  Browsing at the library
  Checking out library books
  Doing research
  Flipping/leafing through magazine
  Listening to books on tape
  Reading a book on a Kindle or other electronic book reader (personal interest) (2011+)
  Reading a magazine/book
  Reading scripture
  Reading the Bible
  Reading the newspaper
  Reading, unspecified
  Returning library books
  
  2011+: This includes reading a book on a Kindle or other electronic book reader as a category example as well.

• 1082 READ PERIODICALS

  Category Description

  This comprises of time reading magazines, pamphlets etc.

  Activity Coding Rules

  1965-66: This is time spent reading reviews, periodicals, pamphlets and reading magazines.
  
  1975-76, 1985: This is time spent reading pamphlets and magazines as well as reading other types of unspecified media.
  
  2003+: Not available for this period.

• 1083 READ NEWSPAPERS

  Category Description

  This is time spent reading newspapers and is not available for the period post 2003.

• 1084 LISTEN TO MUSIC (CD ETC.)

  Category Description

  This comprises of time listening to music in various medium.

  Activity Coding Rules

  1965-66: This is time spent listening to and playing records.
  
  1975-76: This is time spent listening to music and records.
  
  1985: The period comprises of time spent listening to records, tapes, listening to music, listening to others playing a musical instrument, and recording music.
  
  2003+: This period includes the following category examples:
  
  Category examples
  Listening to recorded music
  Listening to records/CDs/DVDs/tapes
  Listening to someone play the piano
  Playing musical instrument (leisure)
  Tuning musical instruments
  
  2004+: This period includes the following category examples:
  
  Category examples
  Christmas caroling
  Singing
  Singing karaoke
  
  2005+: This period also includes composing music as a category example.

• 1085 LISTEN TO RADIO

  Category Description

  This activity includes time spent listening to radio.

  Activity Coding Rules

  1985: This period also includes time radio transmitting (i.e. CB radio, shortwave).
  
  2003+: This period includes the following category examples:
  
  Category examples
  Listening to a radio talk show
  Listening to music on the radio
  Listening to public radio
  Listening to the top ten on the radio
  

• 1086 WATCH TELEVISION, VIDEO

  Category Description

  This comprises of time watching TV and videos.

  Activity Coding Rules

  1965-66, 1975-76: This is time spent watching television.
  
  1985: This is time spent watching cable TV, TV, VCR, and home movies.
  
  2003+: This period includes time spent watching television and movies (non-religious) as well as watching religious TV:
  
  Category examples
  Borrowing movies from the library
  Returning movies to library
  Rewinding a tape or DVD (2003-2004)
  Setting TiVo/DVR (2011+)
  Setting the VCR or DVD player
  Watching a DVD/video/instructional video
  Watching home movies/home videos
  Watching TV
  Watching TV/DVDs on computer (personal interest) (2011+)
  Watching videos on YouTube (2011+)
  
  2011+: This period includes the following category examples as well:
  
  Category examples
  Setting TiVo/DVR
  Watching TV/DVDs on computer
  Watching videos on YouTube
  

• 1087 WRITING BY HAND

  Category Description

  This comprises of time writing letters or correspondences.

  Activity Coding Rules

  1965-66, 1975-76: This is time spent writing private correspondence and letters.
  
  1985: This period comprises of time reading/writing letters, reading mail, as well as typing.
  
  2003+: The post 2003 period includes time on household and personal mail and messages (except for emails):
  
  Category examples
  Bringing in newspaper/mail
  Checking phone messages
  Checking to see if mail came
  Collecting mail
  Getting mail in
  Looking at/checking mail
  Mailing letters, payments
  Mailing/picking up letters
  Mailing/picking up packages
  Reading mail
  Sending express mail
  Sending reg./cert. packages/mail
  Signing for certified mail
  Sorting mail
  Throwing away junk mail
  Writing cards
  Writing letters
  
  2004+: We also have the following category examples for this period:
  
  Category examples
  Addressing holiday cards
  Writing Christmas cards
  Writing Valentines
  

• 1088 CONVERSATION, PHONE, TEXTING

  Category Description

  This captures time in conversations.

  Activity Coding Rules

  1965-66: This is time spent in conversations, including phone conversations.
  
  1975-76: This is time spent in phone conversations, face-to-face conversations, and conversation with household members.
  
  1985: The period includes time in activities relating to the following category examples:
  
  Category examples
  Placing local calls
  Receiving local calls
  Placing long distance calls
  Receiving long distance calls
  Phone conversations
  Visiting by phone
  Other talking/conversations
  Face-to-face conversations
  Conversations with household members only ? adults only or children and adults
  Arguing or fighting with people other than household members only, household and non-household members, or unknown
  Arguing or fighting with household members only
  Being disciplined, spanked, bawled out for misbehaving
  Receiving instructions, orders
  
  2003+: This period includes time on telephone calls to/from family members, telephone calls to/from friends, neighbors, or acquaintances as well as other unidentified phone calls.
  
  Category examples
  Talking on phone to relatives, boyfriend, girlfriend
  Talking on phone to fiancée
  Talking on phone to friends/neighbors/acquaintances
  
  2011+: This period also includes time skyping with family members.

• 1089 USE COMPUTER

  Category Description

  This captures time using a computer for various activities.

  Activity Coding Rules

  1965-66, 1975-76: Not available for this period.
  
  1985: This includes using a computer, using a computer for education, computer games for children and adults, and other computer use.
  
  2003+: This period includes time in household and personal email and messages as well as computer use for leisure (excluding games)
  
  Category examples
  Browsing on the internet
  Computer use, leisure
  Computer use, unspecified
  Designing/updating website
  Downloading files, music, pictures
  Participating in a chat room
  Surfing the internet
  Surfing the web
  
  2006+: The period also includes the category example: burning CDs.
  
  2011+: This also includes time checking Facebook, Myspace, or other social networking Web sites, and using Twitter or tweeting.