Time on site, or average session duration, measures the total time a visitor spends navigating a website during a single visit, from landing to exit. It is a key metric for gauging user engagement and content value, indicating how effectively a site holds attention. Higher times generally suggest better engagement, while lower times may indicate poor content or confusing design.
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After skating for a couple hours (the first time I have seen my wife on skates after 15 years together), we spent the evening visiting my wife's colleague's family, as they also have a puppy dachshund, a few weeks younger than ours. They have met before a couple weeks ago and this time there was no shyness, it was straight into wrestling.
The husband is high up in an institute that looks into physical wellbeing at the national level, which is super interesting to me, so I will meet up with them more. However, what we were briefly discussing this evening (while eating waffles) was the challenge with improving national health, when there are so many factors that are more compelling leading the other way. As I mentioned tonight, all of the major platforms and corporations have behavioural economists and psychologists working to design their interfaces, platforms and games to draw people in, and hook them. And they have a massive amount of data fed by the user that they can use to keep refining their approach.
As I asked tonight;
Where are the "Time Outside" designers?
At the rink today, there was a small group of little kids gets some skating instruction from a couple girls from the local hockey club. The kids seemed to be having fun waddling around cones, but I wonder what would have happened if there were a couple of the hockey players themselves there doing it. Would there have been more kids - and more parents?
Probably.
One of the challenges I have identified in Finland when I first arrived and only now are people starting to talk about it, is that sport is taken too seriously, too early. Pretty soon after kids start, they essentially have to decide which of several sports they want to play, because they will be forced to have four or more trainings a week and have to compete, have all their equipment, have their insurance, their registration.... Not only does it get expensive, but by twelve years of age, kids are ending their career in sports, instead of starting it. There is just no space for playing for fun. This means that kids over the age of twelve effectively end playing outside, playing sport, and have nowhere else to physically turn.
Is it any wonder there are physical issues in so many adults?
There is more to it than just organised sports though, as previously in Finland like at the rink we were at today, it would have been a place for families not only to skate together, but interact with other families. Even when I first came here over twenty years ago, there would be a hundred people at the tiny rink across the road in the outer suburbs, skating around and playing hockey with strangers - even Australians who can barely skate. It was a social experience. Today though, I paid attention and noted that no one really talks to anyone else they don't know there at all.
The death of local community.
As I was writing the other day, when parents aren't interacting with the neighbourhood adults themselves, the kids don't build that local community very strongly either. But it wasn't that long ago that local parks and rinks and people out walking their dogs, was a rich part of social connection. People would talk together, play together, and get a lot of random life. And it was compelling because it felt good to be part of the community, which meant that people would get outside more, as well as knowing the people in the neighbourhood. Sometimes, a little too well even.
Now everyone is a stranger.
In the past, we were forced to go outside, because that was the only way we were able to survive. But more and more, everything is being made serviceable from the couch, with food deliveries, entertainment, social connection and every other function. And the house itself which used to require work, has also got much easier, with a lot of machines and robots to lower the effort required to maintain the home.
Order food from one app, and program the vacuum with another app.
Getting outside now isn't part of our daily life like it was earlier, and now we have to plan for it, like going outside is some kind of event. This is also why so many people find it hard to get to a gym regularly, because it is an extra activity on top of other activities, and it has to compete with the far easier and compelling activities like sitting in front of the TV, or scrolling through a phone.
The "experiences" that have been engineered to capture our attention, and hold us in place.
I have talked to the guy a couple times now and he seems like a decent person who loves his job, so I am also going to try and connect with him professionally, to see if I can be part of it in any way, as I find these areas interesting. And as far as I am concerned, I think it would be great to work with good people who are trying to combat some of the harm that the for-profit corporations and governments have incentivized that has led to an environment which makes us worse as individuals, and as communities.
While the Time on Site metrics are used to sell advertising, I wonder what kinds of interesting numbers would come up around health if we monitored Time Outside metrics. What is for sure, that on average, we should all spend more time outside doing something enjoyable, than sitting at home doing nothing useful.
No matter the weather.
Taraz
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I remember as a kid and all the way until I was an adult, I never liked being indoors. You would always find me outside into something. Maybe it was because video games were just in their infancy at the time, plus we couldn't really afford them. I didn't want to waste my money on them either when i started working. I had music and chics to spend money on. :-)
Anyway, you are right about neighbors and neighborhoods. We barely know any of our neighbors. But like @bozz, I have a few neighbors I'd rather not know. Like the one next door that flies a Trump flag. We do have some good older neighbors that look out for each other and we try to look out for them. My favorite neighbor passed away couple years ago. We used to sit on his porch and converse about things of the world and spirit.
The guy next door has a trump flag too, but he keeps it in the garage. Actually, it's on of those flags that say Eff Biden. I don't actually negate someone from being a friend because of things like that, but if they exhibit other characteristics, it's a great big nope from me.
At some point, history is going to look back on these times harshly.
Hopefully sooner rather than later.
I’ve just come to the conclusion I don’t have much in common anymore with people that feel the need to fly a trump flag from their flag pole.
This is a good point.
I can appreciate that!
It was the same for me - because I didn't get video games until I was almost an adult.
:D
You spent on music too?? ;D
I miss this kind of conversation. It is like people are only interested in what happens in their day to day lives, in media, or on the news. There is very little deep conversation on the things that matter anymore. I try to get it here though :)
I wish we were neighbors.
I think some people can't see the difference between encouraging kids to have fun, and encouraging kids to get involved in serious sports. Sports can be fun, but the more organized and regimented it is, the more it can seem like a chore. Killing joy by making something fun into a job is sabotage. It's like when self-help gurus tell us to turn our hobbies into a "side hustle." Sure, this fun thing I do to unwind needs to become something I have to do to survive. Brilliant. So helpful.
Yes. And when there are the addictive games and scrolls to be had, doing a chore is increasingly unlikely.
Do what you love for money, and kill your love.
We enjoyed ice skating very much in Germany. We went with cousins from my mom's and my father's side, which was the first time that happened in our generation. Lily did very well. Surprised us all - it was her first time on ice, and she had only done inline skating and wasn't that good in that, either. But on ice? A natural.
The track was in the middle or a city. Normally a tennis club, they turned the fields into a total of three fields, all connected. There was also a round trip, placed on what in summer are the paths of a park. It was beautiful - and packed. Many people.
Maybe Germans are still more social than Fins.
That is cool that she got the hang fast on the ice. It might be demotivating to fall a lot. I say "might" but I know the feeling well enough :D
Definitely. Finns are pretty antisocial at the best of times, but more so now.
Neighbors are great, except when the are not :) Here is a story of a guy I knew for years: Leo.
Leo was my neighbor on the lake and I knew him for 14 years, we talked a lot, I helped him with a few things around his property over the years for free as he was an older dude now in his seventies.
Now last year came the time for me to remodel and sell my place. the fence on his side is his responsibility, but it was all rotted and falling over, so I came to him and asked him if he would like to split it fifty fifty (even though the fence is 100% his responsibility)
He said sure, if you take out a bamboo patch that is on your side. I agreed to pay for bamboo taking out completely on my side as it required excavator to do. I removed bamboo and as soon as I did it he said he no longer wants to pay his 50% and in fact he said that he thinks it is a bad idea to replace a rotted and falling down fence.
So I told my fence people just go in and do it I will pay 100% myself. The show up and start working he comes out and says that they cannot do it. They say but the other dude is covering the 100% of the cost it is a free fence for you. He says I don't allow, stop. Good thing I hired some tough Russian dudes and they shrug and said hey grand-pa the fence is going in you better retreat into your house before anything happens...
So I did get the new fence in. And mind it the guy Leo is really loaded, his waterfront is twice as wide as mine was so property was worth twice and he owns a bunch of properties all over the state...
Oh yeah - neighbours can suck also. However, I wonder if the average would get better if there was a social agreement that neighbourhoods should function well as a community. A well functioning community tends to reduce incidents. But, I also think that with something like a fence, with current prices etc, perhaps there are unseen pressures on people they aren't willing to admit.
Russians are good for something ;)
I'm pretty horrible about interacting with the people in my neighborhood. I fully blame myself. It's hard for me to put myself out there in the first place, but between the couple across the street that scream at each other non stop, and the guy next door who the one time I did go over to hang out he was dropping racial slurs, I kind of don't feel bad that I am so shy. I agree, that too much emphasis is put on sports. I love sports, but they aren't the most important thing in the world.
It is interesting how commonplace and comfortable many people have become with it. I don't hear it as much like this, for obvious reasons, but I am pretty sure my daughter is going to hear it a lot.
When I was young, people would play games of touch rugby on the beach with strangers. Don't think it happens so much now.
No, it probably doesn't. I know near where I live they have some drop in disc golf leagues. I've occasionally thought about trying it out, but I am so awkward and introverted, it is highly unlikely I would ever do it unless I had a friend with me.
Yes, more ‘time outside’ designers please!!
I really feel this lack of social interaction you highlight here. It’s crazy how fast a world can change. Smart Phones, dumb societies. 🤪
Speaking of conversing…. @shadowspub @meno and i share duties hosting a weekly chat show on the hive discord called Hive Thrive. We have talks with hivians from all sides of the chain. Would love to have you on. We are filling dates for Feb currently. Show is on tuesdays at 6pm UTC. Currently Feb 10th and 17th is open. Wanna come join?
It’s easy going!
Sounds like fun. I haven't done one of these chats before, but I was thinking about doing something at some point. Pencil me in for the 17th and drop me a line on Discord to organise. I just have to check in with one thing with my wife when she gets back from work :)
I completely agree with using your free time for something that fills you with peace and tranquility or simply takes you out of your routine.
This behavior that people are experiencing of isolating themselves from their surroundings is going viral. In my community, we used to get together during the holidays to hold competitions playing chapita, rubber ball, metra, spinning tops, and kites. Perhaps in your countries they are called something else. It was a pleasure to see people of all ages playing. Today, that doesn't happen. They are immersed in the virtual world.
Areas of interest is what we look for but now it also require active participation. Last weekend, few kids were playing badminton, it reminded me of my childhood and I ended up playing for an hour with them. After staying in a small town for last couple of years, I see a different life style. Kids still go out to play in the evening and ladies still walk out with others to have their gossips going. Even on festival they were on the spot to celebrste and enjoy. Pretty sifferrnt life from what I saw in big cities. Things are changing fast, but their are People who are living in the old mould of lifestyle.
There's no doubt we're physically less fit than our ancestors, since we get far less physical activity. Physical activities or exercise is so important for our well-being that you could be eating healthy and well and still be very physically unfit if you don't do enough physical stuff.
Maybe we're smarter than said ancestors because we exercise our faculties more, considering all the scientific and otherwise progress we've made.
But we're definitely worse than them character-wise and our emotional and psychological health is also worse.
Considering these facts, I wonder if tech advancements is a blessing or a curse. Or maybe it's a blessing but the way we use them has made them appear like a curse, the very thing that will hasten the doom of the human species.
There has never been any moment where we lack social community like this. Everyone is more glued to their screen and going out to socialize feels like a heavy task. It is sad that we need to adapt to this shift from people connecting more online than physically.
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STOPSad to see how much social interaction has moved to the internet. We should push for more places where families can gather and have fun outside, like in 80s and 90s.
Technology has brought about so much laziness. Your experience in this post shows that we are losing our social community gradually.
Socialising has to be conscious and no longer a casual thing. You have to deliberate when talking to others because people don't have time again for small talks that matters.