Who Do We Spend Time With? Data from 1930 to 2026

In this timeline of how adults spend their waking time with different social groups, from 1930 to 2026, I track the long-term shift from family, neighbors, and coworkers toward increasingly digital and solitary forms of socialization. The data presented represents the Average Waking Minutes per Day spent in the presence of (or directly engaging with) specific social categories. The demographic is strictly limited to US Adults Aged 25-45. Because we frequently engage in overlapping socialization, the aggregate minutes across all categories will sum to well over the 960 standard waking minutes in a 16-hour day. Primary data pools and foundational sources include: Historical estimates are based on the Middletown Studies, General Social Survey cohorts, and John P. Robinson's time-diary research. Modern estimates are primarily based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey, supplemented by research from the Survey Center on American Life, Pew Research Center, and Nielsen to capture changes in friendship, digital media use, online interaction, and virtual work. ***** Hi, I'm Sasha. I crunch numbers, play with data, and create cool visuals. If you enjoy my work, a little support can get me a coffee and a cookie for my baby girl Eva ☕🍪 https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/dataisbeautifulme If you want to connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-medin-07270234 My main data project: https://fivehundred.co/40-years-of-candlestick-pattern-success-rates