To be or not to be: negotiating leisure constraints with technology and data analytics amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on the leisure industry. Mandatory directives such as social distancing and stay-at-home /shelter-in-place orders reduce disease transmission and protect the health and well-being of the public. However, such strategies might impair active leisure participation. We identify challenges and constraints of engaging in active leisure activities during the pandemic and explore how the general public can use technology and big data analytics to negotiate constraints during this uncertain time. Creative applications of big data analytics demonstrate that negotiating active leisure constraints and battling the pandemic are not contradictory goals. We recommend society to harness the power of these data-driven tools to effectively navigate interpersonal, structural, and intrapersonal constraints to active leisure while improving the efficiency with which we combat the spread of COVID-19.

To travel, or not to travel? The impacts of travel constraints and perceived travel risk on travel intention among Malaysian tourists amid the COVID‐19

“…This may be attributable to the fact that information technology effectively ameliorates solo tourists' feelings of loneliness. They can keep close contact with their friends, family, and significant others via video‐chat or virtual streaming, and they can also find a sense of belonging and community on social media (Du et al, 2020 ). Therefore, the influence of interpersonal constraints is arguably diminishing.…”

Changes in Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms During COVID-19 Lockdown: United States Adult Age Groups

“…Even though the level and timing of these restrictions varied from county to county, and state to state, almost all states of the United States except for Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and North Dakota, issued stay-at-home orders, forcing people to stay home as much as they can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 since March 2020 ( Elassar, 2020 ; Putt, 2020 ). This increased isolation has spurred noticeable lifestyle changes ( Du et al, 2021 ). Among many changes, the present study focuses on three significant health-related changes: changes in physical activity (PA), non-physical-activity health behavioral patterns (NHB; i.e., diet quality, alcohol consumption, smoking, sleep behavior), and depressive symptoms (DS) among young (18–39 years old), middle-aged (40–59 years old), and older adults (60 years old and older) in the United States.…”

Relationships of Leisure Social Support and Flow with Loneliness in International Students in Taiwan: Implications during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused serious disruption in many people's lives across the world. Although social interactions associated with university life and work were considerably reduced, opportunities to experience leisure were still available during the pandemic (Du et al, 2021;Van Leeuwen et al, 2020). However, it is not clear how social support is maintained through leisure contexts and the relationship of social support to people's desired outcomes during a pandemic.…”