DigiPlay 6: Moving Forwards in Digital Leisure Research

Wednesday 14th Sept 2005
School of Sport and Leisure Management
Sheffield Hallam University

New Technologies, New Leisure. So What?

Ken Roberts (University of Liverpool)

The latest wave of new technology has produced some entirely new leisure activities, transformed some older pastimes, and led to new crossovers between education and entertainment, and entertainment and politics. Earlier new technologies (print, the bicycle, the wireless, the motor car, the aeroplane, television) had comparable effects. However, in most cases there were neither extensive nor powerful societal repercussions. New forms of play have usually displaced earlier forms that played similar roles in individuals' lifestyles, and have usually been assimilated into existing lifestyle differences by age, gender and social class. This paper discusses the likelihood of the latest new technologies having more radical implications for the economic, psychological, social and political functions of leisure.

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