According to a survey conducted by the social investigation center of China Youth Daily through Minyi.net.cn and 3gqq.qq.com, 51 percent of 4,436 respondents believe that pressures of work affect the pursuit of their hobbies, while 42.4 percent of them hold the opposite view. 

In addition, 62 percent of those surveyed said they have hobbies, while 34 percent said they have none.

Reading (12.3 percent), travel (12 percent), sports (10.4 percent) and playing online games (10.2 percent) are the four most common hobbies, followed by gardening or keeping a pet (7 percent), cooking (6 percent), and photography (4.2 percent), according to the survey.

Hobbies have many positive effects. 36 percent of the respondents think hobbies help them to relieve stress; 12.3 percent think they get a sense of accomplishment from their hobbies; 11.8 percent think hobbies make them more interesting.

In addition, hobbies are conductive to enlivening thinking, exercising willpower and more. However, 4.4 percent of those surveyed felt that hobbies are a waste of time and a distraction.

Why do some people struggle to follow a hobby? Lack of money (28.8 percent) and work pressure (23.6 percent) are the two main reasons, according to the survey.

The survey also shows 51 percent of respondents believe that work pressure affect the pursuit of their hobbies, against 42.4 who believe the opposite.

How to develop and maintain a hobby?

33.3 percent of the survey thought that people should escape from thier dull everyday lives, while 26 percent suggested joining others to cultivate a hobby, and 23 percent believe experiencing the fun of a hobby is a good thing.  

The article is edited and translated from《51.0%受访者感觉工作忙影响自己发展兴趣》, source: China Youth Daily, author: Zhou Yi and Wang Chenying