Summer is hot and all, but Americans just aren’t in love with summer, y’know? If we can avoid allowing our thoughts to drift toward pumpkin spice for a moment, perhaps we can stop and appreciate some of the slow jams that summer has been blasting from the boombox outside our window.
During possibly one of the last summers in which there are available activities beyond “sheltering indoors away from the uninhabitable heat,” which activities are Americans most (and least) looking forward to this upcoming season? We conducted a MaxDiff experiment, our favorite summer activity, to find out.
Americans trying to avoid “Summertime Sadness” are most looking forward to some (Lana Del) rays of sunshine in the form of cookouts, general relaxing outdoors, and going to the beach. If you really want to impress your friends, host a barbecue (most preferred activity) and optimize your menu with the best BBQ menu items. And then immediately annoy your friends by mentioning that your ideas derive from data-driven Trendlines insights. Much less anticipated summer activities are yardwork, sailing, and summer sports, which, let’s face it, reads like the to-do list of a sheltered teenager summering with their wealthy aunt and uncle on Martha’s Vineyard.
