Half of America Is in a Fun Drought

Half of America Is in a Fun Drought — And Honestly, Moms Felt This One First

New research confirms what so many of us have been quietly feeling: we are not having enough fun. Here’s why, and what to do about it.

When’s the last time you had a full, free day to just do something fun? Not run errands. Not catch up on laundry. Not sit in the school pickup line scrolling your phone. Actually, genuinely fun.

If you’re drawing a blank, you’re in very good company. A new national study found that nearly half of Americans — 48% — feel like their lives are currently lacking in fun. One in eight can’t even remember the last time they had a full free day to enjoy themselves. And half of the country wishes they could do something fun and social every day, or at least a few times a week.

The study, commissioned by Dave & Buster’s and conducted by Talker Research among 5,000 U.S. adults, calls it a “fun drought.” And while nobody’s using the word “moms” specifically in the data, let’s be honest — we know who’s been running on empty the longest.

We Know Fun Is Good for Us. We’re Still

Not Having It.

The research is pretty clear on what fun actually does for people. Seventy-two percent say having fun makes them feel less stressed. More than half say it makes them feel more motivated (57%) and closer to their family and friends (56%). And 89% — nearly everyone surveyed — believe that having fun with others helps them maintain healthier, better relationships.

We know this. We feel this. And yet, here we are.

The people in the survey who said they don’t get enough fun estimated they’d need 17 extra hours a week to change that. Seventeen hours. That’s not a small ask when you’re already running a household, managing a career, and keeping small humans alive and emotionally regulated.

So What’s Actually Getting in the Way?

When asked why fun plans fall through, the answers were painfully relatable. Cost and budget top the list at 57% — the most common barrier by far. After that: personal schedule (34%), work schedule (31%), and friends and family not having time (29%). General burnout checks in at 22%, and simply not knowing what to do accounts for 16%.

Over a third of people (37%) say they frequently think of something fun they want to do, then have to tone it down or cancel because something comes up. Another 33% say adult responsibilities regularly get in the way of fun plans they’ve already made.

There’s a particular kind of grief in that, isn’t there? Not the big dramatic losses, but the slow accumulation of cancelled plans and “maybe next weekends” that never quite happen.

It’s Actually Gotten Harder — Not Easier — to Have Fun

Here’s the part that might surprise you. Despite having more entertainment options than ever, 52% of Americans say it’s actually harder to have fun than it was ten years ago. The reasons: they can’t afford the same activities (51%), their social circle has shrunk (45%), or they simply have more responsibilities (42%).

Only 28% feel it’s gotten easier — and those folks credit having fewer responsibilities, more financial flexibility, and a better work-life balance. Which, for a lot of moms in the thick of raising kids, can feel like a description of a future life rather than the current one.

What People Actually Want to Do for Fun

When Americans do carve out time for fun, here’s what they reach for: watching TV (77%), spending time with family or friends (69%), dining out (59%), getting outside (50%), personal hobbies (49%), and playing games (48%).

What’s striking about that list is how social most of it is. We’re not craving elaborate solo adventures — we mostly just want to be around people we like, doing something that isn’t work or obligation.

And when asked what would actually motivate them to prioritize fun more, the answers were straightforward: low-cost options (55%), more free time (41%), more exciting things to do (32%), better planning with friends (29%), and less work stress (22%).

What This Means for Central Mass Families

There’s something worth sitting with in this data. We’re not failing at fun because we don’t want it. We’re failing at fun because the barriers — money, time, exhaustion, shrinking social circles — are genuinely real.

But here’s the flip side: the fun we’re craving doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. The research makes clear that what people want most is connection. Time with people they love, doing something that breaks the routine. That can look like a game night at someone’s house. A Saturday morning hike on one of our trails. A long dinner where nobody has anywhere to be afterward.

“Fun isn’t just entertainment — it’s an important part of people’s overall well-being,” said Melissa Powers, vice president of marketing at Dave & Buster’s. “As life becomes increasingly busy and digitally driven, people are looking for places where they can connect in real life, share experiences and simply enjoy being together.”

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to actually schedule that thing you keep putting off — the girls’ night, the family outing, the playdate that’s been on the calendar for three months — consider this it.

The fun drought is real. But so is the solution, and it’s closer than you think.

Survey methodology: Talker Research surveyed 5,000 American adults (100 per state) on behalf of Dave & Buster’s, conducted online April 21 – May 1, 2026.