Ummmmm...they're retreating to the toilet for private time...surely....
Lack of Personal Space Sparks the Rise of Manvironments[1] in Homes Around Australia
· One in five Australian men have nowhere to unwind at home, forcing six per cent of men to retreat to the bathroom
· eBay investigates shopping behaviours of men to confirm that the palatial man cave is dead and instead Manviroments reign strong
· Just 20 mins of relaxing in a dedicated Manvironment reduces health risks associated with prolonged periods of stress
ebay.com.au has discovered a growing trend in the way that Australian men relax in the home. Consumer research coupled with online buying habits point to the rise of smaller, more organised Manvironments around the home, moving away from the once larger, palatial man cave.
The Australian Manvironment Study[2], which was commissioned by ebay.com.au to shed light on Australian men’s relaxation habits, revealed one in five men[3] have nowhere to unwind at home. Teaming up with a leading Anthropologist, Greg Downey, helped to further understand the health benefits of Manvironments after online buying trends pointed to the rise of smaller Manvironments around the home.
The study forms part of eBay’s ongoing focus to provide retail partners with relevant consumer insights, which links product inventory to buying behaviours. Megan English, trend watcher, ebay.com.au, says that it is time to shift the perceptions of palatial man caves towards smaller, more attainable Manvironments.
“With millions of products and millions of Aussie males visiting ebay.com.au each month we are in a unique position to evaluate dozens of interesting trends and buying behaviours. Our Manvironment research study supports our casual observations that whilst around two million Aussie men would like to have a room in their house dedicated to sports, music, movies or memorabilia, this is not always achievable,” said English.
“We found two thirds of men don’t get enough downtime and a staggering 92 per cent say they know how important it is to have their own personal space, whilstonly 48 per cent have a dedicated space set aside for them. And more surprisingly only 21 percent of Australian men* have a hi-tech man cave whilst six percent are retreating to the smallest room in the house, the bathroom!”
ebay.com.au reached out to Greg Downey (PhD), for further insight into why men carve out their own space to unwind and how important it is for their health. Downey says the need for Manvironments in the home is more pressing than ever before because men are facing a rapid decline in space due to the overlapping domestic spaces of modern living.
“Around one third of us work jobs that are cognitively demanding, meaning we carry the stresses of work with us and find it hard to switch off,” said Downey.
“This stress triggers the cortisol levels in men’s brains to rise, which can lead to negative health affects over prolonged periods of time,” he said.
Associate Professor Greg Downey says one of the most effective ways to de-stress is to take part in activities that focus your attention enough to block out the causes of your stress.
“Whether they relax by working on cars, cooking, playing music or video games, guys should organise a Manvironment, so it’s ready for them to jump in whenever they want to unwind,” said Downey.
ebay.com.au will spend the next month further investigating the buying behaviours of men and their Manvironments to gain a greater understanding of this trend towards smaller dedicated spaces.
As part of this promotion ebay.com.au is holding a Facebook competition, which invites Australian men to share a photo of their Manvironment for the chance to win $2,500 to upgrade their space.
“We’re hoping to piece together a snapshot of Australian Manvironments through our Facebook App. Whether it’s a corner in the lounge room, a workbench in the shed, the roof in the garage where they hang their fishing rods, or a full gaming station in the study, we encourage all men to share their Manvironments with us,” said Miss English.
www.facebook.com.au/ebay.com.au