Leisure and positive development of youth: The time use analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine how young people in Serbia are using free time and how their activities are beneficial, from the standpoint of a positive development. We have analyzed the amount of time youth daily spend in a different categories of activities, based on the degree of mental and physical engagement, the primary purpose of the activities and the degree of structured ness. The 24-hour time diary method was applied: subjects chronologically described, at half-hourly intervals, their activities in one working and one weekend day. The data analysis was based on a typical day reconstruction approach. The research was conducted on a representative sample of high school students (N = 922), stratified by region, age and type of school. The analysis revealed that young people spend most of their leisure time in activities that do not require a particular mental or physical engagement. In a hypothetical average day of Serbian teenagers, the most represented activities are aimed at fun and relaxation, as well as unstructured socializing with peers. Far less time is spent in individual or organized activities, aimed at the actualization of creative potentials and development of interests and competencies (extracurricular activities, hobbies, volunteering, etc.). It is evident that young people spend most of their free time in unstructured activities, without supervision and systematic guidance by adults. We believe that a gloomy picture of youth leisure time could be, at least partly, attributed to the lack of socio-cultural support for more developmentally enriching ways of spending time, in the form of organized activities at school and in the community.