Abstract
This paper uses individual-level data from both the 2003-2011 American Time Use Survey and Youth Risk Behavior Survey and state-level unemployment rates to examine the effects of a weakening economy during the Great Recession on U.S. teenagers’ activities. I present results by gender and by race/ethnicity within gender groups. Over the period, I find changes in sexual activity for black males associated with changes in time spent with parents. In addition, Hispanic males were more likely to be obese when the economy weakened, which corresponded to a decrease in time spent playing sports and an increase in time watching TV. Female teenagers, on the other hand, made greater educational investments while spending less time working. However, there were signs that female teenagers were stressed by the weak economic conditions, because they slept less and were more likely to smoke regularly. In addition, black females consumed more alcohol.
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