The importance of self-management in the leisure activities of young people

Abstract

ABSTRACT This report addresses the proposition that young people's self-management of peer group leisure activities results in higher levels of satisfaction with them and makes them more meaningful and impactful. This study collected information in a self-administered questionnaire about the type of leisure spaces and management strategies used by young people aged 16–18 years old and addressed issues related to school time and free time. The sample under study was comprised of students in public, subsizised, and private schools in Northern Spain. The primary purposes of this study were thus to determine where, in which activities, organizational responsibility was taken and whether doing so contributed to the meaning and value of the experience. Analysis of variance and correlational analysis of survey results established that assuming responsibility for the organization of an activity is associated with greater enjoyment and activity satisfaction among young people, as well as making the activity more important in their lives. The greatest implication for the provision of activities at this period of adolescence and youth is that participants be afforded the opportunity for self-management.