Time Use and Well-being of Belgian Adolescents: Research Findings and Time Use Evidence

Abstract

Promoting the well-being of young people is one of the main policy goals of youth policies in many Western countries. Yet a clear and distinct definition of the concept of well-being is not available. This paper discusses the measurement of well-being in Belgian youth research and factors influencing the well-being of adolescents. The paper also examines the time use of Belgian adolescents using data from the 1999 Belgian Time Use Survey, differentiating adolescents by gender, age, educational track and parents’ educational background. The time use of the 12- to 19-year olds attending secondary school is compared with the time use of the total population. Finally, we examine data about the subjective health of young people. Surveybased youth research stresses the growing importance of peers for the well-being of teens in late adolescence. This observation is supported by the analyses of time use data. Time use data show that boys engage more than girls in physically active leisure and games, while girls are more actively involved in what is sometimes labelled as “bedroom culture.” As adolescents grow up they are more involved in social leisure, spend less time at home and spend more time with peers. Seventy two percent of adolescents report that they are in very good health. These teenagers spend less time on computers, surfing the net and hobbies. They are less alone and spend more time in the company of others. The time use data reveal that the total workload of adolescents equals that of the population in general.