Over-scheduled or at loose ends? The shifting balance of adolescent time use

Little is known about the time use of American youth. In this study, time diary data from 1977-78 and 2003-05 are used to investigate time use in middle adolescence with the goals of ascertaining (1) changes in time use, (2) how socioeconomic and familial factors influence adolescent time allocation, and (3) the extent to which the mix of leisure undertaken by today's adolescents reflect a choice set that favors positive developmental experiences. The results suggest that over the past few decades, adolescents have substantially reduced their paid employment time while simultaneously increasing the time they spend in leisure. Adolescents' declining real wage rates appear to have contributed to this shift. In 2003-05, adolescents averaged over six hours per day in leisure activities with approximately two-thirds of their leisure time spent in passive activities and less than one-third spent in leisure pursuits that have a high probability of promoting personal growth.