Young people on their leisure time

Most young people, as well as older people, just want to have fun in their leisure time. That is shown in the Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs' study Young People with Attitude from 2007.

The Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs undertakes regular attitude and value surveys. Both young and older people reply to questions on attitudes to becoming an adult, leisure, work, politics, diversity issues, gender equality, health etc. The 2007 study Young People with Attitude focused on 6 000 persons in the age-range of 16–29 years and 1 500 in the age-range of 35–74 years.

A majority of the young people believe they have neither too much nor too little free time. Half were members of some club or association in 2007 – primarily sports clubs – which is a large proportion in international terms.

Amongst 16–19 year-olds a larger proportion than in the older age-groups state they are satisfied with the spare time they have, a larger proportion of young people born in Sweden also state they are satisfied with the leisure time they have than young people who are born abroad.

Young people who have a low quality of life, 17 per cent, are more likely to be dissatisfied with their leisure time than young people who have a high quality of life.

Free time occupations may be utilitarian (offering status, prestige, leading to work or being useful in spare time) or self-realising (spending time with others with the same interests, expressing one’s individuality, learning new things, getting new friends or having fun).

Foreign-born Swedes and 16–19 year-olds emphasise both utility and self-realisation which mean that a larger share of them value these qualities than Swedish-born and young persons aged 20–29 years. Young men and young people living in rural areas value utility/practicality, above all, while young women and students primarily value self-realisation.

The leisure time function that the largest proportion of young people and older people consider to be important is, like in the last survey in 2002, to have a good time or to have fun.

The proportion that practice sports, spend time in the countryside, go to cinema or read newspapers and books has declined since 2002. The proportion of young people who are surfing on the internet and visiting cultural events, on the other hand, has increased.