TIME USE AS A WAY OF EXAMINING CONTEXTS OF ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES

Participation in structured extracurricular activities such as sports, arts, school clubs, and volunteering is associated with higher academic achievement, lower rates of depression, and numerous other positive social-emotional outcomes (Vernon & Jacobs, 2002; Eccles & Barber, 1999). Research has also documented that working at a part-time job after school in adolescence is associated with negative outcomes such as lower school engagement, more drug and alcohol use, and lower life satisfaction (Steinberg, 2002). Researchers have suggested that adolescents who work might have less time for more developmentally beneficial activities (Steinberg & Cauffman, 1995). This paper explores adolescent time use, and particularly how adolescents choose to spend their free time, using data from the American Time Use Survey. The paper compares time use on weekends and weekdays, describes time use by gender and income, and examines differences in time use among adolescents based on their involvement in paid work on the diary day. Adolescents who worked on their diary day did give up time from some other activities, primarily rest and play activities, but they spent similar amounts of time doing homework and attending classes compared with adolescents who did not work on their diary day.