Adolescence: Change and Continuity

Leisure Positives and Negatives

Positive and Negative Leisure in Adolescence

Jennifer Dugan

Leisure can be considered a major contributor to adolescent development. Kleiber, Larson, and Csikszentmihalyi (1986) cite the important finding that the use of free time in adolescence has an effect on adjustment to adulthood. It appears that leisure provides the opportunity for young people to be socialize to those challenges they will face as adults (Fine, Mortimer, Roberts, 1990). Caldwell (1993) explains there is evidence that many leisure experiences are positive and provide for healthy development. However, she also explains that not all leisure experience and participation is positive. Widmer, Ellis, and Trunnell (1996) state that particular leisure choices may place adolescents at increased risk and make them more apt to engage in delinquent behaviors.

Positive Leisure Activities:

Kleiber et al. (1986) call positive leisure "transitional activities" because they are similar to adult work demands and prepare the adolescent for the transition to adulthood.

Transitional Activity Characteristics:

Examples of Transitional Activities: Iso-Ahola and Crowley (1991) state that involvement in these activities lessens the chance of leisure boredom, which can lead to antisocial behaviors, such as drugs/alcohol use.

Fine, Mortimer, and Roberts (1990) state that involvement in extracurricular activities can positively affect educational and occupational achievement.

Negative Leisure Activities:

Negative leisure involves little demand, concentration, and challenge. (Kleiber et al., 1986)

Examples of Negative Leisure:

When these are the primary activities that adolescents spend their time participating in, it can cause boredom and may lead to relieving this state by engaging in risky behaviors such as using drugs or delinquent behaviors (Iso-Ahola and Crowley, 1991). In fact, Iso-Ahola and Crowley (1991) found in their study that adolescents who perceive leisure as boring are more likely to be involved in substance abuse.

Widmer, Ellis, and Trunnell (1996) found that adolescents whom are bored with their leisure are at higher risk for dropping out of school and other negative behaviors.

It is important to note that negative leisure activities do not cause adolescents to use drugs or engage in delinquent acts. Instead, these leisure activities can make them more vulnerable to negative outcomes. Overall, leisure is an important and positive experience for most adolescents.

To find out more . . .

What Are Teenagers Really Doing for Fun?

Jeffrey Pensabene


Today teens are trying and using drugs as a form of leisure activity more then ever. In our society drugs can be obtained in any type of setting. Even though statistics are changing every day, more than 75%of teens in high school will try some type of an illegal drug(personal communication). Teens that live on a farm in Kentucky can have accesses to drugs, just as easily as a teen who lives in New York City. This is one of the many reasons why teens are using drugs. In this article I will show how teens start this type of activity and why.

How does this start?

Drug use is rarely started by a teen saying they want to try drugs. Drug use is usually started by a form of gateway drugs (Kandel, Yamaguchi, and Chen; 1992). Gateway drugs are drugs that are legal for adults and usually lead to the use of illegal drugs. Some examples of Gateway Drugs are

These Gateway Drugs are very easy to obtain and they give a teen a false sense of being older. The problem is that these type of substances usually lead to the use of illegal drugs(Baumrind and Moselle, 1985). The first type of illegal drug that teens usually experiment with is marijuana (Newcomb and Bentler, 1993). Marijuana is a drug that is smoked and is used to give teens a high. Then after they get bored with this drug, or in search for a better high, teens then may try cocaine or heroin. This seems to be a common pattern in teens that have used marijuana.

Researchers have shown that this pattern differs among sexes. Women tend to start out by using cigarettes as a Gateway Drug, while men usually use alcohol as their first Gateway Drug (Kandel, Yamaguchi, and Chen; 1992). There is no evidence as to why this is the case, but more research is being done on this topic.

Why do teens start?

This a question that every parent and researcher wants to know. There has been much research and many theories about why this happens, but no one really understands why. One theory of why this happens is attributed to peer relationship (Newcomb and Bentler, 1993). Making the change to high school is another cause of teens turning to drugs. Even though sometimes drug use can start as early as 6th or 7th grade, the transition to high school plays a big part. The freedom that parents give to their child as they become older may also contributes to the start of drug use (Newcomb and Bentler: 1993).

So how do we prevent teens from falling into this pattern? Do we not give them the responsibility and freedom as they get older, or do we personally pick their friends for them? No one has the answers to these questions. To solve this problem, parents can educate teens on the effects of drugs and trust them that when tempted to use such illegal substances, they will simply say no.

To Find Out More . . .

Is Alcohol Frequently Used by Adolescence as a Leisure Activity?

Eileen Duffy


For most of us, leisure is defined as the time when one is away from work or school. Adolescents have a lot of free time after school, especially if they do not have a job. Depending on the adolescence family, school and community, leisure activities can be a positive experience or may lead to risky behaviors in adolescence development.

Statistics:

Why do adolescents drink?

There are many reasons why adolescence drink as often and as casually as they do. There are not many places or activities to keep adolescence out of trouble. A lot of the leisure activities, such as the movies or dances, are reported to be "boring" by adolescence. Surprisingly, drugs and alcohol are available to even the youngest and most vulnerable among us.(Spock, 1989) Adolescence usually drink because they have a low self esteem and self image. Adolescence need to appear mature, have a good time, satisfy curiosity and belong to a group.(Cross, 1979) They are at a constant struggle for acceptance. Cliques, groups, and gangs act as "get aways" from the adult world of restrictions and supervision. Alcohol gives adolescence relief from stressful situations. The pressure to use alcohol has never been stronger than it is now. This is due to the fact that advertising for alcohol has doubled in the past ten years, the amount of time teenagers spend watching television has produced a passive generation, and the fact that alcohol is available in all of our communities.(Spock, 1989)

How can the community help reduce adolescence use of alcohol?

"Young people have lost natural proximity to caring, mature adults, leaving their basic needs for constructive guidance unfulfilled."(Spock,1989) pg.13 There are many ways that parents, schools and the community can help prevent alcoholism in adolescence. One way is by parents helping parents. What I mean by this is parents communicating with each other about alcohol and other social events. Parents should also make sure that the childs school has a comprehensive substance abuse prevention and intervention plan. Along with parents and schools, the community should be involved too. Media, local business leaders health professionals, churches and youth groups should all be involved in the fight against alcohol abuse in the community.(Main and Zervas, 1991) Organized communities can influence and change everything-attitudes, practices, laws and behaviors. ( Spock,1989) Alcohol abuse is not an isolated problem. Crime, school failure, teenage pregnancy, depression and suicide are others associated with the use of alcohol.(Cross, 1979) The alcohol problem we face as a society will be solved only through social change. The process involves creating a world in which adolescence don't need to escape. This would be the ultimate prevention.

To Find Out More . . .

This site was produced by students taking HDFS 433: The Transition to Adulthood and HDFS 239: Adolescent Development at the Pennsylvania State University. Feedback can be sent to the individual authors or to Nancy Darling (darling@bard.edu).

Last updated 4/16/01.