Making leisure time meaningful for adolescents: an interview study from Sweden

Abstract

Adolescents’ school performance is influenced by several factors and meaningful leisure time, especially organized activities, has great potential to impact academic results. Therefore, this study aimed to gain a greater understanding of how community actors perceive meaningful leisure time and how they work to create meaningful leisure time with the intention of increasing the chances for more adolescents completing upper secondary school. Semi-structured interviews with 14 informants, representing nine different community actors in a middle-sized city in Sweden, were conducted and analysed using content analysis. Results suggest that meaningful leisure time positively impacts adolescents’ mental health through social relations, support, and guidance. Leisure is believed to have spillover effects on reducing stress, manage school demands and performance. Nevertheless, leisure time activities and school performance must be balanced with time and effort. Community actors work proactively with availability, individual approaches, and offering activities to create meaning. From a societal perspective, places to hang out with supportive adults, in particular structured activities, should be regarded as a social investment in adolescents’ health and prospects, especially in deprived areas where fewer activities are available. Finally, ensuring meaningful leisure time is in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Keywords

• adolescents
• community actors
• meaningful leisure time
• qualitative
• upper secondary school
• health