Leisure Time and Youth Well-Being

It is rightly said that while children are the future of the country, youth are its present. The energy, enthusiasm, dynamism, innovative ideas and creative thinking they possess make the youth population an important asset for any country's accelerated development. With regard to youth resources, India has a distinct edge over the developed nations most of which will be facing the burden of a fast ageing population in the coming decades. India is experiencing a youth bulge. Around the world, young people are proving that leisure represents a prime opportunity not only for individual development, but also for contribution and change. The amount of leisure time available to young people varies considerably according to age, gender and culture. How young people spend their leisure time is also linked to pressing threats to their well-being and to issues of globalization and interdependence. Given these interconnections, it is critical that leisure be discussed as a context for the development of young people and their participation in the development of community and society.

Participation in organized leisure and recreation by young people is also seen as having positive benefits for society since it reduces the amount of time available for engagement in anti-social behavior. It is important to understand the ways in which young people think about leisure, their beliefs about, and attitudes to leisure, the meaning of leisure to them and the forces that influence and shape their involvement in leisure activities.

The purpose of this article is to examine the empirical evidence and describe theoretical perspectives that address under what conditions and how leisure acts are essential for youth opportunities and well-being.