The Free Time of Teenagers from the Perspective of Sociological Theory

This article is an attempt to redefine the concept of free time in such a way as to take into account the nuances of the social determinants of adolescent leisure. Classic definitions of leisure have emphasized its disinterestedness, voluntary nature, and unproductiveness. Later researchers indicated that the issue was more complex. How people spend their free time is a derivative of their social position and cultural, social, and symbolic capital, and is also often a component of a chosen lifestyle or an element of identity. It is currently believed that how a person spends free time is also influenced by the individual’s gender, age, origin, and physical predisposition. In regard to youth leisure, the disappearance of clear divisions between work and rest time seems to be extremely important, especially in two areas: participation in extracurricular activities, and the huge role of smartphones and the Internet in the lives of young people, along with the associated “prosumption,” unregulated financial issues (making money online), and many other phenomena