The rise of compulsory schooling and the affluence of the adolescent population have contributed to the increased importance both of part-time employment and of leisure activities in the lives of contemporary adolescents. Adolescents spend 29% of their time in "productive" activities (e.g., school), 31% of their time in "maintenance" activities (e.g., grooming, eating), and 40% of their time in "leisure" activities (e.g., socializing).
The average American high school student spends fewer than five hours per week on homework, whereas in Japan the average is close to five hours per day. Having large amounts of free time is one hallmark of adolescence in modern American society.
ADOLESCENTS AND WORK
School and Work in the Twentieth Century: Before 1925, adolescents were either students or workers, but not both. Today, more than 80% of high school students will have worked before graduating. The student-worker, however, is a relatively new phenomenon that has become prevalent only in recent years.
The Emergence of the Student Worker: The expansion of part-time employment opportunities in retail and service industries following 1945 drew youngsters back into the labor force. Also, the cost of living for the American teenager increased dramatically over the last thirty years, so adolescents who were looking for spending money were drawn into the world of work. Today, the typical high school student works more than fifteen hours each week, although working during high school is slightly more common for middle and upper class white students than among poor youth. Many young people, however, have worked prior to this age, either around their houses on assigned chores, or on an informal basis in their neighborhood, in activities such as baby-sitting or yard work.
Teenage Employment in America and in Other Nations: Although the student-worker has become a more common phenomenon in other industrialized countries, it is still far less prevalent abroad than in the United States. This is due to the fact that part-time work is not as readily available elsewhere as it is in America. Also, the scheduling of part-time work does not match the schedule of students in other countries, since school in other countries demands more "out-of-school" time (e.g., homework). Furthermore, in other countries, employment of children is associated with being poor, and students are more likely to gain work experience through structured apprenticeship programs in career-related jobs. Consequently, the school-to-work transition is more systematic and effective.
The Adolescent Workplace Today: Adolescents are typically employed in service and retail positions and it is only recently that researchers have begun to study the work environments of young people. These studies challenge many widely held assumptions about the value of early work experience. Far from being conducive to learning and psychological development, many adolescents' jobs are monotonous, unchallenging, and stressful. Meaningful contact with adults is limited, and opportunities for developing responsibility or using school-taught skills are scarce.
Working and Adolescent Development: The notion that holding a job makes an adolescent more responsible has not been supported by the research. In fact, today's working teenagers may have more income than they can manage maturely, otherwise known as premature affluence. For example, studies show that adolescents spend most of their earnings on their own needs and activities, rather than on their education or their family's household needs. As a result, part-time employment often leads to cynicism about the value of hard work.
Recent studies indicate that working long hours may increase occupational deviance in the adolescent workplace and take a toll on youngsters' schooling. Teenagers who work in excess of fifteen to twenty hours weekly are more likely to use drugs and alcohol, are less engaged in school, and are more likely to "protect" their grades by taking easier classes and expending less effort on their schoolwork.
Youth Unemployment: There remains a good deal of controversy over the nature and causes of youth unemployment. Unemployment appears to be a problem for only a small minority of teenagers, and these teenagers are more typically minority youngsters who have dropped out of high school and are living in depressed inner-city areas. But even among these youngsters, unemployment is usually short-lived and the long-term consequences are not great. Many social commentators have called for improving the transition between school and full-time work, especially among non-college-bound students. Among the suggestions offered are increasing adolescents' opportunities for community service, strengthening counseling and career service for high school students, and encouraging the development of apprenticeship programs like those found in Europe.
ADOLESCENTS AND LEISURE
Adolescents spend more time in leisure than they do in school and work combined. Although adults are prone to see leisure as "wasted" time, leisure serves a number of important functions during adolescence. It socializes adolescents for adult roles, exposes them to elements of the popular culture, and helps support certain segments of the economy.
Participation in Extracurricular Activities: School sponsored extracurricular activities, such as athletics, provide the context for much of the adolescent's leisure activity. Furthermore, whereas employment tends to decrease school performance, increase delinquency, and heighten drug and alcohol use, participating in school-sponsored activities seems to have the reverse effect.
After-School Activities and Adolescent Development: Many leisure activities are structured to socialize adolescents into adult roles. For example, athletics were found to be a chief route to popularity and status for boys, whereas cheerleading was the main route to popularity for girls. The culture of boys' athletics emphasizes achievement, toughness, and competition. In contrast, girls were socialized to focus on their appearance and "bubbliness". In addition, leading magazines aimed at girls focus on dating and heterosexual relationships and emphasize the importance of physical attractiveness.
Leisure and the Mass Media: Much of adolescents' leisure time involves one or more of the mass media. Whereas television viewing declines during adolescence, use of music media, movies, and print media all increase. The average adolescent is exposed to the mass media about eight hours daily. Although adults have worried about the corrupting influence of media such as television or rock music, it has been difficult to document such alleged effects.
Leisure and the Economy: The power of adolescents as consumers has increased in recent decades. The average adolescent has nearly $400 per month in spending money, which makes this group an attractive target for a variety of businesses.
