Work and LeisureToday’s Typical Teenager: USAHow do US adolescents compare to adolescents from other countries?Slide 4Teenage Employment in America and Other NationsThe majority of high school students in USA currently hold paid part-time employment during school yearToday’s adolescent workplace: Where do teens work?Implications of workingWhat do they do when not working or in school? One option: Structured leisure ActivitiesWhat do they do when not working or in school? Another option: Unstructured, unsupervised socializingTime After SchoolLeisure and the Mass MediaMedia and behaviorSlide 14Mass Media and Adolescent Girls’ Body ImageWork and Leisure Work and Leisure22TodayToday’’s Typical Teenager: USAs Typical Teenager: USASpends more time in Spends more time in leisure activities than leisure activities than in in ““productiveproductive”” and and ““maintenancemaintenance”” activitiesactivitiesSpends more time Spends more time alone than with alone than with family members, family members, prefers to be with prefers to be with friendsfriendsSpends four times as Spends four times as many hours per many hours per week at week at part-time jobs as part-time jobs as spent on homeworkspent on homeworkHow do US adolescents compare How do US adolescents compare to adolescents from other to adolescents from other countries?countries?American adolescents spend more time on American adolescents spend more time on leisure, less time in productive activities, leisure, less time in productive activities, than peers in other countries than peers in other countries ExampleExampleUS < 5 hours per week on homework US < 5 hours per week on homework Japan: 5 hours per day on homeworkJapan: 5 hours per day on homeworkHow do US adolescents How do US adolescents compare to adolescents from compare to adolescents from other countries?other countries?Two-thirds of U.S. high school juniors Two-thirds of U.S. high school juniors hold jobs during the school year; only hold jobs during the school year; only one-fourth of Japanese and Taiwanese one-fourth of Japanese and Taiwanese juniors do juniors do Paid employment even rarer in most Paid employment even rarer in most European countries (virtually European countries (virtually nonexistent in France, Russia, Hungary, nonexistent in France, Russia, Hungary, and Switzerland)and Switzerland)Teenage Employment in America and Teenage Employment in America and Other NationsOther Nations Why is student employment so much more common Why is student employment so much more common in the United States than in Europe or Asia?in the United States than in Europe or Asia?Part-time employment opportunities not as readily Part-time employment opportunities not as readily available elsewhereavailable elsewhereScheduling of part-time jobs in other countries is not Scheduling of part-time jobs in other countries is not well suited to the daily routines of studentswell suited to the daily routines of studentsIn most other industrialized countries, the In most other industrialized countries, the employment of children is associated with being pooremployment of children is associated with being poorSchools in countries other than the United States Schools in countries other than the United States require much more out-of-school time for homework require much more out-of-school time for homework 55The majority of high school students in The majority of high school students in USA currently hold paid part-time USA currently hold paid part-time employment during school yearemployment during school yearTodayToday’’s adolescent workplace: s adolescent workplace: Where do teens work? Where do teens work?77Implications of workingImplications of workingMost adolescent jobs are repetitive, low pay, and part-timeMost adolescent jobs are repetitive, low pay, and part-timeMost jobs are Most jobs are not not related to adolescentsrelated to adolescents’’ future careers future careersAdolescentsAdolescents’’ reports about own job experiences are reports about own job experiences are generally positivegenerally positiveBut research shows that the impact of work may be But research shows that the impact of work may be negativenegativeAttitudes towards workingAttitudes towards workingPremature affluencePremature affluenceWorking more than 20 hours seems to be a risk factor, Working more than 20 hours seems to be a risk factor, especially for school motivation and problem behaviorespecially for school motivation and problem behaviorSome evidence that relation between working and problem Some evidence that relation between working and problem behavior is greater in middle class youth, than in poor youthbehavior is greater in middle class youth, than in poor youth..99What do they do when not working What do they do when not working or in school? One option: or in school? One option: Structured leisure ActivitiesStructured leisure ActivitiesTwo-thirds of American high Two-thirds of American high school students are in one or school students are in one or more extracurricular activitiesmore extracurricular activitiesAthletics most popular in the Athletics most popular in the United States United States Other popular activitiesOther popular activitiesMusic (band, chorus, Music (band, chorus, orchestra, glee club)orchestra, glee club)Academic (science club, Academic (science club, language clubs) language clubs) Insert photo from DALWhat do they do when not working or in What do they do when not working or in school? Another option: Unstructured, school? Another option: Unstructured, unsupervised socializingunsupervised socializingHigh levels of unsupervised High levels of unsupervised socializing with peers puts socializing with peers puts adolescents at riskadolescents at riskModerate amount of solitary Moderate amount of solitary time good for development, but time good for development, but also difficult to monitor also difficult to monitor adolescent during solitary timeadolescent during solitary timeTime After SchoolTime After SchoolDelinquency is more common Delinquency is more common on weekday afternoons than at on weekday afternoons than at any other timeany other time11111212Leisure and the Mass MediaLeisure and the Mass Media•Media SaturationMedia Saturation•Many adolescents view TV, listen to Many adolescents view TV, listen to music, or play