Free Time – An Opportunity for Rest, Learning, and Development or an Enemy of Our Personality?

Free time is an important aspect of young people’s daily lives, significantly influencing identity formation. Activities within free time can be geared toward relaxation, leisure, and personal development. While free time offers opportunities for personal growth and relaxation, if inadequately structured, it can also become a space for the development of problematic behaviors, such as excessive internet and social media use, substance abuse due to peer influence, gambling, violence, and similar issues.
An old saying goes, It takes a village to raise a child. Similarly, prevention primarily starts within families, continues in schools, and is further reinforced by the community through norms, laws, and regulations that are consistently implemented.

However, during adolescence, parental and teacher influence diminishes, while interactions with peers intensify. These interactions can be beneficial for developing social skills but also present opportunities for proving oneself and experimenting with various addictive substances or other risky behaviors.
A growing number of experts recognize the potential of free time in preventing behavioral issues, emphasizing the role of risk and protective factors in shaping developmental outcomes. Boredom is linked to many risky behaviors among children and young people. One way to prevent this is by creating meaningful activities within local communities, such as volunteer projects, community initiatives, and sports or creative activities. These alternatives not only provide productive engagement but also reduce excessive screen time and social media use. However, it is crucial to note that these activities alone are not inherently preventive; the presence of competent and responsible adults to guide and support young people is essential.

It is also important to acknowledge that free time contributes to quality of life by allowing individuals to choose activities based on intrinsic motivation. Problems arise when motivation is not driven by genuine interest but rather by a lack of alternatives or when activities are imposed against one’s will. In such cases, the benefits of these activities may be questionable, potentially causing more harm than good.
Merely filling a child’s schedule to prevent harmful behaviors can be counterproductive, leading to stress and burnout. Parents and children may struggle to keep track of numerous activities, leading to exhaustion. On the other hand, if parents have no oversight of how their children spend their free time, young people may be left to their own devices, relying on peer influence and increasing their risk of engaging in problematic behaviors. Therefore, parents are encouraged to help their children find activities that genuinely interest them—activities that foster creativity, responsibility, and problem-solving skills, as well as social development. In this way, children grow into responsible individuals with personal goals and interests, equipped to handle life’s challenges and frustrations.

Free time serves as a training ground for essential life skills, such as conflict resolution, mutual respect, social and communication skills, self-control, personal growth, and learning in a less stressful environment than school. Well-structured and meaningful free time activities can reduce stress and help young people cope with academic demands, ultimately leading to better school performance. Research has shown clear links between academic success and well-organized free time, physical activity, healthy eating habits, regular sleep patterns, good mental health, and parental support.

Extracurricular activities provide children and young people with opportunities for self-expression and identity exploration, making them valuable and significant. Studies from Sweden highlight the importance of structured free-time activities in fostering resilience and preventing risky behaviors. However, participation in structured activities, such as sports, is not a universal safeguard against early substance use—especially alcohol. For instance, young athletes involved in sports clubs and associations are at a higher risk of early alcohol consumption compared to peers engaged in other extracurricular activities.

Although free-time programs and activities can greatly contribute to the physical, mental, intellectual, and emotional development of young people, they must be carefully designed and supervised to prevent them from becoming spaces for risky behaviors instead of healthy growth.

What Can the Local Community Do?
In addition to creating preventive programs and activities for children and young people, it is crucial to invest in infrastructure that provides safe and meaningful opportunities for active engagement. This investment can limit exposure to unhealthy and risky behaviors while promoting healthier choices. This is especially important in environments with more triggers for risky behaviors, where the goal should be to make healthier choices the easiest option.

Behaviors such as substance use among peers or other influential groups are often perceived as the norm. The way a community enforces laws and regulations significantly impacts how individuals perceive the tolerance or acceptance of behaviors like substance use.
Free-time programs and activities should be accessible to all young people free of charge, ensuring that socio-economic status does not limit their access to quality content and development opportunities. Such accessibility allows young people to explore their talents and interests, potentially leading to the discovery of their passions and future careers.

However, some argue that a symbolic participation fee should be required for certain activities to enhance commitment and engagement while ensuring the sustainability of these programs.
Whether free, symbolically priced, or more costly, one thing remains certain—investing in young people is an investment in a healthier, more resilient, and critically aware society.

Azra Halilović

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The 2024 study on gambling and internet use, as well as the habits of consuming tobacco products, alcohol, and marijuana among children and youth in three cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is available here.