Some Time Is Better Spent than Other Time: Chinese Adolescents’ Time Use and Developmental Outcomes

• In Event: 4440 - Children and Youth in a Changing World

Abstract

Using an ecological and sociocultural perspective of human development, adolescent time use was investigated for developmental implications. We examined a wide range of time usages and developmental outcomes employing a national sample of about 20,000 Chinese middle-school adolescents. Although time on assignments enhances academic performance and educational aspiration, it also increases depressive symptoms. Moreover, leisure reading promotes both educational outcomes and socio-psychological wellbeing, both cram school time and screen time are detrimental to both, and both sports time and housework time are beneficial for socio-psychological wellbeing but not for education-related outcomes. Girls spend more time studying, reading, and doing housework, while boys spend more time in sports and on screen. We also find that boys are more susceptible to the implication of certain time usages.

Authors

• Shu Hu, Singapore University of Social Sciences

• Zheng Mu, National University of Singapore