Poll results released today confirm that teenagers have had enough of being labelled as lazy and want the opportunity to do more positive things in their free time.
More than 3,500 16 to 19 year olds - including some from Manchester and Liverpool - were quizzed about their free time as part of the nationwide Teen Talk survey. The poll was conducted on behalf of the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) by mobile network Blyk and is believed to be the largest ever SMS-based poll of teenagers' free time habits.
It found that far from wanting to spend their evenings and weekends just hanging out, almost three quarters (72 per cent) of today's teens would rather be involved in positive activities1 such as football, dance, going to the gym, music and martial arts. Many teenagers are also keen to participate in youth groups and community volunteering. Around 40 per cent of the Manchester and Liverpool respondents said they favoured sport as an activity if it was available in their area.
However, nine in ten (90 per cent) of 16 to 19 year olds admitted spending much of their time hanging out at home or with friends due to a lack of opportunities in their local area. More than four in five said there is simply not enough to do where they live and would like to see more activities made available to them.
Hollyoaks star Kieron Richardson, character Ste Haye in the show, said: "It's frustrating to see this country's young people getting such a bad press all the time. The majority of teens want to use their free time constructively and it's vital they are given the chance to do that."
In addition, almost one in ten (8 per cent) already use their leisure time to take on part time jobs, with a further 16 per cent keen to do the same.
The Teen Talk survey forms part of Aiming High for Young People, the DCSF's ten year strategy to increase young people's participation in positive leisure time activities. This also includes a website - http://www.direct.gov.uk/getinvolved - where teenagers and parents can find out about events and activities happening in their local area.
DCSF Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Beverley Hughes, said: "It's extremely important that we listen to what teenagers themselves are saying. The Teen Talk survey did just that, and showed that the vast majority of young people want to use their free time constructively. This puts paid to the all-too-familiar portrayal of them as only being interested in hanging around on the streets or playing computer games.
"Through Aiming High for Young People and the work of the Youth Taskforce, we are investing a total of £679 million in creating opportunities for young people to follow their interests and get involved in positive activities at a time and place that suits them, like evenings, Friday and Saturday nights."
One such initiative is the Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) in which young people are given the opportunity to bid for and receive funding for projects in their local area.
YOF money in Trafford's is allocated from the Pot of Gold from which grants are allocated by a group of teenagers including Sophie Slate from Timperley who says: "It's right there can be not a lot to do, especially at times such as half term, and youth centres aren't always open when you want them to be.
"But here in Trafford if you decide what you want to do and put a proposal to one of our weekly meetings, we can allocate up to £3,000 to groups and £500 to individuals for qualifying activities, and the money is allocated by your fellow teenagers, not some stuffy official."
Most popular activities Popular non-traditional
activities
Work Volunteering/Community Work
Football Boxing
Dance Go Karting
Gym Martial Arts
Music / Singing Ice Skating
Swimming Parkour / Free Running
