The discretionary time available to U.S. adolescents is greater than that available to their counterparts in East Asia, Europe, and other industrialized countries. Analyze if this additional discretionary time is an asset or a liability for U.S. adolescents.
What will be an ideal response?
Whether the additional discretionary time available to U.S. adolescents is a liability or an asset for them depends on how they use this time. According to Larson, this additional time is largely detrimental for optimal development when such time is unstructured. When adolescents in the United States are allowed to choose what they do with their time, they typically engage in unchallenging activities such as hanging out and watching TV. Although relaxation and social interaction are important aspects of adolescence, it seems unlikely that spending large numbers of hours per week in unchallenging activities fosters development. Structured voluntary activities may provide more promise for adolescent development than unstructured time, especially if adults give responsibility to adolescents, challenge them, and provide competent guidance in these activities.
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