Differences in the ways of spending leisure time by Generation Z tertiary students before and after the COVID-19 pandemic
Differences in the ways of spending leisure time by Generation Z tertiary students before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary/Abstract: Changes in the way young people spend their leisure time are an important indicator of social and economic transformations as well as of the influence of external factors on everyday life. The aim of the study discussed in the article is to identify changes which took place in the time budget and structure of leisure activities of Generation Z tertiary students in Poland after the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period, paying particular attention to gender differences and the role of paid work. The analysis was performed on the basis of three waves of a questionnaire survey conducted in 2018, 2020 and 2023. The analysis of variance, chi-square tests and Student’s t-tests were applied to assess the significance of the observed changes. The study indicates that a substantial reorganisation of time budget took place between 2018 and 2023: the importance of studying declined, while the role of paid work and digital entertainment increased. Gender differences persisted throughout the studied period: women devoted more time to studying and household duties, while men were more involved in sports and digital activities. The findings highlight the usefulness of classical statistical methods in analysing social change, and provide important guidelines for the educational policy.

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