Time Use and Time Management Among Youths

Abstract

Time use and time management are foundational components of youth development, directly influencing academic performance, personal well-being, and future readiness. This study aimed to explore how young individuals, aged 18–25, allocate their time across daily activities and how effectively they manage it, with particular attention to the roles of gender and academic discipline. A sample of 120 participants—equally divided by gender and enrolled in either regular academic or vocational courses—completed structured survey assessing their time distribution across eight domains: study, daily life activities, extracurricular activities, socialization, online activity, health behaviours, pro-environmental practices, and procrastination, along with a standardized time management questionnaire. A 2×2 between-groups ANOVA revealed that gender significantly affected overall time management ability, indicating potential differences in time regulation and planning styles between male and female students. Academic discipline significantly influenced extracurricular participation and procrastination levels in youth, suggesting that course demands and academic culture shape how youths engage with and prioritize their time. Additionally, significant interaction effects between gender and course were observed in health behaviours and pro-environmental engagement pointing to a complex interplay between identity and institutional context allocating time. These findings provide valuable insight into how time is both experienced and managed by youth, emphasizing that time management is not only a personal competence but a product of gendered expectations and academic environments. The study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of youth time behaviour and highlights the need for context-aware strategies to support balanced and effective time management in young populations.