Beyond the box: television and the Internet,by Sharon Marie Ross

Some of the results of an investigation into the leisure patterns and lifestyles of 200 ‘young adults’ living in the Potteries are presented. On the basis of selected attributes of their leisure behaviour, respondents were classified into six leisure activity types and ordered along a spectrum from ‘leisure-rich’ to ‘leisure-poor’. While some of the results correspond with what might be expected from previous work, there are also interesting differences. In particular, high levels of participation in leisure activities do not necessarily equate directly with high levels of satisfaction. Moreover, by differentiating groups in this way, it is also possible to begin to identify those who are ‘at risk’ or ‘at benefit’ in what has traditionally been regarded as a homogeneous and non-problematic phase of the life cycle.