Time Use Habits of Italian Generation Y: Dimensions of Leisure Preferences

Time spent in leisure is not a minor research question as it is acknowledged as a key aspect of one’s quality of life. The primary aim of this article is to qualify time and Internet use of Italian Generation Y beyond media hype and assumptions. To this aim, we apply a multidimensional extension of item response theory models to the Italian “Multipurpose survey on households: aspects of daily life” to ascertain the relevant dimensions of Generation Y time use habits. Thus, the quantity of time allocated to each activity is not considered in this study. Instead, we concentrate on the popularity of time use styles in the young people at issue. By the mentioned model, we show that the use of technology is neither the first nor the foremost time use activity of Italian Generation Y, who still prefers to use its time to socialise and have fun with friends in a non media-medalled manner.