Outdoor time among American boys aged 15-19 declined sharply over 2003-2023, erasing a long-standing male advantage so that boys' outdoor engagement converged with girls' at similarly low rates, and computer-based leisure was linked to less outdoor time while time with friends was linked to more.
Outdoor engagement among American boys aged 15-19 declined sharply over the 20-year period from 2003 to 2023.
The decline in boys' outdoor time erased the long-standing male advantage, and boys' participation converged with girls' at similarly low rates.
More time spent on computer-based leisure was associated with less outdoor time, particularly among boys.
Time spent with friends was positively associated with outdoor engagement for both boys and girls.
Indoor physical activity did not change over the observation period and did not offset the decline in outdoor time.
The authors suggest that broader changes in leisure activities may be reshaping how young people engage with outdoor environments, and that further research is needed.
This study used time-diary data from a large US survey, the American Time Use Survey, to see how much time 15- to 19-year-olds spent outdoors between 2003 and 2023. It covered 14,235 teenagers. Boys' outdoor time fell sharply over the two decades. Boys used to spend more time outdoors than girls, but that gap has disappeared. Boys and girls now spend similarly low amounts of time outdoors. The study also looked at what else teens did with their leisure time. Teens who spent more leisure time on computers tended to spend less time outdoors, and this link was stronger for boys. Teens who spent more time with friends tended to spend more time outdoors, for both boys and girls. Indoor physical activity stayed about the same over the period, so it did not make up for the drop in outdoor time. This research suggests that changes in how young people spend their free time, especially screen-based leisure, may be changing how often they go outside. The findings show associations, not proof of cause, and the authors say more research is needed to understand the reasons and the long-term effects. Outdoor time offers physical activity, natural light, and social contact, and adolescence is when lasting habits form, so the trend may be worth watching.
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Upload Your LabsJarosz E, Ulset V, Skirbekk V. (2026). Changes in American adolescents' outdoor time over two decades.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2605134123