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Home > Arhiva > 2026 > Numar: 4 > Leisure Time of Young People in Koper Leisure Time of Young People in Koper
by:
- Tina Nanut (University of Primorska, Faculty of Education, Koper; Department od Social Pedagogy. E-mail: tina.nanut@pef.upr.si)
- Matej Vukovič (University of Primorska, Faculty of Education, Koper; Department od Social Pedagogy)
- Urša Rozman (University of Primorska, Faculty of Education, Koper; Department od Social Pedagogy)
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In recent decades, the leisure practices of young people have undergone substantial transformation, strongly influenced by broader social changes and the rapid expansion of digital technologies. Koper, as the principal city of southwestern Slovenia, functions as both the economic and educational hub of the region and represents the fourth most populous urban centre in the country. This study set out to examine how young people in Koper engage in leisure activities, the opportunities made available through the local community, and the limitations they encounter. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining focus groups with a questionnaire survey. The research involved 397 participants aged 15 to 29, of whom 354 completed the questionnaire. The findings indicate that young people most frequently spend their free time socializing with peers often in cafés and bars as well as engaging in individual activities at home. The analysis further points to a lack of accessible and high-quality leisure opportunities, particularly outside the city centre. These results underline the necessity of strengthening leisure infrastructure and designing inclusive youth policies at the local level. At the same time, the study reveals a discrepancy between young people’s expressed desire for creative and non-commercial spaces and their actual orientation toward commercially driven forms of leisure. Finally, the results highlight an ongoing shift toward individualized digital practices, with social media gradually losing its centrality as gaming, streaming, and online shopping increasingly define leisure patterns among youth.
Keywords: youth, leisure time, youth spaces, social work
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