Time alone well spent? A person-centered analysis of adolescents' solitary activities

Although solitude has been portrayed as a potentially constructive domain in adolescence, time alone has been consistently associated with socio-emotional maladjustment. To address this discrepancy, we explored how adolescents spend their time alone and the links between solitary activities and adjustment outcomes. Adolescents (N = 869, 68% female, M_age = 16.14 ±.50) completed self-report measures assessing time alone, solitary activities, and indices of adjustment. Latent class analysis revealed three distinct groups based on solitary activities: Passive Media (53.3%), Engaged (i.e., constructive activities; 31.7%), and Thinking (15%). Differences also emerged among these three groups in terms of time alone, negative affect, and loneliness. Implications for the role of solitude in adolescent well-being are discussed.