The government will be setting up a national forum for the family which will discuss legislation related to family and family patterns, Family Minister Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said this morning.

She was speaking during the launch of a study “Leisure Trends Among Young People in Malta”.

The minister said that issues related to recreation, leisure and employment all had an effect on the family and the government believed families were a major value which had to be embraced in spite of progress.

The study was carried out in July last year among 1,024 13 to 31-year-olds by the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Agenzija Zghazagh with the assistance of the National Statistics Office.

The most popular leisure activity among those questioned was, at 44 per cent, swimming, closely followed by social networking at 42.5 per cent.

Senior lecturer Joanne Cassar, who presented the results together with social psychologist Marilyn Clark said, that social networking was a style of life.

At 35.5 per cent, television featured prominently, as did going to bars (31 per cent).

Only 2.1 per cent listed taking care of animals as a leisure. Another unpopular activity was, at 6.3 per cent, involvement in youth organisations and volunteering.

The most popular activity among 13 to 16 year olds was, at 55 per cent, playing on computers. Television was more popular among those who lived in southern harbour. This could be because they were far from entertainment hubs, Dr Cassar said.

Only six per cent of respondents said they spent their leisure time alone.

Dr Cassar and Prof. Clark noted that over 70 per cent of young people were satisfied with the amount of leisure time available.

The most satisfied were Gozitans, who spent most of their leisure time on social networks. Least satisfied were those from the western part of Malta.

The older one got, the less satisfied one was.

Most saw work and school as a barrier to leisure, not so money and parental consent.

A total 34 per cent did not have suggestions on how to improve their leisure time. This could be either because they were satisfied or because they lacked a critical thinking ability, Dr Cassar said.

Commissioner for Children Helen d’Amato said the study was had been proposed by 14-year-olds who sat on the Commission’s council for children.