This paper examines the experiences of boredom, time stress and lack o
f choice (lack of control) in the daily lives of adolescents, and espe
cially in their free time activities. Both quantitative and qualitativ
e data are used from a survey (n=73) and interview (n=20) study of gra
de 10 students from Ontario, Canada. The findings indicate that while
free time activities were common everyday occurrences, many of the stu
dents (especially females) reported high levels of time stress, which
affected out-of-school as well as in-school situations. A large number
of students also reported a considerable amount of boredom in their d
aily activities. Boredom related not only to lack of options, but also
to participation in adult-structured activities. In addition, some st
udents (especially females) reported that at times they participated i
n leisure activities to please others rather than to please themselves
. These findings are discussed in terms of social control theory, with
particular attention to the degree to which adolescent free time is c
ontrolled or structured by the dominant adult culture. The analysis le
ads to the suggestions that social control mechanisms do affect the fr
ee time activities of adolescents, and that these mechanisms have a st
ronger influence on the lives of female compared to male adolescents.