A Qualitative Approach to the Analysis of Digital Leisure of the University Student Population

Introduction. The study focuses on understanding how university students at the University of Salamanca use their free time and whether these activities are healthy from a socio-educational perspective. Goals and Methods. The main objective is to explore the opinion of USAL students about digital leisure. The research was carried out using a qualitative methodology, specifically content analysis. A category table was created, and an open-response survey was conducted to collect data. This survey was distributed among students from different academic programs at the University of Salamanca, and a sample of 296 participants was obtained through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Results. The results show that students conceptualize digital leisure as leisure that allows them to pursue their hobbies and tastes using ICT and involves fun and enjoyment. Among the most mentioned, social networks, video games, streaming series, and movie platforms have stood out. The positive factors of digital leisure have been easy access to information and learning, communication with distant people, and immediacy in leisure. The negative points include addiction, excessive use of technology, a sedentary lifestyle, and lack of personal interaction. Conclusions. It is essential to reinforce education in healthy digital leisure for university students. A significant limitation of the study is that the selection of participants may have been biased, and it is planned to correct this in future research by expanding the sample and analyzing in more detail the type of digital leisure that students consume.