CeSID (Centre for Free Elections and Democracy) has published here (Blic) and here (24sata) some of the results from a market research project for the Belgrade City Youth Office which canvased Belgrade’s young adults (15 to 30 years old) on what they do (or don’t do) during their free time and their thoughts on life. Here’s a rundown of the results:
- 82% of Belgrade’s 15 to 30-year-olds are satisfied with life
- This satisfaction went down at 25-30 years old with worries about finishing university and finding a job
- 37% don’t think they will have the chance to start working and 36% don’t even think about beginning to work
- 44% mostly spend their free time socialising and going out with friends
- Only 1% use free time to pursue a creative hobby or go to the cinema, theatre or museum.
- Only 2% are involved with organisations or institutions
- Only 3% use free time for learning and self-improvement
- 72% say that they are always on the move, unable able to stay still for long
- More that 50% don’t have any income or, if they do, it’s irregular or only at certain times
- 55% say that they’ve had visas and travelled abroad (police data disputes this; many possibly feel ashamed to say that they haven’t been outside of Serbia)
- 46% don’t pay attention to their health
- 1 in 10 have no problem with soft drugs (most likely cannabis) and 5% would even be willing to sell drugs
- 1 in 9 see wearing a seat belt as a formality and 1 in 4 don’t think it would help in an accident
- 85% use the Internet as a means of communication
- 43% are satisfied with how Belgrade is developing, while 15% believe Belgrade is going in a bad direction
- Positively, 87% are partly or very interested in environmental issues
- 1 in 4 feel secure and safe in Belgrade, however, there is little tolerance for those who are different
So, as a 25-year-old adopted Belgrader what are my opinions? Well, I have to say I am fairly satisfied with my life, some things could do with improvement, but overall it’s not bad at all. Luckily, I have a job and as such I have no worries regarding income and putting food on my plate. This is definitely not the case for all young people in Belgrade though.
I use my free time to work on various Internet projects I have, going out for beer or coffee with friends at the weekend and, when there’s an interesting party, I enjoy clubbing into the wee hours of Saturday or Sunday morning to the sound of repetitive, electronic beats 
. I’m also quite a ‘housey’ person and can happily spend time alone at home pottering about and being lazy.
I must admit, I don’t use much of my free time for direct learning and self-improvement, but I am naturally curious and will read a lot about different topics that interest me – not sure how much of it I retain however!
What do you think of these results? Is it an accurate picture of what you or your friends do and think? What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Let us know (even if you’re older than 30!) by leaving a comment.
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on Sep 13th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Hi, Adam. Yes, I read this in the paper, and it doesn’t surprise me, except that such a high percentage of young people are happy with their lives. I imagine it’s their parents who are footing the bill, and when I see that some don’t even think about finding a job (and I know it really is hard) that makes me kind of angry. I am also one of the ‘privileged,’ i.e. to have a good job, and I feel so fortunate.
on Sep 16th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
24, still a student (graduating soon) – product design. Luckily, there’s a family business in case my own fail/before I start my own. I don’t think I’d find a job for my profession here, unless I make it myself, which I, hopefully, will. Copy/Paste your two last paragraphs here and just add girls, going to country, church, a lil bit of physical activity, etc
on Sep 16th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Thanks for commenting, Bibi and Obelix.
I too feel fortunate, Bibi, that I make a decent income and am able to cover all my outgoings (well, just about!).
Obelix, I should get a bit more exercise really. Though I do walk to and from work – hopefully that counts for something!
on Sep 16th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
“Free time” and “Serbia” is a bit of an oxymoron for me, given that my work is about Serbia, and being here makes me think about work 24/7…
Seriously, free time in Belgrade is best spent with friends, sitting in coffee shops (I’m an expert on this, possibly more so than the issues that I am meant to be an expert in), Ada (rowing, cycling, blading). I also like to walk around aimlessly, particulary if it’s warm, and if markets are involved.
As for the survey, some of the statistics don’t really seem to match up: how can 82% say that they are satisfied with life in the first bullet-point, then the second says that this satisfaction goes down with concerns about finding a job (which implies that satisfaction is linked with employment), then over 70% highlight concerns about ability to get a job. If 70% express concerns about employment, employment is linked to satisfaction, then why do so many say that hey are satisfied? Quite a contradictory response, probaly arising out of questionaire design.
The seatbelts thing…. I don’t wear a seatbelt in Serbia, but i do in the UK. Quite how and why I do this, I have no idea.
I am also surprised that more people do not feel secure on the streets of Belgrade – I found out tonight that my friend gets paid in cash, and carries around thousands and thousands of dinars as a normal thing. I was horrified – (particulary as I do a similar job and have some idea of the sums involved) – and my first reaction was “but what if you get mugged? This was not something that seemed to concern him.
on Sep 17th, 2009 at 12:48 am
It’s well known here. You’ll get used to it after a while. The “it” is – Serbs in diaspora are rich, Serbs here are happy. As for expat Serbs, I guess that works for Happiness is state of mind. Here, obviously people can be happy while they are concerned about finding a job. This is patriarchal society – so people help a lot each others, keep good connections among relatives and friends, “veza” thing, etc, etc… so, even if I maybe won’t find a job as a designer, it’s not the end of the world, I’ll find smth else. And why would I worry about that, when I’m young (joys of life, girls, parties, growing, etc… different mentality). As for safety thing – questionnaire failed. We are safe here. You can walk alone at night, everywhere. Unless you are overconfident (drugs) and approaching hooligans, a-la-in-your-face, while they are pissed off, because their team lost match. Then, you’re f…ed up.
Thousands and thousands of Dinars is tens and tens of Euros, so, it’s not a big deal 
It’s not that people here feel safe, it’s that people elsewhere feel unsafe. We feel just normal… don’t think about that… mugging, don’t-go-there city areas, etc. But, just in any case, spend this specific Sunday at home. All day! LOL
on Sep 17th, 2009 at 12:51 am
edit: after FOR in the third line of above reply, should go “all other people who live in Serbian diaspora countries”.
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