Is productivity simply a social construct? The more sophisticated society gets and the more privileged humans become, the more the need to impress others becomes. How many of us try to take up a hobby and end up ultimately failing because it’s ‘too difficult’?
This is simply a by-product of seeing everything done so successfully online that we expect ourselves to excel at something on the first try. Any hard work is required, and we become frustrated. It’s a very superficial way of trying to outdo others and gain recognition in the modern world.
Grade-based achievements have also become more prevalent, and even hobbies and extracurricular activities are often catered towards how they would look on a resume. Students tend to struggle with the balance of work and their lives at university because there is a massive social pressure to go out whilst also maintaining a high standard of work; a task that is impossible to achieve long-term.
As a result, mental health in young adults often focuses on school and the fear of failure. Schools are putting more pressure on students than ever before to stick to rigorous revision schemes in order to achieve high results, and this means that students are struggling to live up to the unrealistic expectations that they set for themselves.
To some extent, not being ‘productive’ all the time and following your own pursuits is simply refusing to conform to society’s ideal structure. Social media and modern-day restraints often force us to believe that our purpose in life is to always be pushing to the next milestone, but sometimes it can be more fulfilling to just stand still.
