ENG 1301 Introduction
Professor Hammett
6 May 2019
Busyness Epidemic
Introduction
Have you ever sat on a bench in your local public community and watched as everyone
hurriedly runs around in accordance to their own busy schedules? Children, teenagers, parents,
and people of all kinds constantly on the go in order not to “miss” the next event, deadline, or
meeting. You don’t have to travel far, or even travel at all, to see the effects a hectic schedule can
give on a soul trapped underneath its commands. The Bureau of Labor’s statistics show that at
least 11 million Americans work 59 hours a week (“American Time Use Survey” 1). These
people have become blinded to all that a healthy and balanced lifestyle can hold. Have you ever
seen a group of teenagers so unmotivated in life as we do today? This large a number for the
amount of kids who participate in several varying sports, clubs, and organizations by the young
age of seven? Or this many booked to the brim planners we all carry around? How can we
change this social epidemic so the next generation is able to enjoy life to the fullest? How can we
reform this pattern for ourselves?
History
Throughout time, people have always found worth in their work. When people look back to the very first century, Seneca the Younger, a Roman philosopher, observed the lives of people.
He discovered that the wealthiest in the land were the busiest saying that “people are frugal in
guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy” (Kowalski 1). Their greed and anticipation for more ruined the fortune for themselves. Even though that was thousands of years
ago, today humans still rush around in life focusing on the next task at hand, and never taking a break. All of this is done in hopes of attaining it all and then relaxing, but they never quite get there. Lots of research has shown that later in the 18th century work and money became closely
related to time, as that’s when the invention of clocks were created to regulate people’s daily schedules. See, what first started off as a survival, is now used as a measurement of worth,
success, and social status among community as well as within themselves. An article from APS
explained this epidemic clearly by stating that “most people today no longer expend much
energy on basic survival needs, so they have excessive energy, which they like to release through action. Yet the long-formed tendency to conserve energy lingers, making people wary of expending effort without purpose” (Hsee 1). Once technology came into the picture and normal
use in society, it added an abundance more extra pressure and work. As seen in the Industrial
Revolution, taking place in 1760-1840, time quickly turned into dollar signs, as the amount of time spent in the workplace equated to the individual’s pay (Dickinson 1).
Social Effects A busy person is now seen in society as a normal, successful, and thriving individual…
but if we really looked further into that, would we still be able to see an individual living at their
healthiest? This busyness epidemic has now impacted every circle of influence in society possible. First off, the human being themselves is quite affected by the repercussions of falling
trap to this “disease.” In modern society, one may not feel as high of a self-esteem if their schedule isn’t as packed as that of the person next to them. As seen throughout the characteristics
of humans on Earth, a full schedule is not only a symbol of self-worth, but also a part of one’s identity and the amount of experience they have.
In the city of Houston, for example, the streets are booming with business with skyscrapers as high as the clouds. Each street is full of people who are constantly moving,
working, or rushing around just in time to catch the next train, their next lunch talk, or project meeting. Imagine if someone were to look down at these busy bodies, if someone were to look at
Houston from above, it would look like a million ant-looking creatures constantly and consistently exhausting ourselves sometimes to a point of sickness and loss of happiness. This is just one out of millions of cities around the world that has fallen captive to the trap of busyness.
Examples
Since working has become such a status symbol found among the contemporary
American culture, there are several differing examples, studies, and results shown among cultures and communities. A recent study done by the American Time Use Survery shows that
the average adolescent only has about one and a half hours per day of leisure (“A Day in the Life” 1). Kids, teenagers, and adults both suffer from this busy epidemic slowly controlling more and more of our lives everyday. Some studies have observed that parents nowadays eat over one
hundred and fifty meals a year standing up due to their limited time for eating. The busy, rushed
schedule that many kid’s parents inflict on them in their childhood often leads them to become lazy, unmotivated, and exhausted in the future. Statistics show that ninety-five percent of college students procrastinate on their assignments and studying (Karr 1). The results of this epidemic
spreading and attacking individuals, communities, and the world as a whole can be observed everywhere. Just as Socrates, a Greek philosopher once said, “beware the barrenness of a busy life” (Kowalski 1).
Solutions
In order to allow a lifestyle filled with more peace and less stress, one must understand
the importance of their time and how it should appropriately be used. The healthy schedule of the
average male and female was drawn up by several studies and some even tailor these outlines for individuals to best aid them. Kyle Kowalski, a recovering busy-holic from this epidemic tells of
his experience and how he pulled through and when he finally decided to change his lifestyle in order to live out the full capacity he was able to (Kowalski 1). Mckeown provided his idea of a
solution in his book saying, “Only once you give yourself the permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things
that really matter” (Mckeown 21). Saying yes to every opportunity that comes your way will result in an overwhelming amount of unhealthy responsibility. This is exactly the heart and core
of this whole busyness epidemic. Allowing yourself to take control over your life and being able to balance your schedule is so vital in today’s life-and-time-sucking routines. Mckeown explains
this in saying, “If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will” (10). Some of the solutions
presented by specialists are not as effective as possible due to the fact that the commercial style
of the culture does not support this healthier way of living.
Camus and Absurdity Camus believed love was repulsive and it was made out to be artificial or fake due to his view on how busy people in society were. Camus even once said, "Illuminate the problem of the human conscience in our time” (Simpson 1). In fact, he agreed that the value and use of our time
was seen as something that highly affected our mental state and personality. Camus might also
have said that those who are married most likely spend less time running and more time enjoying
life. While this suggestion is not proven, Camus would have supported. A theory of work-eatlove-sleep daily existence had fully proven itself to Camus and his worldview. While many may
look at Camus today and say that he was insane and not fully stable, they tend to neglect taking a closer look at themselves and the society as a whole in modern time. Everyone’s mind are more
far off than they perceive them to be. Camus tends to represent the very inner part of our minds and the way it thinks. Camus also stood strong in the suggestion that man succeeds or fails because of the amount of lack of strength in himself. He agreed that man has found a way to base
their how point of existence and self-worth in their work and accomplishments. In the end,
Camus would not have been surprised or shocked in the least bit at the results and conclusions drawn from this epidemic.
Conclusion
While this epidemic is not as obvious as others, the busy rush of everyone can clearly be seen in society everywhere today. This is a serious issue not to be taken lightly or ignored. More
more young adults and early teens are being diagnosed with serious mental and health problems everyday. This stems back to their external environment controlling their internal environment. With the outbreak of several existential crisis, something must be done. While everyone has
differing personalities and requires various forms and methods of help, each individual can easily take a few simple steps to declutter and regain control over their life again. A person will
not find happiness and lasting security in success or accomplishment as seen in these generations, but they can learn how to enjoy life to its fullest. Self-care is important and often overlooked as something not aiding in one’s quality of living. So evaluate life today and figure
out what can be reformed into a better and fitting schedule in attempt to bring the busyness epidemic to a halt.
Works Cited
“American Time Use Survey.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEUS/ATUS. 2 March 2019.
Web.
“A Day in the Life.” Office of Adolescent Health: Rockville, MD. 14 March 2019. Web.
Dickinson, Elizabeth Evitts. “The Cult of Busy.” John Hopkins Health Review: John Hopkins
University & Medicine. 16 March 2019. Web.
Hsee, Christopher K., Liangyan Wang, Adelle X. Yang. “Idleness Aversion and the Need for
Justifiable Busyness.” Association for Psychological Science: Sage Publications. 15
March 2019. Print.
Karr, Larisa. “Study finds up to 95 percent of college students procrastinate.” The Blue Banner.
22 March 2019. Web.
Kowalski, Kyle. “Busyness 201: A Brief History of Work and Busy and America.” Sloww
Company. 15 March 2019. Web.
Kowalski, Kyle. “Sloww.” Sloww Company. 16 April 2019. Web.
Mckeown, Greg. Essentialism. Currency. 15 April 2014. Print.
Simpson, David. “Albert Camus (1913-1960).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: DePaul
University. 15 April 2019. Web.
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