Pressure to be productive
Text and art by MICHELLE KIM
THE UNCEASING DEMAND FOR ACHIEVEMENT
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N THE ABSENCE OF ONLINE taking advantage of my spare time. assignments or a personal project to In turn, I resolve to fill my summer occupy my time, even casually scroll- with classes and projects and unconsciousing through social media makes me ly pressure people around me to pick up a feel anxious; I can never chase away the lin- new activity; thus the cycle continues. gering sense of guilt for wasting free time. Aside from the influence of digital Unfortunately, this is a common sen- platforms, parents may also be a source of timent among young people of this gener- unwanted stress. ation. Although it has drastically affected “I don’t always share my personal day-to-day life, COVID-19 has changed struggles with my parents, so they add to little with regard to the that pressure without academic and extracur- I don’t always share meaning to,” junior ricular standards we are Emily Cheng says. my struggles, ... so expected to maintain. “They remember my productive moments [my parents] add to The problem in a more positive Students in Palo that pressure without light, so ... they push Alto are well-acquaint- meaning to." me ... [when I am] — EMILY CHENG, junior not studying as well ed with the competitive academic and as I should.” work culture encompassing the Bay Area. Having a family who scolds constantAs detailed in an October Verde article, ly when an assignment goes unfinished or Palo Alto High School students take pride when their child is not doing enough to in being the most stressed out due to the boost their college resume wears students notion that overworking oneself should be down and only strengthens the culture of celebrated. competition among students. Trying to fulfill this twisted sense of Though we should always be trying accomplishment ultimately causes us to our best, we cannot possibly deliver our sacrifice our well-being, and yet this harm- maximum effort forever without risk of ful mindset is ingrained in our experiences burnout — and our best certainly shouldn’t as we navigate the global pandemic. be expected of us in the middle of a global As the world shut down due to health pandemic. concerns, cancellations of competitions and summer camps caused disappointment Digital education and panic for millions of students; a subseOver the course of the shelter-in-place quent rush to replace these vacancies with order in California beginning on March more classes or projects ensued. 17, Bay Area students have had to rebuild What really drives our subconscious their lives online and at home. need to always remain occupied? The sudden switch to online learning is neither as flexible nor as relaxing as it Direct influences may first seem. Now more than ever, social media is “At first, I felt less a primary mode of communication and stressed because I personentertainment for teens, and exposure to ally like having more huge amounts of content on the daily cre- flexibility over my ates a vicious feedback loop of pressure to study time — but continuously begin new activities. without any strucWhen I see other teens learning a new ture or routine at language or starting a business online, I get all, [digital learning] the impression that I am the only one not is slowly becoming
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almost harder than going to school in person,” Cheng says. In addition, the lack of clear communication between teachers has resulted in a pileup of work. When my calendar lists five Zoom meetings and 20 assignments due in one day, I inevitably wonder if teachers understand that this is a transitional period for everyone — they are sending a message that we should cram busy work into our spare time rather than prioritize our physical and mental health. Relieving stress Consistent breaks are necessary to cope with this pressure to be productive. For me, painting, sewing, playing an instrument, watching Netflix, baking, going on a walk or even sleeping all day seem like perfectly valid ways to pass time as they make me happier. This should not be a time for anybody to be required to do any activity, nor is it a time to limit ourselves from trying something new. Though COVID-19 has had devastating consequences for many, we can still appreciate the opportunities it has given us to combat the culture of hyperproductivity and cut ourselves some much-needed slack. v
