Pressure to be productive

Pressure to be productive Pressure to be productive

Text and art by MICHELLE KIM

THE UNCEASING DEMAND FOR ACHIEVEMENT I N THE ABSENCE OF ONLINE taking advantage of my spare time. almost harder than going to school in perassignments or a personal project to In turn, I resolve to fill my summer son,” Cheng says. occupy my time, even casually scrollwith classes and projects and unconsciousIn addition, the lack of clear commuing through social media makes me ly pressure people around me to pick up a nication between teachers has resulted in a feel anxious; I can never chase away the linnew activity; thus the cycle continues. pileup of work. gering sense of guilt for wasting free time. Aside from the influence of digital When my calendar lists five Zoom

Unfortunately, this is a common senplatforms, parents may also be a source of meetings and 20 assignments due in one timent among young people of this generunwanted stress. day, I inevitably wonder if teachers underation. Although it has drastically affected “I don’t always share my personal stand that this is a transitional period for day-to-day life, COVID-19 has changed little with regard to the academic and extracurricular standards we are expected to maintain. struggles with my parents, so they add to that pressure without meaning to,” junior Emily Cheng says. “They remember my productive moments “ I don’t always share my struggles, ... so [my parents] add to everyone — they are sending a message that we should cram busy work into our spare time rather than prioritize our physical and mental health.

Students in Palo that pressure without in a more positive light, so ... they push

Relieving stress The problem

Trying to fulfill this twisted sense of Though we should always be trying Though COVID-19 has had devasaccomplishment ultimately causes us to our best, we cannot possibly deliver our tating consequences for many, we can still sacrifice our well-being, and yet this harmmaximum effort forever without risk of appreciate the opportunities it has given us ful mindset is ingrained in our experiences burnout — and our best certainly shouldn’t to combat the culture of hyperproductivas we navigate the global pandemic. be expected of us in the middle of a global ity and cut ourselves some much-needed

As the world shut down due to health pandemic. slack. v 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 creflexibility over my ates a vicious feedback loop of pressure to study time — but continuously begin new activities. without any struc

When 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

Consistent breaks are necessary to cope with this pressure to be productive. Alto are well-acquaintmeaning to." me ... [when I am] For me, painting, sewing, playing an ed with the compet— EMILY CHENG, junior not studying as well instrument, watching Netflix, baking, goitive academic and as I should.” ing on a walk or even sleeping all day seem work culture encompassing the Bay Area. Having a family who scolds constantlike perfectly valid ways to pass time as As detailed in an October Verde article, ly when an assignment goes unfinished or they make me happier. Palo Alto High School students take pride when their child is not doing enough to This should not be a time for anybody in being the most stressed out due to the boost their college resume wears students to be required to do any activity, nor is it notion that overworking oneself should be down and only strengthens the culture of a time to limit ourselves from trying somecelebrated. competition among students. thing new.