It’s Monday morning 6 am. The sound of the alarm clock marks the beginning of a new week.
A seventeen year old student is preparing mentally for another 7 days where he is expected to have all his schoolwork in order. He has to do his homework, different deadlines are scheduled and there is a tough exam week coming up.
Yet school is not the only occupation he has to focus on, his hobbies, that include playing violin and piano, certainly aren’t unimportant matters. If playing violin and piano is also consuming a lot of time, does he has any free time left for himself? is he still able to relax and see his friends?
Many people around the world undergo the constant pressure of the modern society, where everything has to go as fast as possible and where there is hardly time left to observe things calmly.
We live in a stressful environment where more and more is expected from each individual. In this short article I will discuss today’s society, and what negative effects it has on peoples lives. Are we still able to change the way it shapes us?
The most harmful effects of stress are the health problems it may cause. These symptoms can be divided into physical and mental disorders where as the physical part can cause gastrointestinal complaints, headaches, dizziness, palpitations and high blood pressure. These disorders are absolutely troubling, however, what is at least as bad or even worse are the psychological effects of stress. Depression, mental fatigue, helplessness and restlessness are all very common symptoms.
A study drawn by the Dutch public health organization showed that in 2011, approximately 649.500 people in the Netherlands (age: 18 – 65) were suffering from a mood disorder. This is about 5% of all Dutch citizens, a significant percentage.
Our current society forces us to set priorities, execute fast, so that we can make our deadlines. We need to focus on things that are really important, with the result that smaller, but still very valuable things, are getting ignored. For example, think about all the children who are brought every day to a day care station because both of the parents have important jobs. But not only the contact between parent and child is significantly less, the social contacts seems to be neglected as well. Real friends are being replaced by Facebook friends because we simply haven’t time left to meet them in reality.
Culture also suffers from the hurried modern world. It seems that it can not keep up with the society, and is therefore labeled as a leftist hobby. Something that doesn’t belong to our civilization anymore.
We no longer have time left to sit back and listen to a beautiful orchestra or dream away watching a beautiful painting. Everything must be done as efficiently and cheaply as possible in as little time as possible.
Can we bring a change in today’s society? Are we able to turn the tide? Probably not. It seems that the economy must always continue to grow, which makes the society even more complicated then it is today. Yet, as individuals we can make a change in our lifestyles. We should enjoy all the little things that makes us happy and especially take the time to enjoy those things. I would recommend anyone to visit a concert or take a nice walk, but after all everyone must find his own spark of joy to turn away from this everyday day life and find peace and rest within himself.
Today’s society is written by Mitra Muijen.
