As college students, I think we’ve all been in a situation where we want to take a break from our work, but feel like we shouldn’t. Or a time when you finish all of the work that is due for the week, but there’s still another project looming over your head, and even though it isn’t due for another two months, you feel like you should be working on it. These are prime examples of hustle culture, which often has consequences outside of school life as well.
From talking about all of the work that has to be done in an AP class to arguing over who spent the most hours in the library this week, hustle culture is a prominent part of high school and college life. Oftentimes, hustle culture results in feeling like you always have to be working on “real” projects from school or work. Not only that, if you aren’t continuously working on something, you are failing. Hustle culture is so prominent that it’s easy to participate in it without even thinking about it.
Hustle culture doesn’t end once you graduate though. This culture traps people of all ages. Family life can especially be impacted by hustle culture. Many times, companies want workers who have “professional dedication” where the job comes before anything. Professional dedication means you should be working long hours and be available off hours. This expectation is why many professionals view coworkers who take time off for family reasons as being less professional and serious about the work.
This pressure can especially come upon fathers who take time off work for paternity leave. Many men don’t want to go on paternity leave because they don’t want to be this outcast of their workplace or have their masculinity challenged.
Hustle culture and family relationships also apply to women. Sometimes, women in the workforce work all day and then are expected to come home and basically work another job when taking care of the living space and children, instead of being able to come home and take care of some of the things the next day or have their partner share the work. While this aspect of hustle culture has improved, there are often still expectations on women to have a job and be good homemakers.
My final problem with hustle culture is the way it condemns hobbies. As previously mentioned, a lot of hustle culture revolves around doing “real” work, and sometimes we discount hobbies as things that aren’t important and don’t deserve designated time. Taking time for hobbies doesn’t take away from how hard you have been working. I think a lot of people view hobbies as a waste of time, but some of the best advice I’ve ever received is “if you’re enjoying it, it isn’t a waste of time.”
Hustle culture treats everyone like they are superhumans who can constantly work all the time. I know many people who think that hustle culture is a positive thing that makes society more hard-working. Of course, I agree that being hardworking is a beneficial skill to have, but working all the time is dangerous for mental health and can impact family life. As we get older, it’s essential to understand that the weight society puts on people can have negative implications now and for our futures, especially if it becomes a habit.