We’ve all seen it — young, thin, attractive influencers with their iced coffees talking about their morning routines or productive day in their lives. They aesthetically flaunt their lack of sleep, social lives, and jam-packed bullet journals online for the world to see.
Props to them for balancing being a social media influencer while also being full-time students, having social lives, and participating in extracurriculars. It takes self-discipline to maintain a busy schedule. Unfortunately, it feeds into a culture of toxic productivity, and they don’t share the less glamorous side of their lives. No one shares their struggles, or if they do, they often make jokes about the mental breakdowns or panic attacks they may be experiencing.
As consumers, we watch these videos and their lives online, telling ourselves we are just looking for inspiration or entertainment. But in reality, and maybe subconsciously, we motivate ourselves through upward comparison which can be incredibly unhealthy.
On top of this, we live in a society where we are conditioned for instant gratification and perfection. Our entire economy places productivity and profit above all else. We as a society have started basing our happiness on how busy we can be, which often doesn’t bring joy but instead creates problems like burnout.
This idealized lifestyle of extreme productivity often takes a certain degree of privilege as well. Just take a look at the job requirements for entry-level jobs; many often want two years of experience which means that it is almost a requirement in university to take part in extracurriculars like clubs or work Co-op semesters. This takes a certain amount of privilege because many students have to work jobs to afford tuition and cannot use their spare time beyond studying for these clubs or find temporary work such as Co-ops.
Personally, I have been trying to change my mindset around productivity and being aware of the media I consume to combat this unnecessary pressure I sometimes feel from social media. For example, I realized that being productive is not about doing a million things and neglecting myself. Instead, I feel better about myself when I can reflect on the day and see that I ate three meals and drank water. The reflection and acknowledgement of my accomplishments are key in these scenarios. I’m also trying to consume social media influencers whose content I genuinely enjoy; for example, Faye Bate on Youtube is an excellent example of a realistic influencer who promotes a balanced life.
Lack of productivity or ‘laziness’ is now a harmful social construct, but I hope you can find value in giving yourself a break and doing things simply because they make you happy.