It seems like no one wants to work these days………in an exploitative capitalist society that values productivity as an accurate measure of self-worth

By Sarah O’Connell

Streams of Consciousness: Column 2

Without a doubt, the strains of living in a society driven by capitalism can lead to burnout, mental health struggles and a constant feeling of inadequacy. In the digital age, we are constantly exposed to talented individuals, who have taken their skills and transformed them into profitable, successful businesses. With podcasts titled ‘Diary of a CEO’, and social media accounts dedicated to learning skills such as trading; we are constantly saturated with the idea that we are not doing enough ‘hustle’ to reach our full personal and financial potential.

This discourse surrounding ‘hustle culture’ came to light last spring when Kim Kardashian was embroiled in controversy following statements in an interview regarding women in business. Stating that she has the best advice for women in business, to get their f*cking asses up and work. This statement did not go down well with the public. Enraged fans spoke out against what they felt was an extremely patronising address to them, as women of the working class. Many argued that Kim would not be where she is without her financial and social privilege. While one can deduce that Kim Kardashian was referring to other celebrity women who have embarked on business ventures like hers rather than the working class, it sparked an important conversation surrounding toxic productivity.

Toxic productivity is the phenomenon where one derives self-worth from their level of productive output, be it in a professional setting, an academic setting, or extracurricular/volunteer activities. Many people report feeling guilty, anxious, and having low self-worth due to their productivity levels appearing of lower value than others. We can all relate to the feeling of guilt when procrastinating a project or assignment that needs to be completed; but this guilt surrounding our output of work and effort has become a source of emotional turmoil. Undoubtedly, this is a result of decades worth of capitalist propaganda, spreading the lie that if you work hard enough you will achieve your goals. However, this is quite an unrealistic mindset in a society where financial privilege and social privilege can determine the level of your success.

As well as this, the lie that if you work hard enough, you will succeed, could not be more inaccurate in a capitalistic society. Many people work extremely hard, restaurant and retail staff for example, who will never achieve immense financial success while in their current occupation. This is not due to them being lazy individuals. This is not due to them ‘not wanting to work’ as Kim Kardashian would put it; but it is due to the system of capitalism. The unfortunate reality of low paid labour is that you have extremely hard-working individuals, whose hard work is simply adding to the wealth of the business owner. This exploitation is a core feature of capitalism, yet the lie still exists that working hard will lead to financial freedom and success.

As well as this, hustle culture has also created the belief in some individuals, that if you are not being paid for your hobby, then it is a waste of time. This belief that every hobby enjoyed and loved by someone must be turned into a successful business venture is, in my opinion, one of the sadder aspects of toxic productivity. Hobbies should be an escape from reality, a release from stress, something to be enjoyed, not seen as another money-making machine. Of course, there are many businesspeople who have turned something they love into a profitable business or occupation, which is extremely worthwhile. The issue is people feeling compelled to turn their hobby or talent into a business to validate the time and energy they put towards it.

Toxic productivity culture can also extend to areas like academia and extracurriculars. Many university students speak about their experiences of ‘feeling behind’ in contrast to their classmates. Students feel huge pressure to take on multiple extracurriculars or volunteering roles and if they don’t, risk feeling inadequate and anxious about their future employability. This leads to students taking on projects they may not be passionate about, simply to tick a box from the imaginary checklist of becoming a well-rounded, employable individual. This coupled with the already heightened academic stress that all students will face can create feelings of self-doubt when students question why everyone else can handle this multitask life, and they cannot.

A recurring theme throughout toxic productivity is the feeling of inadequacy, the feeling of not doing enough. It should be questioned why in society today, humans can appear to value productivity far more than other, arguably more crucial, traits. Traits like kindness and empathy. Skills like communication and emotional intelligence. Why do humans feel the need to attach a financial or measurable benefit to the activities they spend their time doing? This constant need ‘to do’ is leading to stress, burnout and severe emotional distress. I hope that as a society, we can begin to realize that the measure of our self-worth should not be derived from how many checks we get on our daily-to do lists. I hope we can realize that rest and self-care are productive for mental health and emotional wellbeing. I hope that we can start to value each other as humans, rather than as productivity machines, and release ourselves from the tether of toxic productivity culture.