In today’s world, we find ourselves constantly at work, being busy, and never taking a moment to relax. It’s become the norm and quite frankly, it can be damaging to our health. Here are 17 things society tells us are normal, but that actually could be harmful.
Constant Busyness
Society sees constantly being busy as a sign of success, but it has the opposite effect on our bodies as it wears us down and can cause us to burn out. For example, LifeHack writes, “Being constantly busy can trigger chronic stress, which leads to a host of issues that aren’t good for your body.”
Lack of Sleep
Lack of sleep has become so normalized in today’s culture, but it shouldn’t be. It can have a severe impact on both your mental and physical health, causing many health issues. Instead, we should be promoting the importance of rest and making sure we get enough sleep.
Monetizing Hobbies
Thanks to the Internet and so many sites to sell homemade things on, hobbies have become a monetizing venture in today’s society. Sometimes it can be joyful to spend some time learning a new craft and doing something fun without the added pressure of finishing a project quickly so you can sell it.
Dependency on Smartphones
HelpGuide writes, “While a smartphone, tablet, or computer can be a hugely productive tool, compulsive use of these devices can interfere with work, school, and relationships.” Spending too much time on a device may not only negatively affect our relationships but also our mental health. Sometimes it’s important to have a detox.
Workaholism
As a society, we should not glorify overwork. Sometimes we think that the more we work, the better it will be when it comes to retirement, but it’s still important to give ourselves a break and allow some vacation days. The need to work so much can show how bad economic conditions have become.
Excessive Celebrity Worship
Society can have a huge obsession with celebrities, and this can distract a person from their community and personal relationships. It questions the impact of celebrity culture on values and priorities, especially as a person may go to any lengths to attend a concert. Instead, a person should try to create connections closer to home.
Food Waste in Retail and Restaurants
It’s become so normal for restaurants to discard food. This is supported by GreenMatch, which writes, “Around 13 percent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail, while an estimated 17 percent of global food production is wasted in households, restaurants, and hotels.”
Early Introduction to Smartphones for Children
Giving young children smartphones or tablets to keep them entertained has become the norm. It can have a negative impact on their development, and parents should look for alternative methods to keep them entertained. It’s important to be mindful of how much technology we’re giving our young children.
Medical Bankruptcy
If a person doesn’t have adequate insurance, then medical bills can become financially devastating. There can be so many harmful consequences that come from the fear of medical bankruptcy, such as a person refusing medical treatment. Having extremely high medical bills isn’t something that should be seen as normal.
Customer Entitlement in Retail
There’s a huge expectation in retail that the customer is always right, and this creates a sense of entitlement in them. According to Zendesk, signs of feeling entitled include when someone expects rules set out by a company to not apply to them. They will disregard rules, even if they’ve been put there for everyone’s comfort.
Privacy Violations for Content Creation
It’s become completely normal to create content for social media using the unsuspecting public. A content creator wouldn’t have taken into account that a person doesn’t want to be filmed, and it could violate their privacy. It’s important to always gain consent before filming any content.
Child Beauty Pageants
While it’s considered normal in society, child beauty pageants can be problematic and have a huge impact on your child. For example, your child may not want to be a part of the pageant, and it can also change how they view their image and self-worth. Society should think about the damage it could cause a child.
Pressuring Individuals into Parenthood
The Michigan Daily writes, “People always seem to frown upon those who are not following the standard protocol of getting married in their young adult years, having a couple of kids.” Many people in society believe that everyone should start a family, regardless of whether that’s what they want to do.
Working More Than 40 Hours
If a person brags about how long they’ve worked and it’s more than an average working day, then society applauds this. What they don’t think about is the negative health effects it can have on a person. Instead of applauding this, society should be encouraging them to have a suitable work-life balance.
Social Acceptance of Constant Drinking
Attitudes toward regular alcohol consumption have become far too casual. There can be many serious health and social implications that come from drinking too much. Instead of looking the other way, society should be ensuring that people drink responsibly and are addressing the culture of alcohol.
Worker Wages in the US
According to Pew Research, “Under federal law, the minimum wage for most workers is $7.25 an hour. However, employers of workers who ‘customarily and regularly’ receive at least $30 a month in tips can pay those workers just $2.13 an hour in direct wages.” A worker shouldn’t have to rely on tipping culture to ensure they have adequate pay.
Performing Acts of Kindness for Online Clout
There’s been a trend on social media where a person films themselves carrying out an act of kindness, purely doing it for clout rather than as a good deed. It questions the sincerity of a person and their actions. Instead, as a society, we should be encouraging acts of good deeds off-camera.
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