Rabat – We all have those days where it suddenly hits us: “What are we running for?” Even during the weekend, which is supposed to be “chill,” the need to hurry – whether it’s rushing to the mall or catching a movie – doesn’t go away. We always rush ourselves, but we never know why.
From the mid-to-late 19th century, railways expanded rapidly around the globe, starting from Britain, followed by western Europe, and most other regions around the world through colonies. Urbanization was evolving quicker than ever, and mass industrialization began. That was the beginning of capitalism and the “corporate world” as we know it today.
Through capitalism, big corporations started to sell not a product, but a lifestyle. A bike can be effective, but an automobile is quicker; washing the dishes by hand is more economical, but the dishwasher is way more effective. Men had more time to go to work, and women would be the homemakers.
The evolution of transportation and communication tools enabled the fast paced life-style – which originated in the West – to migrate to the other parts of the world. Mass media contributed heavily to globalization, which made the world a global village, sharing the same values and the same lifestyle.
Harmut Rosa’s theory of Social Acceleration
Harmut Rosa, a German sociologist and philosopher, is one of the scholars who investigates why modern life feels so fast. Rosa associates the feeling of rush to the “shrinking of the present.” According to Rosa, either at work or in personal life, we set expectations based on past experiences; when that is paired with the fast evolution of technology and the increasing goals we set for ourselves, life becomes more and more passive.
Navigating through the fast-paced culture
In this day and age, everything still needs to move fast – graduation, work, marriage. Our youth today are still subject to the fast-paced life that was started with the intention of making life easier, when in reality, it’s making our lives stressful and overwhelming. The moment a major era of our life ends, we feel the need to immediately jump into another phase. The youth of today have paid more attention to the fake sense of urgency we live in, either in the corporate world or in our personal lives.
On Reddit (a community-based social media platform where users can share and discuss different topics) there is a sub-community titled “adulting,” dedicated to new adults who have to adapt to the fast pace at which the world is moving. The fake sense of urgency is one of the things that cause anxiety and stress, which have become more and more common in our society.
Young adults always struggle with the way the world is moving on too fast, but rarely talk about how toxic it can be. Unlike the past generations, today’s youth have started to speak on the issue as conversations on mental health have also started to increase. Such discussions can hopefully be a stepping stone towards a better environment with less pressure to always “keep up.”
