People Editor
Living in Silicon Valley, I am no stranger to the tenants of grind culture. Green smoothies, Saratoga Spring Water, and 5 AM wake-up alarms characterize the worker who spends extra, unpaid time at the office, all in an attempt to build their startup and get ahead in a specific field. Yet this grind culture bleeds into a high schooler’s life as the pressure to succeed impacts nearly everyone who lives in the area.This type of mindset is dangerous and must be condemned by parents and schools, as it can damage one’s mental and physical health as well as promote unrealistic expectations.
Among Silicon Valley high schools, 3 AM study sessions and skipping sports practice to stay caught up with classes are all too common. The authors of a study published by the National Library of Medicine concluded that “long working hours were shown to adversely affect the occupational health of workers.” The effects of overworking can impact every part of a student’s life and even hinder their performance in the long term. Thus, districts need to move school culture away from academic competition and place a bigger emphasis on mental health, rather than standardized test scores.
Academic fatigue has become increasingly common among students, according to the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE). LSE’s article on the subject included Dr. Daniel Madigan’s commentary: “It appears that burnout not only leaves students psychologically and physically withdrawn from their studies but also inhibits their academic performance. Given the substantial pressures that students currently face, the findings are particularly concerning.” A Harvard survey also concluded that 27% of students experience this exhaustion, while 53% of students feel pressure to be exceptional through their achievements. This not only affects a growing number of people, but can lead to students coming up short in other aspects of their life, such as health and family.
Additionally, hustle culture perpetuates the narrative that one should always be working, which leads to a person’s inability to rest meaningfully or take time to enjoy aspects of life other than work. This culture also promotes the idea that an individual is only socially valuable if they are contributing to their future or corporation, tying their self-worth to their academic and professional achievements.
Luckily, not all hope is lost; there are many ways one can avoid burnout. Students can also avoid academic fatigue by focusing on regular exercise and a healthy diet while seeking external help from teachers, parents and friends. Even so, school districts need to do their part in ensuring not only the physical, but the mental well-being of their students. Districts should also focus on steering the school culture away from the “grind mindset” and towards one of hard work and balance.
(Sources: Harvard School of Education, National Library of Medicine, and The London School of Economics and Political Sciences)
Categories: Opinion