BUSY LIFE IN AMERICA

By
Brittany Cruz

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Reflection Paper
Is modern life making us lonely?
Busy Parents: The Real Cause of Childhood Obesity
Chaos. The Chaos Theory - running your life on
empty
The Busy Trap
Americans: Overworked, Overstressed
Final Reflection Paper
Work Cited

REFLECTION PAPER

The topic for our Eportfolio project in Sociology 1010 is on the busy life we live in
America. What I know already regarding this topic includes the stress it has on our
country and as individuals. Being overwhelmed by deadlines, projects, and too little time
can be both positive and negative to our social life and perspective. For example, my
boss would always tell me if you want something done, ask the busiest person to do it
for you. The reasoning for this was that the person who is the busiest is more motivated
and organized which will result in them completing the task at a professional manner
and in sufficient timing. The lingering Ill get it done later people will hardly ever
actually get it done. The hustle and bustle in our culture allows us to see our progress;
thus, giving us the confidence to go further in our accomplishments in our country.
However, when is it too much and where do we draw the line? Our culture is not
slowing down, but speeding up and at some point emotionally and physically as a society
the small amounts of relaxation and sleep will take its toll on us. Generations before us
enjoyed family time and valued it far more than work. This generation in todays society
is work oriented and is driven by success. Which leaves sociologist predicting our
following generations and wondering what their priorities might include. Will the future
include a family oriented lifestyle or another generation of living a busy life in America?
Busy and business oriented is not the problem in our culture it is not knowing how
to live a life of moderation. What a healthy lifestyle includes is a social life, family,
friends and a since of accomplishment. Our mind set today is that accomplishment is
everything we are an individualism driven society and are consistently creating ideas in
our head how to progress in our life instead of maintaining a content and happy lifestyle.

Is modern life making us

lonely?
Our modern life is making us lonely due to the disconnection between
one another. As many of us know humans are a species that is meant to interact
and connect with others. However, because of our social networking a huge number
of us have changed the way we socialize. Social sites such as Facebook, twitter, and
Instagram support our hectic lifestyles by allowing us to communicate without
seeing or hearing from one another. The way we choose to live our lives causes us to
become isolated which typically leads to depression and loneliness. Our mental
health is dissatisfied by our choices of disconnection and busy environments.
Living in such conditions can altar someone's personality; for example,
you may notice that a person close to you is angry, detached, sensitive, weight
fluctuation and other factors that have interrupted their usual way of life. Before,
families where closer and more time was spent talking and engaging in
conversations; whereas, today each member of the family appears to be too
absorbed in their own tasks. Not only does this effects a childs younger years, but
these lack of stimulating conversations and attention may lead to social problems in
the future.

BUSY PARENTS: THE REAL CAUSE OF

CHILDHOOD OBESIT Y
Childhood obesity has been a social issue for quite some time and has still remained one
of the leading causes for diabetes in younger generations. Some believe that childhood obesity exists
in such great numbers because little education is available in regards to nutrition. Yet, large measures
have been taken to educate children and families on what is appropriate and non- appropriate to be
consuming. Which is why researches have taken a step further to investigate why children are
receiving such poor foods. It has been found that since families have chosen to have two parents
working instead of one that parents appear to be putting less effort into their family meals compared
to before.
Fathers and mothers are exhausted from their daily duties that by the time they pick their
children up from school they are no longer interested nor have the energy to cook a nutritional meal.
Families are taking a large toll on the new social problems arising from the busy lifestyles that
Americans now live in. Due to priorities typically following money, which is work or school, families
are taking the back seat. The proceeding articles offer both support and educated suggestions on
how to prevent social problems from continuing.

CHAOS.
THE CHAOS THEORY - RUNNING YOUR
LIFE ON EMPTY

Teresa Pool educates her readers by expressing to them her

knowledge of limiting chaos in a persons life. In the beginning she introduces
reasons to why someone may feel the need to invite chaos into their lives. A few
reasons why people enjoy this lifestyle is because they receive sympathy from
others or the need to impress others. However, typically the individual is setting
unrealistic goals for themselves. Next, after establishing the cause of creating
chaos she request that the reader take a moment to generate ideas on why they
want to fix the issue and how. Lastly, Teresa encourages people to prioritize their
time and take ownership for their lifestyle they have brought upon them self. It is
stressed in the article that recognizing the amount of stress you have is caused by
yourself instead of outside forces. This way it will be harder for the individual to
play victim and should result in them taking responsibilities and changing these
unrealistic and unhealthy habits.

Chaos
doesn't die
wi t h o u t a
f i gh t , s o
re p e a t t h e
p ro c e s s a s
needed and
e n j oy t he
rewa rd s o f a
c h a o s - fre e
l i fe !
- TERESA POOL,
PPC

THE BUSY TRAP

BY TIM KREIDER
T i m K r e i d e r w r i te s a b o u t o u r a d d i c t iv e b e h av i o r c o n c e r n i n g o u r n ew a t t i t ud e
to wa r d c h a o s i n o u r ev e r y d ay a c t i v i t i e s . H e s u g g e s t s t h a t t h i s m e n t a l s t a te o f b e i n g
C r a z y b u s y i s a t h o u g h t w e i n d i v i d ual l y p l a n te d i n to o u r s e l ve s ; s o , w e w o ul d n o t h av e
to f a c e t h e r e a l i t y o f a q u i et o r r e l axe d e nv i r o n m e n t . T i m s t h e o r y i s t h a t i f p e o p l e
w o u l d e n d t h e i r c h a o t i c s c h e d ule t h ey w o u l d h av e to d e a l w i t h i s s u e s s u c h a s ;
f a i l u r e s , l o n e l i n e s s , o r d i s a p p oi n t m e n t s . K r e i d e r s ay s , I t s n o t a s i f a ny o f u s w a n t s to
l i v e l i ke t h i s ; i t s s o m et h i n g w e c o l l e c t iv e l y f o r c e o n e a n o t h e r to d o . I n o t h e r w o r ds,
r e m a i n i n g i n a b u s y e nv i r o nm e n t i s e a s i e r t h a n s p e n d i n g t i m e d o i n g t h e t h i n g s i n
w h i c h h o l d v a l ue . Fo r ex a m p le , t i m e s p e n t w i t h f a m i l y o r s e l f - c a r e .
T h e f e e l i n g o f a n x i o us o r g u i l t w h e n yo u a r e n o l o n g e r p a r t i c ip a t i n g i n t h e
f a s t p a c e l i fe s t y l e c a n s o m et i me s s e e m o v e r w h el m in g . H o w eve r, o n c e t h e s e f e e l i n g s
a r e o v e r c o me yo u a r e a b l e to s u b j e c t yo u r s e l f to t h e c r e a t i v i t y a n d h a p p i n e s s t h a t
f o l l ow s . W h e n c h i l d r e n w i t n e s s p o s i t iv e c h a n g e s s u c h a s t h i s i n t h e i r h o m e s t h ey w i l l
b e a b l e to a d a p t a n d l e a r n f r o m t h e n ew b e h av i o r s a n d a p p l y t h e m to t h e i r o w n l i v e s
w h e n t h ey a r e o l d e r. T i m e m a n a g e m e n t i s a n i m p o r t a n t s k i l l to te a c h a t a yo u n g a g e
i n o r d e r f o r t h e m to f i n d a b a l a n c e b et w e e n t h e i r w o r k , s c h o o l, f a m i l y a n d s o c i a l l i f e .

Americans: Overworked, Overstressed

By DEAN SCHABENER
Dean, author of Americans: Overworked, Overstressed expresses to his
readers the difficulties that are arising due to the high levels of anxiety Americans are
facing because of their careers. Repercussions of overworked parents reflects the
lifestyles of their children. Since 1990 studies have shown the neglect they are
receiving from their parents and how it affects their ability to grow. Children are no
longer with their mother and father the majority of the day; teachers, nannies, and
coaches have made more of an impact on their lives rather than their parents. Schools
are struggling to provide afterschool programs to keep up with the high demand of
children being left alone at home. Health has decreased along with the childs
nutritional education; thus, younger children are suffering from mal-nutrition because
of too little food or too much.
This article supports the evidence that overworked and overstressed
Americans are additional factors to the growing social problems in our country. Family
units are the driving force of our society; unfortunately, because this is the last phase
in a cultural revolution it is critical that the public receives knowledge of the damaging
effect our busy American lifestyle has on our families and personal life. Schabner
stresses the idea that an anxiety filled life is harmful to ones health and well being; it
is suggested that we reconsider our priorities in order to live a longer and stress-free
life.

the rising number

of children placed
in day care and
the increasing
demand on schools
to provide afterschool activities to
occupy children
whose parents are
too busy have all
been pointed to as
evidence that
Americans are
overstressed and
overworked.

FINAL REFLECTION PAGE

T h r o ug h r e s e a r c h a n d c o ur s e m a te r i a l p r o v i d e d f o r t h e s i g n a t ur e a s s i g n m e n t
I l e a r n e d t h a t t h e b u s y l i fe s t yl e A m e r i c a n s h av e a d o p te d c a n b e h a r m f ul to a p e r s o n s
m i n d , h e a l t h , a n d h i s / h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p s . C h a o s h a s b e c o m e s u c h a n a t u r a l w ay to
d e s c r i b e o u r s el v e s w e h av e b e e n b l i n d e d b y h o w n e g a t i ve l y i t h a s a f f e c te d o u r s o c i et y.
A m a j o r s o c i al i s s u e t h a t h a s a r o s e s i n c e t h i s p a r t i c ula r c u l t ur e s h i f t i n c l ud e s o u r
a b i l i t y to i g n o r e p r o b l em s a n d i n s te a d h i d e i t w i t h a n a d d i t io n a l w o r k l o a d .
T h e s t a te m e n t ; I a m to o b u s y o r l i fe i s s o c r a z y, I f o r g ot i s f a r to o
a c c e p t a b l e f o r p e o p l e . O u r c u l t ur e n o r m h a s s h i f ted to a n x i o us , o v e r wo r ke d, a n d
o v e r w h e l m e d i n d i v i d ual s . A s f a m i l ie s s t r ug g l e to f i t i n a c t i v i t i e s a n d a s yo u n g a d u l t s
s t r i v e f o r a s o c i al l i fe w h i l e w o r k i n g a n d g o i n g to s c h o o l n o t e n o u g h p e o p l e a r e
q u e s t i o n i n g h o w w e a r e b e n e f i t i n g f r o m t h i s l i fe s t yl e . I t i s a l m o s t i m p o s s i b le f o r a
m o t h e r o r f a t h e r to g i v e t h e i r 1 0 0 % a t a ny t h i n g w i t h t h e a m o u n t o f c o m m it m e n t s
p i l e d o n to p o f o n e a n o t h e r.

E x h a u st i o n i s a n a t u r a l c o n s e q ue n c e o f a n o v e r wo r ke d p e r s o n a n d s o o n e r o r
l a te r w e w i l l a l l b u r n o u t . W i t h t h i s i n f o r m a t io n my g o a l i s to m o n i to r t h e
r e s p o n s i b il i t ie s I a s s i g n my s e l f ; b y d o i n g s o I w i l l b e a b l e to f o c us o n t h e i m p o r t a n t
o b s t ac l e s c u r r e n t l y a n d i n t h e f u t ur e. A l s o , i t w o ul d b e b e n e f i c i a l to r e m i n d my s e l f
t h a t a d ay s p e n t r e f l e c t in g / r e l ax i n g i s n o t a d ay s w a s te , b u t a t i m e w e l l s p e n t f o r a
much needed recharge.

WORK CITED

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< h t t p : / / w w w . b b c . c o m / n e w s / m a g a z i n e - 2 2 01 2 9 57 > .
Ve n k e r, S u z z a n e . " B u s y P a r e n t s : T h e R e a l C a u s e o f C h i l d h o o d O b e s i t y. " N e w s R e a l B l o g R S S .
W e b . 3 D e c . 2 0 1 4 . < h t t p : / / w w w . n e w s r e a l b l o g . c o m / 2 01 0 / 0 3 / 3 0 / b u s y - p a r e n t s - t h e - r e a l cause-of-childhood-obesity/>.

P o o l , Te r e s a . " C h a o s . " T h e C h a o s T h e o r y . W e b . 3 D e c . 2 0 1 4 .
< h t t p : / / w w w . e v a n c a r m i c h a e l . c o m / L e a d e r s h i p / 4 2 9 4 / T h e - C h a o s - T h e o r y - - r u n n i n g - yo u r l i f e - o n - e m p t y. h t m l > .
S c h a b n e r, D e a n . " A m e r i c a n s : O v e r w o r k e d , O v e r s t r e s s e d . " A B C N e w s . A B C N e w s N e t w o r k , 0 2
May 2014. Web. 02 Dec. 2014. < http://abcnews.go.com/US/stor y?id=93604 >.

K r e i d e r, T i m . " T h e ' B u s y ' Tr a p . " O p i n i o n a t o r T h e B u s y Tr a p C o m m e n t s . T h e N e w Yo r k T i m e s , 3 0

June 2012. Web. 02 Dec.
2 0 1 4 . < h t t p : / / o p i n i o n a t o r. b l o g s . n y t i m e s . c o m / 2 01 2 / 0 6 / 3 0 / t h e - b u s y trap/?_r=0>.