Work ethic amongst the millennial generation is a very controversial topic, often one surrounded by multiple factors. Writing about it is even more controversial, and there is plenty room for error. Before I begin, I will note a few disclaimers. This post does not target those who are afflicted with serious mental illness, societal oppression or any other factor that they are not directly in control of changing that may prohibit them from certain activities.

This targets the romanticized culture of laziness, inefficient time management, and the sudden rise of trends being a victim to circumstances one can easily prevent, but choose not to for the sake of following the crowd.

Whenever I open up any social media platform, regardless of whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, or whatever else is out there these days, I never fail to scroll past one post that sounds something like this:

Or:

And when these posts were first surfacing on the internet, I understood they were funny. I related to some of them. I laughed, I re-posted them from others, I got a good laugh from my friends while we all shouted, in really annoying voices, “MEEEEEEE.”

But my perception of them changed during my senior year of high school when I began to recognize the true connection some of these people were making to dumb posts like these.

I’ll never forget talking to friends who said to me, “Oh I didn’t do that homework. I was up until three in the morning watching 'Parks and Recreation.'” Or, the latter, “I didn’t get much sleep. I binge-watched 'Tyler Oakley' last night.” Sometimes it’s the opposite: “I took a nap because I hate myself.” The list keeps going:

“I don’t know what to do with my life, I’m useless.”

“I could be doing work right now, but Netflix just put up the second season of 'Daredevil.'”

“I wallow in self-hate all the time so instead of actually trying, I was playing 'Call of Duty' instead.”

Some of these sound exaggerated. But they’re all sentences that I’ve heard. And I understand that there are certain factors that play into it. Perhaps the person suffers from a mental illness, or a learning disability, or some form of ailment that prevents them from working. However, when I hear these as a joke, that’s where I know the problems begin.

The stigmatization against academic excellence isn’t new. The school “nerd” was always someone who focused on their school work, was smart, and got good grades. They used to be the ones beaten up by stereotypical jocks, the ones who couldn’t find boyfriends or girlfriends because they weren’t popular, et cetera. That stigmatization hasn’t changed. However, the source of said stigmatization has.

Now, it is not a question of how significant you are, but how insignificant you are and how you are unable to be a nerd. In simpler terms, it went from being “I’m too good to be a nerd” to “I’m not good enough to be a nerd”.

In this day and age, everyone gets a good laugh from talking about how their inabilities affect them; how the pressures of life weigh down on them and can lead to bigger problems. It all becomes a joke, as if this kind of behavior is normal, and how there is no ability to change our actions because “life just sucks.” It’s sort of a neo-nihilism: the belief that all is for nothing and that we shouldn’t have to do anything about it. At the same time, these pressures affect people, and they spiral into this ditch they can’t dig themselves out of.

This “culture” arose from popular social media, such as Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter. People post certain inabilities, or their lack of priorities, or their inefficient time management, and suddenly, it becomes glorified. It becomes glamorized, this idea of being incapable or nihilistic, and it hurts every aspect of life. Not only that, but it proves problematic to many groups already incapable of doing everyday things.

For those who suffer from mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, these are accurate outcries. These are usually where these inabilities surface. These inabilities are far from the norm, making someone different. Then, those who do not suffer from those mental disorders realize that these inabilities are something that makes them special, and latch onto the idea that they experience the same problems. Now, everything becomes an inability, and this romantic portrayal now has affected every single area of their lives.

School work becomes obsolete, so, therefore, they don’t progress educationally. Sleep patterns and eating habits become irregular and unhealthy, so health is affected. Chores go undone, which leads to a plethora of problems. Relationships with family and friends suffer as well, for social interaction becomes too tedious to perform. And it all begins with a joke.

The reason this is so controversial is because this topic seems ridiculously far-fetched. How much of this is a joke and how much is seriously affecting lives? I personally believe that it’s something worth addressing, because of how much I disagree with this culture.

While I understand certain factors play into this lack of ability, there are certain choices that can be made to avoid said issues. Hard work is important. Homework is a priority because it helps to enrich you educationally. Sometimes, it’s no piece of cake. But the amount of resources available now can outweight that. Need help in math? The internet is full of tutorials and videos, which, although new tools, are very effective ones. Take the initiative to seek out help from peers and teachers. Seeking help is a form of strength, not weakness. And there’s a certain pride to be taken in work, and, in the majority of people, achievement unlocks a boost of happiness.

Life comes with priorities, whether it be work, school, or home, and they’re unavoidable. Rather than wallowing in grief, there needs to be more encouragement to continue on. Every person who allows themselves to promote a culture of laziness tends to think destructively, which can lead to development of mental illness. There’s absolutely no reason to be in such a mindset, and, while it seems harsh, there needs to be a reevaluation of priorities. Because nothing is ever going to get better if you don’t try.